Thursday, August 8, 2013

Classic for real

Understood Betsey is the kind of utterly charming kid's book I should have read forty years ago.  It was written in 1917 and tells of a little girl who's being raised by a spinster aunt--a proper lady who learned all about raising kids from how-to manuals.  (Incidentally, she appears to have gotten her knowledge of the world from sensationalist journalism.)

The good part starts when the Aunt has to send Elizabeth Ann (Betsey) to stay with her earthy, uncouth, farming relatives, who actually expect kids to do work. (No way!)  They might even expect kids to figure out how to do things by themselves.

It's lovely.  Kids of today might be put off by the intrusive narration.  If you can stand Little Women, you'll love this.  And if not, bear with it--it gets better.   Just be sure you're under 12 or have a soft spot for kids books.


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