Synopses & Reviews
Introduction and afterword by Eden Ross Lipson
For all of her nine years, fragile Elizabeth Ann has heard her Aunt Frances refer in whispers to her "horrid Putney cousins." But when her aunt can no longer care for her, Elizabeth Ann must leave her sheltered life to live in the wilds of Vermont with those distant relatives.
In the beginning, Elizabeth Ann is shocked by country living--pets are allowed to sleep in the house and children are expected to do chores! But with country living comes independence and responsibility, and in time, Elizabeth Ann finds herself making friends and enjoying her new family. When the year is up and Aunt Frances comes to get her niece, she finds a healthier, prouder girl with a new name--Betsy--and a new outlook on life.
Understood Betsy has delighted generations of young readers since it was first published by Henry Holt and Company in 1917. Kimberly Bulcken Root's charmingly detailed illustrations capture the winning spirit of this classic.
Dorothy Canfield Fisher was a pioneer in children's literature. In addition to writing more than fifty books for children, she was a co-founder of the Book-of-the-Month Club and a key reviewer for The New York Times. While Ms. Fisher lived most of her life in New York City, she retained an enormous affection for the hills of Vermont, where she was raised.
Kimberly Bulcken Root has illustrated over fifteen books for children, most recently, Birdie's Lighthouse. She and her husband, illustrator Barry Root, live with their children in Quarryfield, Pennsylvania.
Eden Ross Lipson is the Children's Book Review Editor of the New York Times Book Review.
Synopsis
For all of her nine years, fragile Elizabeth Ann has heard her Aunt Frances refer in whispers to her "horrid Putney cousins." But when her aunt can no longer care for her, Elizabeth Ann must leave her sheltered life to live in the wilds of Vermont with those distant relatives.
In the beginning, Elizabeth Ann is shocked by country living--pets are allowed to sleep in the house and children are expected to do chores! But with country living comes independence and responsibility, and in time, Elizabeth Ann finds herself making friends and enjoying her new family. When the year is up and Aunt Frances comes to get her niece, she finds a healthier, prouder girl with a new name--Betsy--and a new outlook on life.
Understood Betsy has delighted generations of young readers since it was first published by Henry Holt and Company in 1917. Kimberly Bulcken Root's charmingly detailed illustrations capture the winning spirit of this classic.
About the Author
Dorothy Canfield Fisher was a pioneer in children's literature. In addition to writing more than fifty books for children, she was a co-founder of the Book-of-the-Month Club and a key reviewer for
The New York Times. While Ms. Fisher lived most of her life in New York City, she retained an enormous affection for the hills of Vermont, where she was raised.
Kimberly Bulcken Root has illustrated over fifteen books for children, most recently, Birdie's Lighthouse. She and her husband, illustrator Barry Root, live with their children in Quarryfield, Pennsylvania.
Eden Ross Lipson is the Children's Book Review Editor of the New York Times Book Review.