Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Understood Betsy is a junior fiction novel by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. Originally published in 1916, Understood Betsy is one of the lesser-known classic novels for girls. Nine year old Elizabeth Ann is an orphan who lives with her aunts in the city. But when one of them becomes ill, she's sent to live temporarily with other family on Putney Farm.

Sex: None.

Language: None.

Drug/Alcohol Use: One of Betsy's classmates has a stepfather who is often called a drunk.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: There are a couple of scenes where Betsy has to really use her brain to get herself out of a sticky situation.

Final Note: What a lovely book! I had never heard of this book before reading The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick. It reminded me a lot of Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, and The Great Gilly Hopkins. If you're looking for a story for girls in grades 3-6, this is the perfect book for you!

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What is The Rapid Reader?

Hello fellow parents and friends! My name is Danielle. I had the idea for this blog a couple of years ago when I was working in my son's school library. It was a known fact that I was an avid reader of middle school and young adult literature and several parents would ask me about books before checking them out for their kids. (Or buying them at the book fair!) Because I read so much, I've never worried too much about what my kids might be reading. My oldest is only eight years old and anything he's read, I've read already! But what about parents who don't necessarily enjoy reading or have the time? I wanted to offer a resource that gave these parents the chance to make educated decisions about books their kids are reading. That's how this blog was born! Before we go any further, I want to point out that I am strongly opposed to book banning. I believe in freedom of speech and expression of art through literature. But I also feel strongly that kids should ...

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