Goody Hall

Description: The new tutor at Goody Hall is pleased with his job but can't help feeling there is something peculiar about the household.

Brief description: Artist and writer Natalie Babbitt (1932-2016) is the award-winning author of the modern classic Tuck Everlasting and many other brilliantly original books for young people. As the mother of three small children, she began her career in 1966 by illustrating The Forty-Ninth Magician, written by her husband, Samuel Babbitt. She soon tried her own hand at writing, publishing two picture books in verse. Her first novel, The Search for Delicious, was published in 1969 and established her reputation for creating magical tales with profound meaning. Kneeknock Rise earned Babbitt a Newbery Honor in 1971, and she went on to write--and often illustrate--many more picture books, story collections, and novels. She also illustrated the five volumes in the Small Poems series by Valerie Worth. In 2002, Tuck Everlasting was adapted into a major motion picture, and in 2016 a musical version premiered on Broadway. Born and raised in Ohio, Natalie Babbitt lived her adult life in the Northeast.

Review Quotes:

"Goody Hall is an unusual mystery that is rightly named; for Goody Hall seems almost to bewitch those who come in contact with it. The whole story has a dreamlike, allegorical quality that perfectly matches the setting. . . . an imaginative story for discriminating readers." --School Library Journal, Starred Review

"Goody Hall is one of those rare publishing miracles, a book to delight readers of all ages." --The Boston Globe

"In the marvelously evoked atmosphere of a country establishment surrounded by legends of a costumed robber, Mrs. Babbitt moves precisely and lightly to a happy finale. Adults as well as children will be satisfied with this story for reading aloud." --Washington Post Book World

"A delightfully zany yarn." --San Francisco Chronicle

"This book is enchanting, written with comic artistry." --Books for New Age Children and Youth

"The tidy, satisfying-for-everyone ending is perfectly in keeping with the skillfully wrought tale. The writing is the kind adults will enjoy sharing with children." --The Horn Book Magazine

"A young hero hired as tutor in an isolated house; an empty tomb, a séance, and a statue filled with stolen jewels; a double glimpsed in a night garden; and a bang-up Victorian happy ending. Another delicious blend of style, wit, and adventure." --Kirkus Reviews

"Goody Hall belongs on the list of timeless classics. While the book may age, the story doesn't. It's a book that is as much a pleasure to read as a child as it is for an adult. There is mystery, humor, history, and legend, all wrapped up in a wonderfully told story about interesting, likable people. And the fiery finish will captivate even the most jaded of children. . . . Whether this will be the first or fifteenth time you've read it, it's worth every second." --Armchair Interviews