Honey Bunch Books In Order

Publication Order of Honey Bunch Books

Honey Bunch series by Helen Louise Thorndyke
The “Honey Bunch” series was written under the pen name Helen Louise Thorndyke, but were written by various authors. The first sixteen being written by Josephine Lawrence and five (books 18-22) being penned by Mildred A Wirt. After that, either Harriet Adams or an unidentified writer wrote most of the remaining books. It was created by Edward Stratemeyer, as part of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, and many were published by Grosset and Dunlap.

Honey Bunch goes on various trips to places such as the seashore, farms, the Great Lakes, cities, the zoo, camp, and the fair, as well as other places.

In the case of this series, Stratemeyer’s early proposals indicate that he had already selected on the character’s name of Honey Bunch (with Lovey May being an alternate) however with Aunt Gertrude being the pen name. It was Gertrude that would become Honey Bunch’s first name.

The suggested titles followed a formula that was like that of the Bobbsey Twins. This includes a foundational volume with some domestic adventures back at home, and followed by some trips to the seashore and countryside, with other recreational outings. The first book’s title stayed the same from proposal until published volume, however some of the others were then modified, preserving the concept but substituted general terms for specific locations.

Many other “firsts” lower down the list of possible titles: like automobile tour and seashore, showed up within the first few years of the series’ run, just like a few that Stratemeyer added by hand to the original typed list (“trip on the Great Lakes” and “summer on an island”). Others, however, never did. A book where Honey was spending her first days at school appeared on the original list and many later ones, but there was never a book that followed. Maybe they figured such a concept to be too mundane to include with Honey’s other firsts.

In later books, Stratemeyer would repeatedly offer Grosset & Dunlap two books that were regularly bypassed for other options. These were “Happy Days with Her Four Cousins” and “Her First Red Sled”.

Stratemeyer’s correspondence with Grosset & Dunlap in September of 1922 indicate that even though they were not totally committed to Honey Bunch at this point, the publisher expressed enough interest to merit Stratemeyer to write up a detailed outline and then commission a full manuscript.

His outline for the first title of the Honey Bunch books leads with a paragraph that provides some general info on the character: a little girl not yet five years old. As well as the concept: this series of stories is going to relate to her first experiences: at home, on a farm, in a big city, down at the seashore, etc. The actual outline, which was one and a half single-spaced pages, reflects the stories’ cozy tone.

By late November both parties agreed that the first three books in the series would be issued the next year “in a style that was a bit similar to “The Bobbsey Twins” and the “Bunny Brown (and His Sister Sue)” series. It was agreed that Stratemeyer getting a royalty of two cents per copy.

By this time, Lawrence had already began working on the second book in the series, which she completed in just three weeks and began working on the third book on December seventh. She was told, by Stratemeyer, that there was no hurry on the third book that she could, if she needed to, take until the middle of January. Lawrence finished this one by January tenth. The following year, volumes four and five were released. She got a hundred bucks for each of the five manuscripts.

Because Stratemeyer lived in Newark and kept offices in New York, Lawrence would often deliver manuscripts or pick up the outlines in person, giving her the chance to talk to Stratemeyer about the material. On one such visit, she might have asked him about the chances to outline a volume herself, as it appears that both the outline and manuscript for “Her First Little Garden (the fifth book in the series) are her work.

She continued writing the manuscripts for the series (but not the outlines) for eleven more books. Lawrence appears to have enjoyed working on the books, telling Stratemeyer after writing the first book she had a delightful time making Honey’s acquaintance. Another time telling him that Honey had been as good as gold.

After Edward died in 1930 the Syndicate underwent some extensive alterations, as his daughters took over management of the organization. It was around this time that Lawrence decided to cut back her work for the Syndicate almost immediately, only writing for the “Honey Bunch” series.

Stratemeyer’s two daughters also took responsibility for the outlines, which were more structured and longer than their dad’s were. The outline for “Her First Little Mystery” fills four single-spaced pages, with every chapter break specified and two more paragraphs of instructions carry onto the fifth page.

The daughters also cut back how much Lawrence was paid per manuscript, dropping her rate down to just $75 in the year 1934 from the hundred dollars she was making during Edward’s tenure.

She would end her connection with the Syndicate when she finished “Her First Little Mystery” in the year 1935. This was also her final children’s book, as she had started earning acclaim for herself as an adult novelist and after this, concentrated solely on writing for older readers.

The series began publication in the year 1923, when “Honey Bunch, Just a Little Girl” was released, and is the only book of the original series that does not start with “Her First”.

The original series consisted of thirty-four books, with the last one being published in 1955, although the original title was changed from only “Honey Bunch” to “Honey Bunch and Norman”. This signaled the shift the series would take to try and appeal to both sexes.

There was a 35th book that was listed in the back of book 34, but was never released. That said, the manuscript for it is in the New York Public Library archives.