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Title details for Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher - Wait list

Understood Betsy

by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Bobbie Frohman
Audiobook
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Elizabeth Ann was orphaned at an early age and raised by her maiden aunts in the busy city. Sudden illness forces the aunts to send Betsy to other relatives, the Putnams, who live in the country on a farm. Betsy learns all about the farm and making butter and applesauce and dearly loves her new life. Then one of the aunts comes back and wants to take Betsy back to the city ... such a dilemma!

Children can readily relate to Betsy, a real girl in a real world where fortune seems to direct her life. She so loves being on the farm and doing all the things a farm girl does, including going to school. When fate again intervenes and tries to take her away from the life she loves, Betsy, though torn, bounds into another day of farm life, full of love for all she comes in contact with, and grows into a beautiful young lady.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    February 20, 2014

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781483012612
      • File size: 139544 KB
      • Duration: 04:50:42

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 1000
    • Text Difficulty: 5-7

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 9, 2001
      Fisher's beloved novel, first published in 1917, makes a smooth transition to audio in the latest from Chinaberry. Orphaned as a baby, nine-year-old Elizabeth Ann is taken in by her kindhearted great-aunt Harriet and cousin Frances, who aim to raise her in a loving, proper and cultured home in the early 1900s. Pale, thin, nervous Elizabeth Ann experiences a new kind of upheaval when Aunt Harriet becomes seriously ill. The situation requires that Elizabeth Ann be sent from her city home to "those horrid Putney cousins" (in Aunt Harriet's opinion) who live on a farm in Vermont. The change in scenery and attitude does Elizabeth Ann a world of good; in the country air where she is expected to do chores and where she can romp around and play with the animals, Elizabeth Ann becomes Betsy, a robust and happy girl. Her transformation is the heart of what remains a warm family tale, despite a few dated references. Reynolds gives a solid if sometimes precious-sounding performance, adopting a careful, pleasant storytelling tempo. Ages 6-11.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This work is a series of vignettes from the tenth year of Betsy, a city girl who finds herself thrust into the household of her Vermont cousins at the turn of the last century. She finds country life strange at first. However, she grows to love her new family and home. Some may find the story and setting quaint, but as one hears how Betsy grows and bonds with her new family as they live and work together, many will rejoice in the young girl's spunk, initiative, and courage. Jeanne Reynolds has an experienced voice, which ably brings Betsy and her older cousins to life. Her performance is steady and deliberate; pronunciation and enunciation are exact and may seem almost slow in the narrative portions. Reynolds's characterizations are lively and display great expression. M.T.F. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Anne Hancock gleefully captures the warm characters, charming humor, and colorful descriptions in this classic story, set in 1916 Vermont. When 9-year-old Betsy is orphaned, she's rescued by her overprotective city-dwelling Aunt Frances, and then is uprooted again to live in the country with the often maligned Putney side of her family. Hancock splendidly portrays fastidious Aunt Frances as well as the more casual Putney farmers. However, her best creation is Betsy herself, who positively blossoms on the Putney farm with its delightful animals and daily chores, such as churning butter and harvesting maple syrup. Listeners will enjoy walking through the state fair with Betsy--until she realizes she's missed her ride home. The conclusion is satisfying and fully believable. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:1000
  • Text Difficulty:5-7

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