February 8, 2007 @ 5:49 pm | Filed under: Little House
…to talk about Little House. Many of you have written to ask when my next Martha or Charlotte book will be published. Plans have been in flux for over a year now, but it’s time to address your questions.
As I mentioned here recently, HarperCollins has launched new paperback editions of Laura’s books which feature photographic covers and no longer contain the Garth Williams illustrations. (The Garth Williams art will remain in the hardcover editions and the colorized paperback editions.)
There are also going to be some changes in the other Little House series. The Martha, Charlotte, Caroline, and Rose books are being reissued in abridged editions. If you wish to read these books in their original,
complete forms, you’ll want to pick them up now before the unabridged editions go out of print. In at least one case (On Top of Concord Hill, a Caroline book), the original is already out of print and is hard to find.
(A reader recently told me copies are selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay.)
The abridged editions of my books and the Caroline and Rose books will be released with new covers this summer. They are significantly shorter; in some cases more than a hundred pages have been cut from the original edition.
In light of these changes, I have decided not to continue writing Martha and Charlotte books. Although it is indeed strange to know that I will not tell the rest of their stories (especially the story of Martha and Lew’s romance, for which I have been sowing seeds since the first books), I do not think it is such a bad thing to end my part of the story with Beyond the Heather Hills and Across the Puddingstone Dam.
In both of those books, I had the opportunity to say something about what is good and true and enduring in this world. Martha glimpsed it, looking into the eyes of her infant niece. Charlotte glimpsed it in the
eyes of her mother, the grown-up Martha, who endured the worst kind of loss but, through faith, managed to keep hold of—and share—her joy.
It will be difficult to say goodbye to these girls who have been to me like my own children. I have loved watching them grow. I am deeply honored to have had the opportunity to, in the words of Gail Godwin, “respectfully imagine” them and chronicle their stories.
As I said, my decision to leave the series has been in the works for quite some time. Meanwhile, I’ve been working on new projects and am quite excited about my current novel, which is about neither a Scottish lass nor a New England villager, but something completely different. Stay tuned…
Charlotte Tucker, children's books, HarperCollins, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House, Martha Morse
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Oh no. That doesn’t sound good at all. I will be placing a big order at Amazon soon to complete our sets. Why the alterations?
Posted on February 8th, 2007 at 5:52 pmBest of luck with your new novel. Keep us posted!
Posted on February 8th, 2007 at 6:40 pmMy daughter loves your books and I know she will be sad to hear you will not write any more of them. I understand your reasons for stopping though. It seems to me a bit like someone giving your child a nose job without your permission. Shame on the publisher for abridging the books. Haven’t we been dumbed down enough yet?
Posted on February 8th, 2007 at 7:57 pmOh Lissa, we will miss those books. But know that you are on to bigger, better and more fun things on your California adventure!
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 6:14 amReal Learning says:
For Martha’s and Charlotte’s Mama
Please take a moment to re-read this and then you’ll know why the news in the Bonny Glen today makes me sadder than sad. Won’t you say a prayer for Melissa Wiley? Martha Morse and Charlotte Tucker are beloved characters
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 6:46 amWe’ll have to hurry to replace our books. But could you explain how to tell if a current series has be abridged. The question came up in the main AO group and I seems I gave a wrong answer. Thanks.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 7:18 amThat is SO sad, Lissa.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 7:46 amI ordered all the books last night. I am so sad that my daughter will not have the same opportunity to read the original books to her daughters and sons. Maybe I should pick up an extra set to save for her one day. I’m so sorry.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 7:47 amJean says:
If Harper Collins insists on abridging these books, why not continue to provide the option of the unabridged copies for those of us who prefer not to short our children and ourselves the full joy of reading them? However, I deeply admire your stand– it must be difficult to imagine not writing the stories you so obviously love, but your decision demonstrates even more clearly how much you care about them! I have spent the past hour hunting down the last few not in our home!
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 7:54 amI agree with the comment about the nose job! Are today’s children really so unable to read even the books as you wrote them? That’s the most pathetic part about this.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 8:08 amOh no! They are on our “to be read list” and many friends of ours have enjoyed them.
My kids rebel at abridged books: something is always missing.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 8:23 amkeepermom says:
My daughter and I were so looking forward to the continuation of Martha’s and Charlotte’s stories. Why on earth would the publisher feel the need to abridge them?? They were wonderful just as they were. I guess we’ll have to search out the few books we don’t yet own and get them ASAP.
Anyone know if there’s any way we could change HarperCollins’ mind about abridging these books???
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 8:28 amKeepermom and all, thanks for your comments. No, the new books are already well underway and will be released this summer. HarperCollins spent many months looking at the series before making the decision to abridge them. My own decision to leave was made months ago, but I did not want to announce it until all the loose ends were tied up.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 8:47 amoh, that’s terrible. Ya’ll will have to fight me for copies of the remaining books. Shame on HarperCollins. I’m so tired of having to search for unabridged books to read to my daughter….
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 9:02 amI haven’t read your books to my children yet — they’re just a little too young — but it was a treat I was looking forward to. I’m really sad and sorry to hear this news. Good on you for being (publicly!) positive about it.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 9:42 amI get all teary-eyed whenever I read about you leaving Martha and Charlotte. Thank you for the 8 books you *did* give us. I love them for those special things you put in them (I often thing of the scene where Martha tells Charlotte that she *will* survive the loss of her brother; surely I can survive whatever life hands me).
I’ve been amassing copies of all the Little House books for a few months now, all the way through Rose, and just completed my sets last week. I found the Concord Hill book on Vegsource at a very decent price. Also, readers may want to check places like the various museums associated with the Little House series for some of the out of print titles.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 9:42 amWHY abridge them? don’t they think children can read things! I love books like these, especially since I have a daughter who can read very well for her age (she was at 6th grade reading level when she was in 1st grade) and it’s HARD to find age appropriate material that isn’t see spot. see spot run…
sigh.
whimpering now - whyyyyyyyy?
p.s. I just finished the first Martha book (my library has them all) and enjoyed it. the now 5th grader has it on her future reading list.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 10:41 amOh, this news brought tears to my eyes. I am so sorry (and angry!) that they are going to be abridged! I get quite hot under the collar when books are dumbed down for children. **sigh**
I understand your decision completely. Best wishes to you on your new writing ventures!
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 11:04 amHelene says:
It looks like The Road from Roxbury is already out of print. Amazon and every other site where I looked doesn’t have it.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 11:29 amMy heart is heavy for you, Lissa. This makes me sorry, angry, and sad. I am ashamed that HarperCollins would shortchange our children by abridging your books, and I am shocked that they would remove the Garth Williams illustrations from the Little House books! Our children deserve better. In any case, thanks for the head’s up. I’ll be scooping up the current books while I can, even though we’re slightly young for them in our little house. God bless you and your future work!
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 11:31 amI’m so upset at this. Little House was always my favorite book as a child and I probably read them when I was about 8 or 9. I guess it’s asking too much of most children today to read more than 200 pages. I saw the pre-quels and sequels when my 4 yo was 1 and couldn’t wait to read them, I guess I’m buying them sooner than I thought. I placed orders at Amazon and Bookcloseouts.com for the entire set (less On Top of Concord Hill)! The Road from Roxbury is available at Bookcloseouts.com but they are only showing 22 available. Get it soon!
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 12:04 pmIt is really disappointing to read this! Your books have been such a treat for my oldest and we are sad that we will not get to hear the end, so to speak. My younger girls haven’t even started them, yet!
I completely understand your stance, though. It is really insulting both to you and to your readers. What children need are more interesting, well-written books to help form their minds and hearts, not more twaddle.
Harper Collins seems to be missing the point of these books. A child cannot fall in love with the characters, become part of the story and be left with a beautiful memory, if a book is gutted to become an “easy reader”. Instead, she gets another check mark on her summer reading list to create the illusion of a well-read child. Sad!
We are so looking forward to you new book! Shame on you for teasing us, without any hints!
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 12:09 pmLissa, will you still be writing for Harper Collins, or will your new novel be coming out with a different publisher? (Or might you not be at liberty to say yet?) I went ahead and ordered as many books as I could this morning. I had been wanting to read them with my 7 yo dd. Did Harper Collins not feel that the sales of these books were up to snuff? That would seem a little hard to believe, unless it’s just because book sales are down in general.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 12:12 pmIt is such a shame that HarperCollins is dumbing down these books. Your contribution to the lives, memories and hearts of our children will last so much longer than any profits HarperCollins will gain from this shameful choice. Thank you for the contribution you’ve made to the lives of our children.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 12:20 pmI was really looking forward to you finishing out Martha and Lew’s romance! So sad…
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 12:49 pmAngel, HarperCollins felt that the only way to keep the books in print at all was to reissue them in shorter editions.
Nicole, it is very likely that Harper will find another writer to finish out my two series. I don’t know any details about that, though.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 12:59 pmReading your version of those stories was a real joy, I will be very sorry to see you finish. Thank you for all your efforts. And as people have already said, why abridge books? I was reading Pickwick Papers before I was ten!!
Anyhow, I look forward to seeing more of your work. I’ll be here, lurking on your blog for news on that!
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 1:38 pmThis is so sad! A lot of children are going to be deprived of excellent read-alouds and personal reading. Martha, Charlotte, and Caroline rank among my children’s favorite characters. I can’t imagine abridged editions.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 1:49 pmFor the past month I had fought the urge to just go out and purchase all your books. I have deprived my children of them for far too long. I even had some of them waiting in my cart at Amazon. Today I bought them all, including a used copy of Road to Roxbury. I’m planning on getting the Caroline and Rose books in the next two weeks as well. Lissa, can I be sure that these will still be the full text? I guess I’m asking how long do we have before they disappear. I told all my friends at co-cop today to buy up these books quickly.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 3:38 pmMaria, you’ll be able to tell by the covers. Painted covers like the ones in my sidebar = original editions. Photo covers = abridged editions.
The abridged books won’t hit the shelves until summer.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 3:43 pmI think it is awful that HarperCollins decided to do this. I’m sorry for you, Lissa, and for all the children and adults who haven’t read your books yet. They will be missing out and sadly won’t even know it.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 6:04 pmThis really is such disappointing news. We’ve really enjoyed slowly reading through these books out loud. Sniff. Can’t wait to read your new stuff though.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 8:07 pmThe Cabbage Patch says:
Oh, It’s Terrible
Melissa Wiley, author of such wonderful Little House books like Across the Puddingstone Dam, On Tide Mill Lane and other Martha and Charlotte stories, will no longer be writing them. We fans are so disappointed. I’ve read the first three
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 8:19 pmThe news of your books becoming abridged makes me sad and angry! If anything, my kids want more details not less! The details allow them to “know” the characters better. If one only visits with someone for a short time, they become just an acquaintance and not a close friend.
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 8:33 pmHow sad.
I just placed my orders on Amazon. I’m so sorry to hear the sad news. But we will all be looking forward to your new novel!
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 8:53 pmI’m so sorry to hear about this! I just discovered you AND your books this past fall and read them ALL while nursing my newborn. I can’t wait to read them to my children (and I’m not thinking “abridged”—the originals are perfect). So sorry for your loss…and for ours. We’ll treasure our copies and keep them for our grandchildren. Shame on HarperCollins!
Posted on February 9th, 2007 at 9:04 pmI, too, just placed an order for all eight books on Amazon. The Road to Roxbury had to be purchased from an individual seller but it was a new copy and I was pleased as punch to see it offered.
I am not pleased as punch about all the rest of this, however. I’m sorry, Lissa. From what I’ve read both here and over at Elizabeth’s, the big publishing houses are not above making Really Bad Decisions.
Trust in God and in His will (especially when it’s manifested by the really bad decisions of other people). We’re looking forward to your new novel.
Posted on February 10th, 2007 at 2:59 amThis is so sad! I just discovered these books a short while ago, and was going to purchase them next year to go with our history studies. Well, I just loaded up my cart at bookcloseouts, and I’ll be getting them early!!
It makes me absolutely furious to know that more and more books are being dumbed down. Why do they think children are unable to read good literature???
Posted on February 10th, 2007 at 4:20 amI second what Emily said above. We will be looking for the unabridged versions and getting them now. Not interested in the abridged, thank you very much Harper Collins!
Posted on February 10th, 2007 at 5:54 amAs much as I dislike the idea, I can almost understand the updated photos to appeal to a new generation. But to re-publish these books as abridged is just terrible. Shame on Harper Collins!! I’ll certainly think twice before making a purchase from them in the future.
Posted on February 10th, 2007 at 6:19 amJust thought I’d pass this on in case it would help anyone…I went out to Books-a-Million tonight to see if I could complete my collection before it was too late. I found all the books I lack, and they were all priced at buy-two-get-one-free. I was so glad to find them!
Karen in SC
Posted on February 10th, 2007 at 5:59 pmWell…I’m sure you know how I feel…and, as a fellow writer I can understand how hard it is to make this choice. I really respect you, because you decided to stay on the path of integrity, and to stay true to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s vision for her own books. Nevertheless, it’s hard to read your words and know that you won’t be finishing the stories for us.
I am very unhappy with HarperCollins. I’ve already told my literature-loving friends about their decision to change the books and eliminate the original illustrations. (They’ve all bought complete sets of the REAL books.)
Thank you, dear Lissa, for all of your hard work and loving attention to the true spirit of Little House books. You’re a heroine, you really are.
Posted on February 10th, 2007 at 6:03 pmI’m new here, and my daughter is still too young for the Little House books or your books, but it won’t be long…and I am so outraged to hear about the abridging of them. I am disappointed indeed to hear that HarperCollins equates “improvement” with “cutting” and to the denigration of all our children! Thank you for your hard work, and best of luck on your future work.
Posted on February 10th, 2007 at 7:43 pmMirissa says:
I’m so disappointed to hear that your books will be abridged. Is our society is becoming so lazy, they don’t want to read a whole book?! I thought it was bad enough Harper Collins was dropping the Garth Williams illustrations in the originals, but to put out an abridged set is really the final straw. I’m hoping the have the sense to continue to provide the unabridged copies so our children can experience the whole story.
So sorry to hear you won’t be completing the series. It must be hard to walk away from something you love.
Posted on February 10th, 2007 at 9:45 pmOh Lissa, I’m so sorry, it’s terrible for you to have to say goodbye to characters that you have lived with for so long. Especially with untold stories.
Posted on February 11th, 2007 at 4:10 pmWhat a shame!
Posted on February 12th, 2007 at 5:11 amMy seven year old has read all the Little house books on her own and has learned so much from them.
What are they thinking?
Is there any way to get them to change their minds about the little house books? We so wanted to read about their romances?
Posted on February 12th, 2007 at 3:38 pmthese books got my daughter into reading.
Musings from a Catholic Bookstore says:
Yep, Our Education System Does a Great Job Teaching Kids toRead
While you have most likely heard of the Little House on the Prairie books, you may not be aware that several series about Laura Ingalss ancestors have also been written. Two series were written by Melissa Wiley, a Catholic blogging mom. Unfortun…
Posted on February 12th, 2007 at 7:53 pmOh Lissa - how sad!!! My girls will be terribly disappointed. My oldest esp. has been waiting and waiting to read more about Martha and Lew.
Posted on February 13th, 2007 at 5:09 amOh Lissa, I am so sorry. My twins are deeply saddened to hear this news. We can’t believe they want to do this. They were already planning to share these books with their own children…yep, thinking of sharing the love with future generations at the ripe old age of 13.
We really wish this publisher had better sense. We are very proud of you!!
Posted on February 13th, 2007 at 6:24 am((((HUGS))))
Melissa,
My daughter and I both teared up when we read your news a few days ago. Thankfully, Emily already has all of your books (remember the apartment buildings she built out of them?) She’s now a bit panicked about the Rose years, however, and asks every day if I will buy her the whole set.
I think she’s been waiting to hear about Martha and Lew ever since his first mention in Little House in the Highlands. She already knew they would marry someday, because her grandma gave her a geneaology chart of Laura Ingalls Wilder, which she promptly memorized. She has a question that I can’t answer…If Martha and Lew are real people, can’t you write about them anyway? Does Harper Collins own the rights to their story? Can you self publish a book about them that we could all buy? (I think I’m in the denial stage of grief, while I’ve noticed that other posters seemed to have moved directly to anger!)
Posted on February 15th, 2007 at 11:10 pmL -
Posted on February 17th, 2007 at 6:53 pmYou rock . . . very loud and very long. We admire your courage and determination and look forward to new and exciting stories and adventures.
J,J,J,J,D,L New Bern
Charlottesville Words says:
Author makes tough decision, retainsintegrity
Melissa Wiley is the author of the Charlotte and Martha series of Little House books. These are books that extend the Little House on the Prairie series with stories about Laura Ingalls Wilders grandmother and great-grandmother, and they are ver…
Posted on March 7th, 2007 at 5:57 amI’ve only just discovered the Martha years books. My kids are grown up and I probably wouldn’t have bought them except for the warning on Karen E’s site that they were about to be abridged. I’ve been reading them aloud to my husband’s 92 year old aunt while she’s in the hospital with pneumonia. She has aphasia and doesn’t really speak anymore, but you should see her eyes light up at some points in the story (particularly when there’s a fairy story within the story). I’m a spinner who also dyes her own fleeces. I wondered whether you actually tried out the processes before doing the writing. You certainly conveyed a good sense of the challenge of learning to spin. Anyway thank you from Auntie and me for making some rather discouraging and bleak moments a whole lot brighter. I hadn’t found anything else that she seemed to enjoy listening to.
Posted on May 18th, 2007 at 6:51 pmHey,
So I came on your site here to see when you were going to release more Martha books. Im so sad that there won’t be any more. I was really looking forward to reading the rest. I loved the little house books when I was little and I love yours still even though i’m probally to old for them now. (18) My copies are well read. If one day you reconsider I’ll be buying them, although never an unabridged version!
However, I have to disagree with those who think all abridged books are bad. When I was very little (7or8ish) I had a set of abridged Classics (tale of two cities, gullivers travels ect.) which I loved, and they moved me to read many of the unabridged copies of the books when i got a little older and could understand them.
I will miss your series!
Posted on July 27th, 2007 at 2:55 pmI have all the original unabridged Little House on the Prairie book, as well as the complete unabridged Martha, Charlotte and Caroline series. I am so sad that I will not be able to read the conclusions to the Charlotte and Matha histories. Will you ever be able to complete them, even with another publisher? I’m sure the fan base would make it worthwhile…
Posted on August 3rd, 2007 at 2:03 pmI am so sad! I just Googled your name in hope of discovering information about new books; to learn that none are forthcoming is terrible news! I’ve been reading the auxiliary Little House books for years, and I absolutely love Martha’s story. Even though I’m almost 19, I will always think fondly of Laura and her female relatives. Thanks for the books you did write. Where can I learn more historical information about Martha and Charlotte?
Posted on November 6th, 2007 at 8:41 pmAh, Rupert Murdoch: Why? WHY???
I throw my voice in with the rest, however: cannot wait to hear more about this new book. The boys and I read a couple of your Little House books together and enjoyed them. They are gentle and beautiful and well-written…
However, a book that is pure Melissa Wiley will no doubt be all of those things and MORE!
Posted on March 4th, 2008 at 12:02 pmOh no! I was so looking forward to reading more about Martha and Lew ^.^
Posted on April 24th, 2008 at 6:34 pmI haven’t read through all the comments to see if there’s been one like this, but maybe, if you had the time, you could just continue the Martha and Charlotte years via your website? =]
Rachel, I’m afraid that isn’t possible. The Laura Ingalls Wilder estate holds the rights, so any future Little House stories will have to come through the estate and HarperCollins. However, now that the abridged editions have been canceled (big sigh of relief), I would have no personal objection to continuing the series. I doubt such a thing is a possiblity anytime in the near future, but there’s no telling what may happen in years to come.
As it stands now, all the Martha, Charlotte, and Caroline books will soon be out of print completely. When current print runs expire (both abridged and unabridged versions), there will be no new copies available. This may apply to the Rose books as well; I’m not sure about that one.
Posted on April 27th, 2008 at 5:06 pmHi, Melissa: My apologies if this has already been suggested, but could this decision have had anything to do with the ubiquitous and dreadful Accelerated Reader program and its emphasis on accruing points for the number of books read, regardless of length? I’d love to know what you and others think.
Posted on June 1st, 2008 at 6:46 amCheers, Annette