The main character, Jennifer? Jennie? Jenny? Possibly on the farm could’ve been the first.
These were a series of chapter books featuring an American girl who (moves?) to the country, detailing her charming life on a farm. There were several from when she was about 6-8 to almost 20 I believe. There were animal characters, a boy she might have married, various family members. She takes up ballet in later books. She wears her hair in looped braids. I read these as a child in the 80’s but they were clearly written much earlier. I would say 40’s or 50’s. Possibly 30’s or 60’s but doubtful.
I would so very much love to find them for my own daughter! I adored these- not only because she had the same name as me. I remember being even fonder of them than the Betsy Tacy books. In a way they were in between those and the Little House stories. Set the stage for Anne of Green Gables. So curious to know why they’ve disappeared!
I do hope you get some responses! The first book sounds very much like one I have been searching for for years, but have never been able to identify (and didn’t know it was part of a series.) I read it as a child circa 1964-65, and as you say, it seemed as though it was written before the ’60’s, and definitely American. It was written in a sweet and sentimental style and I remember the girl with the looped braids moving to the farm.
I would tentatively suggest that these might be Eunice Young Smith’s ‘Jennifer’ books: The Jennifer Wish, The Jennifer Prize, Jennifer Dances, etc. Jennifer does move to a farm in the first book; the stories deal with her siblings, friends and the animals around her, especially ponies; and she does learn ballet in the later books. The books take her from the age of about 8 into her teens, but I don’t think they end with her at the age of nearly 20, unless there’s a later book that I’m missing.
Thanks so much Ann! I’m elated- these are the ones without a doubt. And my memory is uncertain so perhaps there wasn’t one where she was quite so old. Who-hoo! Now to see if I can get my hands on the whole collection. I do remember several- at least 4 but let’s see of LB can help with that. Very best to the repliers. 🙂