Betsy's Busy Summer

Oddly enough, Carolyn Haywood did not include in Betsy's summer a trip to the St. Louis zoo when the heat index was 110 degrees. I, however, had that pleasure, but survived and am now back.

After years of pestering my youngest to read B is for Betsy, the first chapter book I checked out of my school library in the first grade, she got desperate enough to read it, and, predictably, LOVED it. This necessitated a trip to the library to stock up, since I long ago gave away the rest of the Heywood.

I read Betsy's Busy Summer, and must say that for a series that started in 1939, it has weathered very well. Children falling in fish ponds and trying to rig watermelon seed contests are still gently amusing. There was a description of the "parcel post wagon" arriving, and it was pulled by a horse. This seemed odd, as I suppose sending 8 year olds to the grocery to get a list of items might be, but all in all, it was enjoyable.

While Haywood is predominantly an author for elementary school students, struggling middle school readers will probably still enjoy the short chapters and easy to understand circumstances. Many of the books to not specifically mention the age that Betsy is.

For more on the author, consult the nice biography on this site:
http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Haywood__Carolyn.html