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The
Little Prudy's
Flyaway Series




Little Folks Astray

Little Folks Astray was first published in 1870. It is the first book in the "Little Prudy's Flyaway" series. It is dedicated to "my young friend, Emma Adams, 'Johnnie Optic'". This series of books concentrates more on Katie "Flyaway" Clifford, the youngest child of little Prudy's aunt and uncle Clifford, who live in Quinn, Indiana. Three of the books also tell about the childhood of some adult characters in Sophie May's books. Little Folks Astray opens in the Clifford's home, just before Christmas. Katie's older sister Grace is now 16 years old. The children's Aunt Madge who lives in New York City, has invited Horace and Katie, along with Prudy and Alice Parlin, to spend Christmas with her. The book tells of Horace and Katie's trip to New York, and some of the events that happen while they are there, leaving them still in New York City at the end of the book.

“This is a book for the little ones of the nursery or play-room. It introduces all the old favorites of the Prudy and Dotty books, with new characters and funny incidents. It is a charming book, wholesome and sweet in every respect, and cannot fail to interest children under twelve years of age.”-‘Christian Register.’



Prudy Keeping House

Prudy Keeping House was first published in 1870. It is the second book in the "Little Prudy's Flyaway" series. It is dedicated to "my young friend, Bessie Baker". This book picks up just where Little Folks Astray ends, with Horace, Prudy, Dotty, and Flyaway at their Aunt Madge Allen's house in New York City. Aunt Madge, however, has to go to her husband who is sick, and Prudy talks her into letting her "keep house" (cook, clean, ect.) for the others. The story tells of her efforts to keep house, and the adventures they get into. The story ends just after Christmas with the four children preparing to leave for home.

“How she kept it, why she kept it, and what good time she had playing cook, and washerwoman, and ironer, is told as only Sophie May can tell stories. All the funny sayings and doings of the queerest and cunningest little woman ever tucked away in the covers of a book will please little folks and grown people alike.”-‘Press.’



Aunt Madge's Story

Aunt Madge's Story was first published in 1871. It is the third book in the "Little Prudy's Flyaway" series. This is the story of Prudy's Aunt Margaret Parlin's childhood. It is written as Aunt Madge telling the story to Horace, Prudy, Dotty, and Flyaway before they leave her house, while they are visiting (in the previous two books). The book is not told in chronological order because, "I cannot remember the events in my life in right order, so I shall have to tell them as they come into my mind."

“Tells of a little mite of a girl, who gets into every conceivable kind of scrape and out again with lightning rapidity, through the whole pretty little book. How she nearly drowns her bosom friend, and afterwards saves her by a remarkable display of little-girl courage. How she gets left by a train of cars, and loses her kitten and finds it again, and is presented with a baby sister ‘come down from heaven,’ with lots of smart and funny sayings.”-‘Boston Traveller.’



Little Grandmother

Little Grandmother was first published in 1872. It is the fourth book in the “Little Prudy’s Flyaway” series. This book tells the story of Prudy’s grandmother Parlin growing up. This book, and the next, are interesting because they would be set around 1800.

“Grandmother Parlen when a little girl is the subject. Of course that was ever so long ago, when there were no lucifer matches, and steel and tender were used to light fires; when soda and saleratus had never been heard of, but people made their pearl ash by soaking burnt crackers in water; when the dressmaker and the tailor and the shoemaker went from house to house twice a year to make the dresses and coats of the family.”-‘Transcript.’



Little Grandfather

Little Grandfather was first published in 1873. It is the fifth book in the “Little Prudy’s Flyaway” series. It is dedicated to “Little Mary Tobey”. This is the story of Prudy’s grandfather Parlin’s childhood. It starts with him at three years old and talks of his sleep-walking at age seven. The chapter on their Christmas celebration is interesting, as well as the characters training for the Revolutionary War.

“The story of Grandfather Parlen’s little-boy life, of the days of knee breeches and cocked hats, full of odd incidents, queer and quaint sayings, and the customs of ‘ye olden time.’ These stories of Sophie May’s are so charmingly written that older folks may well amuse themselves by reading them. The same warm sympathy with childhood, the earnest naturalness, the novel charm of the preceding volumes will be found in this.”-‘Christian Messenger.’



Miss Thistledown

Miss Thistledown was first published in 1873. It is the sixth (last) book in the “Little Prudy’s Flyaway” series. It is dedicated to “my little friend Ida C. Foss, and my little niece Rebecca Clarke Lindsay”. This story concentrates on Prudy’s cousin Katie “Thistledown Flyaway Topknot” Clifford. The story opens at her home in Quinn, Indiana. She has started school. The school year soon ends, and Mrs. Clifford, Horace, Grace, and Flyaway travel to Maine to visit the Parlins for the summer. This is the last book that Sophie May writes about all the child characters she has created, and the last chapter is interesting because it has all of them reminiscing about some of the events of the 18 books about the family.

“One of the queerest of the Prudy family. Read the chapter heads and you will see just how much fun there must be in it: ‘Fly’s Heart,’ ‘Taking a Nap,’ ‘Going to the Fair,’ ‘The Dimple Dot,’ ‘The Hole in the Home,’ ‘The Little Bachelor,’ ‘Fly’s Bluebeard,’ ‘Playing Mamma,’ ‘Butter Spots,’ ‘Polly’s Secret,’ ‘The Snow Man,’ ‘The Owl and the Humming-Bird,’ ‘Talks of Hunting Deer,’ and ‘The Parlen Patchwork.’"



Little Prudy's Flyaway Publications

Cover Height Width Year Published Publisher Illustrator
6 1/4" 4 1/2" 1881 or 1882 Lee &
Shepard
Publishers

Boston

John Andrew-son
6 1/4" 4 1/2" 1893 Lee &
Shepard
Publishers

Boston

John Andrew-son
6 1/2" 4 3/4" 1899 Lee &
Shepard
Publishers

Boston

John Andrew-son

LH + ?

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