Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of Understood Betsy

Understood Betsy
ISBN-13: 9780380496921
ISBN-10: 0380496925
Publication Date: 1973
Pages: 211
Edition: Unabridged
Rating:
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 3

3.7 stars, based on 3 ratings
Publisher: Avon
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

16 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed Understood Betsy on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is a precious book about a very sheltered, timid girl who comes to find the courage and resourcefulness she is really made of. Even though the main character is a girl, I read this aloud to my boys who would always beg for more. Don't miss this one!
Cantnever avatar reviewed Understood Betsy on + 161 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
One of my favorite books. I don't even know why. The story touched me and I loved Betsy and her formerly unknown relatives that turn out to be.... But no I won't spoil the story for those fortunate enough to read this book for the very first time. Not Lemony Snicket by a long shot -- I LOVED it!
reviewed Understood Betsy on + 38 more book reviews
Excellent book!!
reviewed Understood Betsy on + 37 more book reviews
Excellent Book!
reviewed Understood Betsy on + 2 more book reviews
This is a lovely story about a young girl who "finds herself." The descriptions take you into the scenes, and the characters shine with authenticity. It is a "curl up by the fireplace" book, one of my favorite fictional works ever. I'm not re-posting, because to me, it is a "keeper." :)
reviewed Understood Betsy on + 3352 more book reviews
Good juvenile fiction from a noted author. This is a Dell Yearling Classic - first written in 1917 - this reprint 1987.
reviewed Understood Betsy on + 13 more book reviews
Every parent and child should read this classic. The characters are so well developed you would recognize any of them instantly if you met them on the street, and the underlying theme, that children learn by doing, by being given real responsibility and work, is one sorely needed today.
reviewed Understood Betsy on + 55 more book reviews
Good book! We enjoyed reading it together.
darlenedeveau avatar reviewed Understood Betsy on + 6 more book reviews
This is a wonderful read-aloud for a wide age span. The characters are deep and vibrant. We laughed and cried through the way Betsy came alive and the way she became part of something really special to others because of her own transformation. Sweet details and underlying message. Gets down to to the basics and beckons the reader back as well.
bookwormhouse avatar reviewed Understood Betsy on
Story of a orphan that is sent from the sheltered world of her guardian aunt to relatives in rural Vermont. Gives a nice portrayal of early 1900s life and chronicles a young girl being taught to think for herself.
reviewed Understood Betsy on + 31 more book reviews
I read this book to my three boys in school, and we all LOVED it! The awakening of self reliance in Betsy makes for a great story!
reviewed Understood Betsy on
What a pleasure! This book was fun to read from start to finish, and made me rethink the way I am sometimes too "helpful" with my own children.
reviewed Understood Betsy on + 5 more book reviews
This book is one my daughter and I enjoyed quite a bit. It tells about the gradual maturing of Elizabeth Ann (who has been sheltered and babied her entire life) into Betsy, an independent and happy child who begins to understand that life does not have to be overwhelming. All this is accomplished in a way that is not preachy or overly sentimental. I would highly recommend reading this book.
reviewed Understood Betsy on + 9 more book reviews
A wonderful children's book about the development of character in a young girl.
JiminyCricket avatar reviewed Understood Betsy on + 150 more book reviews
This book will enchant you on the order of Anne of Green Gables, and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms. A true joy to read for any girl struggleing to "find herself" as I did as a child.
reviewed Understood Betsy on + 68 more book reviews
I must say this is a very slow book..in a good sort of way. I likened it to snuggling next to a cozy fire or lazing on a porch during a gentle rain. Descriptive, I am, but I appreciated the honesty this book conveyed. It has been years since I read this, but it's one you won't forget.

A young "sheltered" girl is sent to live with some distant family..may be aunts...while her parents go away for a time. While the child is there, she is challenged into doing some of the mundane tasks that most children have already learned to accomplish. While visiting with the relatives, she transformed from an indulged and incapable child to a beautiful self sufficient one. I came away with a contented sigh. I knew I was doing the right thing in homeschooling my children and teaching them about life outside/in addition to academics. An excellent read aloud.