What do you think?
Rate this book
Tobey Heydon #1
Practically Seventeen
Tobey Heydon is "practically seventeen" and thinks she is old enough to make her own decisions. Whether it's saving her sister Alicia from last minute wedding disasters to keeping her sister Janet informed on her son's well-being to hiding her diary from her little sister Midge, Tobey handles it all with Brose by her side. They survive the arrival of a beautiful blonde at the lake but will they survive Tobey's mysterious date for the Heart Hop?
213 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1943
39 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
About the author
Rosamond du Jardin
33 books63 followersRosamond du Jardin, née Neal, first wrote humorous verse and short stories for newspaper syndicates, then went on to sell approximately a hundred stories to such magazines as Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, McCall's and many other publications, abroad as well as in the United States. She also wrote five novels for adults before her first novel for teenagers, Practically Seventeen, which was published in 1949.
She was married to Victor Du Jardin on October 28, 1925. They had three children, Jacqueline Neal, Victor Junior, and Judith Carol, with whom she would later co-author Junior Year Abroad.
In addition to writing, Mrs. Du Jardin frequently spoke at schools, and students enjoyed meeting in person the creator of some of their favorite stories. Mrs. Du Jardin enjoyed her school visits, too, because she liked and respected teenagers as individuals and firmly believed that they are interesting, normal and dependable people.
Born in the small town of Fairland, Illinois, Rosamond du Jardin was two years old when her family moved to Chicago. She lived there and in the Chicago suburbs for the rest of her life.
She was married to Victor Du Jardin on October 28, 1925. They had three children, Jacqueline Neal, Victor Junior, and Judith Carol, with whom she would later co-author Junior Year Abroad.
In addition to writing, Mrs. Du Jardin frequently spoke at schools, and students enjoyed meeting in person the creator of some of their favorite stories. Mrs. Du Jardin enjoyed her school visits, too, because she liked and respected teenagers as individuals and firmly believed that they are interesting, normal and dependable people.
Born in the small town of Fairland, Illinois, Rosamond du Jardin was two years old when her family moved to Chicago. She lived there and in the Chicago suburbs for the rest of her life.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
July 26, 2013
I discovered Rosamond DuJardin in 1972 at the tender age of 12. I was living in London, England; I attended London Central, a K-12 school for military kids. It had, what seemed to be, a huge library. Most of the books also seemed old, but I was a bored avid reader. As I searched the shelves I happened upon a sizeable collection of Cavanna's and Du Jardin's work.
What a discovery! I was in love with love... I couldn't get enough. Not then. Not now. As an African American girl from a broken home, and relatively impoverished family life, I knew what I was reading wasn't everyone's reality, but what sweet respite. Tobey, Marcy, Pam and Penny...I still sigh with delight at the wonder, innocence, camaraderie, and the notion of family.
Somebody get me a letterman's jacket and pin me. Stat! Lol!
What a discovery! I was in love with love... I couldn't get enough. Not then. Not now. As an African American girl from a broken home, and relatively impoverished family life, I knew what I was reading wasn't everyone's reality, but what sweet respite. Tobey, Marcy, Pam and Penny...I still sigh with delight at the wonder, innocence, camaraderie, and the notion of family.
Somebody get me a letterman's jacket and pin me. Stat! Lol!
July 23, 2012
Utterly charming! I had a delightful, breezy time reading about this very nice year in the life of "practically seventeen"-year-old Tobey and her family. Though the original cover is a nod to the first part of the book (which takes place in winter and includes a fun Christmas scene) featuring Tobey and Brose's romantic talk on the fence, the cover of my book (from the 1960s) features a scene from the second half of the book with our heroine in a bathing suit on the beach at the lake, looking suspiciously at her boyfriend who is practically worshiping the ground the gorgeous "new girl" walks on. Ah, the ups and downs of young love! Most of the story follows the relationship of Tobey and her sweetheart Brose, who promises her his class ring at New Year's even though he won't get it until September--which seems oh, so far away when one is practically seventeen! Tobey wonders whether they will feel the same about one another come September, though she thinks they will. Of course, little snags come up along the way, but we can be pretty sure there is a happy ending for Tobey and Brose come September ;-) Tobey also has to deal with her siblings, such as her eldest sister (and her young son) living with them again while her husband is away in South America, to her second-oldest sister's tempestuous on-again/off-again romance with her fiancee, to her (much) younger sister's meddlesome ways (such as using her make-up without asking or reading her diary!) The parents are wise, warm and wonderful but don't have a huge presence in the story. It's mostly Tobey's story, told in her voice and all that wonderfully period lingo ;-) Reading this reminded me of watching an episode of a 1950s family sitcom, where you know there will a few "crises" but all resolved happily by the end. It's fun and frothy, but not completely void of substance. A perfect summer read. I look forward to continuing the series.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Love the 1940s vintage cover in those cute winter clothes. Makes sense since the book starts off with Christmas.My cover ended up being from a 1960s paperback edition and features our heroine in a bathing suit looking suspiciously at The New Girl chatting it up with some guys on the beach. The back cover promises me this is a summer novel. I guess we shall see!
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Love the 1940s vintage cover in those cute winter clothes. Makes sense since the book starts off with Christmas.My cover ended up being from a 1960s paperback edition and features our heroine in a bathing suit looking suspiciously at The New Girl chatting it up with some guys on the beach. The back cover promises me this is a summer novel. I guess we shall see!
May 26, 2015
The young adult novel from the 40s or 50s is quite possibly my favorite genre, if only because it describes a wholesome world that never existed and never will, although there was a time when I thought it did. I first read this book when I was 10 or 11 and it was already incredibly dated then, although I didn’t know it at the time. Tobey Hayden is 16-years-old and lives with her parents, her 10-year-old sister Midge (Midge!), her 20-year-old engaged sister Alicia, and her 24-year-old married sister Janet, who’s staying with the family temporarily with her infant son Toots (Toots!) while her engineer husband is working in South America. Tobey has a boyfriend named Brose (short for Ambrose, rhymes with “gross”), although he’s never referred to as her boyfriend, despite her having agreed to wear his class ring when he gets it the following year. As near as I can tell, wearing a class ring back then meant you were pre-engaged, and for a 16- or 17-year-old this seems a little premature; then again, these are kids who think Janet, at 24, is upset about being so old and having all her best days behind her, so I guess they want to get these things pinned down before they leave their teens and enter the pre rigor mortis period of their lives.
Tobey and her friends, which include boys named Itchy and Sox (Itchy and Sox!) go to dances, eat hamburgers and drink malteds, and describe things as being “terrif” or “swoony.” And for some reason, chocolate cake and ripe olives are considered legitimate things to eat at the same time. There’s a little bit of drama at the lake one summer when a Southern belle named Kentucky (“natch”) flirts with Brose and the other boys to the consternation of Tobey, Barbie, and Kay, and later Midge causes trouble for Tobey by making Brose think she was on a date with someone else, resulting in Tobey almost not being able to go to the Heart Hop. I won’t say what happens, but do you think things turn out okay in the end? I think things might!
There are five more books in this series, so there goes the next two weeks of my life.
Tobey and her friends, which include boys named Itchy and Sox (Itchy and Sox!) go to dances, eat hamburgers and drink malteds, and describe things as being “terrif” or “swoony.” And for some reason, chocolate cake and ripe olives are considered legitimate things to eat at the same time. There’s a little bit of drama at the lake one summer when a Southern belle named Kentucky (“natch”) flirts with Brose and the other boys to the consternation of Tobey, Barbie, and Kay, and later Midge causes trouble for Tobey by making Brose think she was on a date with someone else, resulting in Tobey almost not being able to go to the Heart Hop. I won’t say what happens, but do you think things turn out okay in the end? I think things might!
There are five more books in this series, so there goes the next two weeks of my life.
April 20, 2011
This one is an oldie but goodie from 1949 that I read back in middle school and totally loved. It was a series that I definitely checked out of the school library multiple times.
I was so happy to find that Cascade Publishing reprinted these old, out of print books which enabled me to buy the series for myself. I found this book just as enjoyable, and was amused by the vernacular of the times. There were a lot of golly, gees, terrif, etc as exclamations. And I found it rather funny how "old" the main character found her parents, who are in their 40's. Hee Hee. I will try not to be offended. :)
I was so happy to find that Cascade Publishing reprinted these old, out of print books which enabled me to buy the series for myself. I found this book just as enjoyable, and was amused by the vernacular of the times. There were a lot of golly, gees, terrif, etc as exclamations. And I found it rather funny how "old" the main character found her parents, who are in their 40's. Hee Hee. I will try not to be offended. :)
November 30, 2022
A sprightly writing style, some amusing incidents, and a pleasant portrayal of a busy and happy family make this a better than average malt shop era teen romance. Given that a kind friend has lent me the whole series, and I have five books on hand to look forward to, I do rather wish that Tobey had some discernible interests beyond her boyfriend and (subsidiary to this) dresses to wear to formals, but perhaps she will develop...
May 27, 2017
Such a nostalgic read for me. I first read this nearly ten years ago. It's an old book of my mom's and I just love reading about Tobey's life and troubles. It's overdramatic and a little simple, but thoroughly enjoyable.
October 22, 2021
Closer to 4 stars than 3. Fun nostalgic teen chick lit. Tobey made me laugh at times, and of course her twisting the truth got her into some scrapes that plain old honesty could have avoided or minimized, kind of like the plot of an old movie. She was manipulative at times, but what goes around comes around. I love love all the vintage details.
Read
March 6, 2017I guess I'm reading vintage YA novels this year. A friend recommended Practically Seventeen after she saw me post about Now That I'm Sixteen on my bookish instagram account (@booksandcarbs if you're interested). It was a sweet story about a family of daughters, especially Tobey, who's practically seventeen and possibly in love with Brose Gilman. Definitely a contrast to the YA novels of today (which I mostly enjoy). Surely things were not quite as wholesome and golden "back then" as a novel like Practically Seventeen portrays, but are they as gritty and complicated as some of the YA novels "these days"? Just curious. Sounds like a literature class that someone needs to design and I need to audit.
August 4, 2012
One of the great books I remember from my lonely pre-teen phase, a generation ago. Even then, it was already a generation behind. But I loved reading about the simple and straightforward life she led and wishing my life was that uncomplicated and innocent. As an adult, I realize that it was a totally sugar-coated version of reality, but it's still so comforting to think that life could be like that. a great book to read on a rainy day when you're feeling overwhelmed by the world. (does anybody have a copy they'd like to lend me today?)
October 11, 2016
I found a copy of this at a used book sale and swooped it up immediately. It was one of my favorites from my childhood and I've probably reread it a dozen times, but not recently. It's such a sweet, innocent story about Tobey Heydon and her family in the late 1940's/early 50's. It's fun and somewhat refreshing to read about what a simple life it was for teenagers in that time period to only worry about school dances, new formals and having fun at the local teenage hangout.
May 23, 2017
I loved this! I loved Tobey's tone and personality, which came through the writing so clearly. I loved following along in the events that happened in her life and in her family, and I really liked Brose, her beau. Just a wonderful and sunny book that filled my own heart with sunshine on a rainy day!
February 29, 2008
I think the Tobey Heydon series is Rosamond du Jardin's best. The books are all a wonderfully fun read of life for a young girl/woman in the 1940's & '50's. Extremely enjoyable.
May 9, 2016
teen girls from the fifties
June 13, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this! Looking forward to reading more by the same author.
October 12, 2025
my new favorite "bedtime stories"
the writing style reminds me a little of the whimsy in L.M Montgomery books.
just some silly sisters and the lives they lead,
relatable.
the writing style reminds me a little of the whimsy in L.M Montgomery books.
just some silly sisters and the lives they lead,
relatable.
October 14, 2015
I LOVE the Tobey and Brose books!!! I hunted them down and got the whole series on ebay. They were probably my favorite books growing up. I made sure my daughters read them as well, and now they tell me they will fight over them when I die! I guess I need to get the Pam and Penny, and Marcie series too, so they can each have their own set. I love to be transported to a simpler, more upstanding time.
March 4, 2016
What a delightful YA novel from the 1950s! So fun. It reminds me a lot of the books I grew up loving. Not that I grew up in the 50s of course but I loved all the Betsy books, Bobbsey Twins, Trixie Belden, Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books.
January 22, 2008
From the hip late-40s lingo, to the formal dresses, to the sardonic and hopeful literary voice of Tobey Heydon, and her swoony romantic [mis]adventures...I just couldn't adore this book more.
October 15, 2017
Cute teen book. Wish things were still this simple and sweet.
July 11, 2021
4.5 stars.. Rosamond du Jardin was one of my favorite authors when I was young and just discovering romance books. The Pam & Penny Howard series were my very favorites, but I don't remember disliking any of Ms. du Jardin's books. I enjoyed this much more than Wait For Marcy.
I thoroughly enjoyed (Henrietta) Tobey Heydon's schemes even though they didn't always work out quite right. The teen drama was a bit much at times, but teenage romance is often fraught with miscommunication. Tobey's troubles with her sisters was often relatable or at least interesting. Brose's jealousy got old at times but their reconciliations were very sweet.
My major dislikes:
I thought it was so sweet when Tobey and Brose sat on the stairs because it was the only place they could be a bit alone.
I thoroughly enjoyed (Henrietta) Tobey Heydon's schemes even though they didn't always work out quite right. The teen drama was a bit much at times, but teenage romance is often fraught with miscommunication. Tobey's troubles with her sisters was often relatable or at least interesting. Brose's jealousy got old at times but their reconciliations were very sweet.
My major dislikes:
I thought it was so sweet when Tobey and Brose sat on the stairs because it was the only place they could be a bit alone.
April 19, 2008
There is something magical about reading the books of life in the 50s in the midwest, when dating was clean and wholesome. I have such great memories of all these books. I intend to hunt them all down and acquire them, even though I have absolutely no room for them, and no reason to do it!
I wish I could remember who recommended this author to me. Perhaps a city librarian from my past.
I wish I could remember who recommended this author to me. Perhaps a city librarian from my past.
December 10, 2007
I love Tobey Heydon and her formals and her family and (of course) Brose. But don't dance with your eyes closed for longer than is proper! That is something only a More-thanner would do (oops, wrong series).
December 8, 2010
Ha! This was utterly ridiculous in the most fun ways. Tobey was so young and immature and thought so well of herself - it took me awhile to warm up to her, but I was pretty charmed by it. It was laugh out loud funny - not sure if it was intended to be, but I enjoyed it.
July 15, 2012
Love, love, love Rosamond du Jardin's books. Very old-fashioned...in the days where couples went "steady," walked to malt shops, watched drive-in movies and listened to "records" in the living room on Saturday nights. ;)
June 15, 2008
one of my absolute favorites!
May 10, 2011
An absolutely delightful book! Very fun and frothy with moments of laugh-out-loud humor, too. Can't wait to read more.
July 29, 2013
I read this book over and over as a teen. A personal favorite!
August 15, 2015
I never tire of this book's tone, word choices, and fab romantic storyline.
December 4, 2019
I read this book as a teenager and loved it. It helped to influence my love of reading.
July 19, 2024
I bought this book on Amazon for nostalgia's sake. It is the first real book I remember reading. It did bring me back to the olden days before cell phones, social media, computers, and so many more mind-boggling developments between 1950 and 2024. The characters were endearingly naive and the times were so much simpler but I was most surprised by the amount of food they ate. After school they went to the cafe and got barbecue sandwiches with chocolate malts. Then after a big family dinner, they would get together for a date of some sort that always ended in their having a big piece of cake, milk, and (of all things) olives! Dates were so wholesome and usually consisted of biking to a forest area and having a wienie roast, rowing a canoe to an island to have a wienie roast, or just getting together at someone's house for a good wienie roast in the family fireplace. Those were the good old days before we knew what the ingredients of a hot dog were.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews