Book 1 - The Bobbsey Twins.

I'd forgotten how preachy these books are. Lots of morals. No fighting even if the bully wont stop picking on you.

This mega pack has the first 15 original books. I only read book 1.

This is a series of books about 2 sets of twins. In this book the older twins are Nan and bert, aged eight. They both have brown hair and brown eyes. The younger twins are Freddie and flossie, aged 4. They have blonde hair and blue eyes.

These are somewhat spoiled children.
No discipline for children who break the rules. They literally get away with everything.

Freddie begs for a third helping of cheese cake and gets it. He goes sleepwalking later that night. The doctor gets called in. No punishment.

Making an ice boat and sailing on the frozen lake over xmas - and getting home very late. No punishment.

Taking a horse and sleigh out to the frozen lake watch an ice hockey game, and then tipping the sleigh over during a race on the way home, and getting home very late. Again no punishment.

One twin gets into the flour barrel and ends up spreading flour all over the pantry and kitchen. Dinah the housemaid has to clean up but the child gets no punishment.

Freddie wanders off in the department store and falls asleep in the basement. He is found by the night watchman who telephones the family to come and pick the child up, even as the search is about to widened to find him. Again - there is no punishment.

The children even get left home alone - Mr B is at work, Mrs B goes shopping and Dinah the maid is off visiting family. There is no way that two 8-year-olds should be allowed to look after two rambunctious 4 year-olds.

There were 72 books in the original series and the later stories became mystery stories.
But this first book just introduces the family and their friends to the reader over one school year.
Everyone plays outdoors which is why there are so many outdoor activities mentioned
I do not remember much of my childhood. But I do know that I did not play outdoors.
I just preferred to read all the time.

This book has no mentions of cars, or televisons or computers or cell phones or video games.
There are telephones and elevators mentioned as well.
The old style elevators where you have to close the outer door and then the inner door before pressing the button.

Also with the mention of several lakes and towns at the heads of said lakes, I am going to assume that these stories are set in the state of New York. Book 9 is set in a great city which is apparently NYC.

2 out of 5 stars. Preachy and moralistic - no plot - just vignettes of the family during the year. ( )

A timeless classic that shows how simpler things used to be. It makes the reader wish to go back in time for a bit. To be able to go on the advantages would be amazing. I am so glad to have found this collection of books that I read when I was younger 20 years ago as it brings back so many good memories. ( )