Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
I seem to be on a tear of reading books from the turn of the last century, and I was pleasantly surprised at how accessible this book still is. I learned, on completion, that the reason it seems to be so modern, even today, is that the author was an advocate for women's rights, and the Montessori system of teaching.
This is a jolly little story, in the words of the author, and you see how a child of what is now known as a helicopter parent, goes from having everything done to her, to learning how to do things for herself. Great fun as she figures these things out and thinks "what would cousin Ann do" to figure out how to handle the situations that life throws at her.
This is a jolly little story, in the words of the author, and you see how a child of what is now known as a helicopter parent, goes from having everything done to her, to learning how to do things for herself. Great fun as she figures these things out and thinks "what would cousin Ann do" to figure out how to handle the situations that life throws at her.
This is a new favorite! It's right up there with Little House books. Now I need to read it to my daughters.
Awwww.
If you’re a sucker for coming-of-age stories about girls in the late 19th/early 20th century, you’ve gotta read Understood Betsy. Ever since I read The Home-maker a good decade ago, I always wanted to read more by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. This was such sweet and fun juvenile fiction (with some heart-tugging moments) along the lines of Betsy-Tacy books, Anne Shirley, Five Little Peppers, All-of-a-Kind Family, etc.
Elizabeth Ann is 9 years old and, although an orphan (I need to make a new goodreads shelf for all my orphan books), is loved and cherished by her timid, hyper-sensitive aunts... to the point where I’m thinking this is reminding me of what I’ve heard of Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. She has to move in with other “horrible” relatives who are actually wonderful and hardworking and strong and sensible. She learns how to use her own brain and decide for herself and she becomes strong and brave.
This is the kind of story we need right now!
If you’re a sucker for coming-of-age stories about girls in the late 19th/early 20th century, you’ve gotta read Understood Betsy. Ever since I read The Home-maker a good decade ago, I always wanted to read more by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. This was such sweet and fun juvenile fiction (with some heart-tugging moments) along the lines of Betsy-Tacy books, Anne Shirley, Five Little Peppers, All-of-a-Kind Family, etc.
Elizabeth Ann is 9 years old and, although an orphan (I need to make a new goodreads shelf for all my orphan books), is loved and cherished by her timid, hyper-sensitive aunts... to the point where I’m thinking this is reminding me of what I’ve heard of Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. She has to move in with other “horrible” relatives who are actually wonderful and hardworking and strong and sensible. She learns how to use her own brain and decide for herself and she becomes strong and brave.
This is the kind of story we need right now!
This was a simple, sweet book. I loved Betsy's life discoveries, the different home dynamics she was in, her pluck and her desire to do the right thing. What a beautiful little book!
This has been one of my favourite books since my mum gave it to me when I was a little girl. It belonged to her, and probably was passed along by someone even older—it is over a hundred years old! The edition I have is a battered hardcover with a torn binding and a big chunk of pages falling out, but I pick it up every few years and revisit it. It reads like historical fiction, though I believe it was contemporary when it was published. A little girl who was orphaned grows up with her fussy aunties in the big city, but when one of the aunties falls ill, she is shuffled off to live with some other relations in the country. On the Putney farm (and even on the journey there), she must exercise a dormant common sense and practicality, despite her abject terror. Her fussy aunties had never asked or expected her to do anything for herself, but despite that, she ends up finding an inner strength and independence that sees her through some adventures that may seem trivial, but represent tremendous leaps for a girl who had never had to use such traits. It is a charming story with a straightforward narrative voice that flows smoothly and simply. Although it was written in and for a very different time, the story and the lesson hold up very well.
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love how she helped the teenagers enjoy their time as well.
I preread this before using it with my son Nathaniel, and I'm really looking forward to reading it again with him and maybe the other kids as well.
It was amazing! Tiny tears filled my eyes when I finished this book, because it was such a unique and satisfying story. Beautiful!