Fripsey Summer

The Fripseys

by Madye Lee Chastain

The large and happy-go-lucky Fripsey family were quite content with their shabby, rambling old house, until news that the owner of Mr. Fripsey's business was coming on a visit that would bear on his promotion. Marcy, the next door neighbor, gets involved to help save the day.

Genres: Summer, Childrens

210 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

Madye Lee Chastain was a children's book author and illustrator who wrote 17 children's books from 1945-1964, most of them for Harcourt, and she illustrated children's books written by other authors as well as her own. She studied at Oglethorpe University, but dropped out of the University to attend the Art School of High Museum in Atlanta. She later studied at Grand Central Art School in New York, and at Columbia University. She died in December 1989, in Boulder, Colorado.

Reviews

[Gina House · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟 Adorable! I was hesitant to read this book before reading the first one in this series, but it ended up not mattering at all. Yay!

WHAT I LOVED:
💜 The charming Fripsey family
💜 How helpful and supportive the family members are to each other
💜 Cozy home and food details
💜 Predictable, but amusing misunderstanding
💜 Never boring, very fun

I would love to get the other books, but I'm happy to have this one for now. Highly recommended if you love books about families with lots of kids, unexpected happenings, and lots of activity.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable children's novel from the 50s, sometimes episodic in nature, featuring a charming and gregarious family (11 people, 4 cats, 3 dogs, and an assortment of cage pets), as seen through the eyes of their only-child neighbor.

Their summer adventures include neighbor Marcy & Patty going on a girls' camping trip, meeting a trio of identical little old ladies, Davey & Sue Sue making acquaintances with a kindly old man who strikes up conversation during his walk, and banding together as a family to give the house a fresh coat of paint. I am also particularly tickled by the mention of Great-Grandmother going to her 65th class reunion: "Just think of it. The class of '88 at Miss Harmer's Boarding School For Young Ladies!" Of course, there are only 5 of them left, but they have a merry old time catching up for a week. 

All of these adventures take place around the main arc of trying madly to clean & fix up their somewhat ramshackle old house enough to impress the president of the company their father works for, who will be visiting at the end of summer to determine who should get the coveted promotion. All they know is that T. Tibber has a fearsome reputation and is known for making decisions on the smallest whims, so the dread of "Terrible Tibber," as they call him, hangs over them for most of the summer. I must say, I was quite surprised by how that played out! Ya got me, Ms. Chastain.

(the T actually stands for...Tabitha! A WOMAN?? "I learned years ago that this is a man's world. I knew I didn't have a chance as president if people knew I was a woman. Therefore, I simply stayed out of sight. Except for a few trusted people in the Boston office, I have always let people think T. Tibber was a man." And unfortunately she IS quite as imposing as they feared, though yes, Mr. Fripsey gets the promotion in the end.

I didn't realize this was the second book in a series when I started, but it's easy enough to get oriented, and I would love to read other installments.

Side notes: I got this at the same estate sale as Never Marry a Ranger, also for $2, and not only did it have a Surprise Duplicate Dust Jacket*, it's also signed! (*both are sadly water damaged on the back, but the pages were spared, and the jacket underneath is less badly stained and also spared from the significant sun fading on the spine of the outer one)  

Unrelated to the signature, there's also a sweet message written in pencil to its original owner on the inside cover, hoping that she recovered from mumps meningitis (!) "soon enough to go to your confirmation, and congratulations on your recent award," signed with love from "All the Rosses." (I think. the cursive is a bit hard to decipher in spots - I can't even tell the original name; maybe Nan?)

[Ann Carlisle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was published the year I was born. When I got old enough to read it, I wore the book out. It was an absolute favorite. It is a pity it is out of print; I could find but one used book on Amazon for $53.99. YIKES! A truly wholesome book for children 8 to preteen. Find it at the library if you can and read it with your children. You won't be disappointed.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't get to the library fast enough to read the books in this series. I've found this one and two of the other titles in the last few years to add to my own libary. They're still a delight. In this one, summer takes centerstage and the transition between being a child and starting to mature. There's a girls' only campout among friends that doesn't go as planned for the social club. Danger from peer pressure and wonder about school days ahead.

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fripsey series also includes Bright Days and Leave It to the Fripseys!