The Glad Books (aka Pollyanna series)

My story begins forty years ago, when I was preparing to start High School. Over the Christmas holidays I'd amused myself by reading the handful of old Pollyanna books my mother had retained from her teens. They contained a list of the entire series, most of which I discovered were impossible to get hold of. One day, my dad drove me around to several secondhand book dealers we found in the Yellow Pages, to no avail. That was my first rude awakening that sometimes books go out of print and there's nothing we can do about it. It frustrated me no end to discover a series I wanted to read, but was unable to get my hands on.

Still, it's never too early to learn that we can't always get what we want. 

Fast forward to the twenty-twenties. Glad Books began popping up here and there when I wasn't even hunting for them. A friend alerted me to several at a local secondhand bookshop, which I went and bought. Then just last winter, I came across a stash at a market stall on its last day running. At that stage I realised I was only three short, and discovered it was possible to order them from different sources online. The reason why they're easier to find now is anyone's guess. Perhaps as the old owners from the thirties through to the fifties are beginning to die off, their old books are being donated by family members to secondhand dealers. No doubt the presence of online sellers makes a huge difference too. The upshot is, I now have all fourteen Glad Books in a lovely row, even though I'm almost 53 instead of 13. 

To prove that I'm still just as young at heart, and to make the 40-year gap worthwhile, I'm going to read them all straight through from start to finish this coming year (2023). I have to say I'm looking forward to discovering just what I was missing out on all this time. I've often discussed 'bad mood busting books' on this blog, and if this series lives up to its promise, it ought to be the most cheerful experience enclosed in pages to be found.

Since they are beginning to circulate in the big wide world again, I'll invite you to read them too, or at least follow along if you can. Pictured above are some selected copies from my completed series. How about those old vintage dust jackets, hey?

Okay, several different authors had a hand in writing these, but here is the official order. 

Pollyanna

Pollyanna Grows Up

Pollyanna of the Orange Blossoms

Pollyanna's Jewels

Pollyanna's Debt of Honour

Pollyanna's Western Adventure

Pollyanna in Hollywood

Pollyanna's Castle in Mexico

Pollyanna's Door to Happiness

Pollyanna's Golden Horseshoe

Pollyanna's Protege

Pollyanna at Six Star Ranch

Pollyanna of Magic Valley

Pollyanna and the Secret Mission   

5 comments:

  1. I too discovered the books and have fought to complete my series...and then I find my list my list might not be complete. All I know for sure is. I feel better and inspired to be better after reading one. There's also a book I need to find here at home about living more Pollyanna like and it's quite good. This week has been a bit ough and one of suggestions called for saying aloud ...but I can be glad of and it helps..a lot ..so that's not on your list and I saw a list of another book as the end of an online list..I ll try and get it to you..igsis2 @gmail.com

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    1. I think these 14 are the sum total of the originals, although there may be modern readers who have picked up the slack and slipped through my radar.
      I've hit a bit of a hitch with the Elizabeth Borton titles, as I preferred Eleanor H. Porter and Harriet Lummis Smith. But I'll try to get started again in the new year.
      Those books you mention sound great. Yes, do please forward them to me :)
      And merry Christmas.

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  2. I read every review that you made about the "Glad Books" you're reading, and I could not enjoyed you more. Well, I'm a huge fan of "Pollyanna", and the first book is my favourite. In "Pollyanna growns up",the unnecessary death of Doctor Chilton, and strange love triangles involving Pollyanna and hers friends, made me dislike it and quite frankly regretted reading. I couldn't understand the reason of aunt Polly’s sad destiny in the second book, widowed without any reasonable matter. Porter made Aunt Polly such a strong caracter in the first book and destroyed her life in the second - I will never forgive or forget that. Just to make a plot strong enough to turn them to Beldingsville again - with Pollyanna big enough to marry and left her alone in that big house - and no money. SERIOUSLY, I hate the sequel so much. But, beyond Pollyanna's fan, I'm curious human being, and got myself searching-finding-reading the other sequel books, unfortuntly only to hate them even more. In "Pollyanna and the orange blossoms", I enjoyed so much their beggining of marriaged life, their partnership, but when she gets pregnant and just doesn't tell Jimmy, the storie gets ruinned for me. In “Pollyanna Jewels”, I enjoyed so much the family that her and Jimmy made - they had a big house, 3 beautiful and healthy kids, Nancy living with and helping them. But, again, just kick off aunt Polly (yes, she is annoyng and much incovenient, but guess why, her life really sucks - thanks to Porter “great” idea in vol 2). Now, althout I was expectating Aunt Polly’s death, Harriet decided send her travel the world with some friend (that we didn’t even know existence until now), but it was a end way better of than Dr Chilton’s end - Harriet shows more respect for the original caracters than Porter. “Pollyanna debt of Honour”, we see the kids getting bigger, same Pollyanna heroin changing-saving lives, trying to “moralize” Jamie and Sadie, and, no great plot, as well no great disapointment.
    And the other glad books I just couldn’t found on line, and finally gave up of them! Pollyanna lives in my heart forever, but only the first one - her otther versions I would ratther not have known.
    If you keep reading them, I”ll certainlly read your reviews about them. Thanks for your time and you patience, and only one more thing - just for curiosity, aunt Polly show up in another book ou keep travelling around the globe forever? Nancy and Tim are dead, Mr John Pendleton is imortal, Aunt Ruth (nevermind her, I don’t care about her since her only sister Della’s was never even mentionated), Jamie and Sadie still boring…oh God, i just don’t care, but I wanna know. Love and hate - and plenty of curiosity.

    (Sorry about my english, I’m learning and starting to practice even more with Pollyanna glad books)

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    1. Hi Luciana,
      I'm delighted to hear from you! Our opinions about the Glad Books coincide perfectly for the most part. Those love mix-ups really were frustrating, haha. And as you say, Porter's manipulation of Aunt Polly's life and attitude was very harsh 😥

      I now have a few double-ups of the Pollyanna books. If you continue to be unable to find them all, please feel free to contact me again. I may be able to ship some to you. Especially knowing how it feels to be a Pollyanna fan unable to find them all.

      (As I've made no secret of, the Elizabeth Borton titles have been disappointing so far though.)

      However, you've prompted me to pick up the thread again. I lost heart when I saw there were still two more by her, but it's high time I got on with them. New Year, fresh start. Look out for my reviews of the rest very soon 😄

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