Reading this book to my gd Betsy who is five years old. She seems to enjoy it...first book without lots of pictures. Simple tales of childhood, school, friends, it was written in 1939.
Finished today. We averaged one chapter a reading. Betsy had a big smile on her face when we read the last few words. It's a sweet book

Published in 1939, this timeless piece of children's literature was one I looked forward to picking up each and every day with my 5-year-old. With applicable themes, stand-alone chapters, and perfectly adorable characters this book has a universal appeal for young children, especially those just starting school.

I just read this to my 5 year old and we both enjoyed it very much.

Great read aloud with the kids. So sweet and old fashioned and wholesome. My kids want me to get the next book about Betsy.

This book was one of my childhood favorites. I've read it off and on over the years during my career as a children's librarian, and I'm looking forward to reading it once again for my Vintage Book Circle discussion group's June meeting..

Delightful book about a girl named Betsy. We see Betsy live her first year of school in the book. Very simply written so that young students can learn along in a simple way and relate with the character.

Clean and enjoyable. First grade daughter would like the second one and continue to follow her adventures.

sweet and old-fashioned

Another delightful children's book. Written in 1939, it captures the essence of the times, through a first-grader's perspective. Fears of the first day of school, puppies, best friends, getting lost, and hints of the troubled times during Depression years. Sensitively told, definitely dated, and heartwarming espisodes.

Hands down sweetest children’s book I’ve read this year. Must read and perfect for 1st or 2nd grade.

A low 3 stars, at that. I'm not mad at it, it's just not particularly enthralling, it doesn't have that special something that a true classic like Winnie the Pooh or Little Women have, it's just a straightforward, simple, easy-to-read (but too hard for the target market) book about a young and relatively uninteresting girl, and her relatively uninteresting first year in school.

For modern children it might seem a bit confusing, e.g. she's told to worry about the switch by an older man, so she does, but our children nowadays will have to be told what a switch is, and (probably) so would their parents, reading to them. I enjoy reading old-timey things, but if they're not particularly great, why bother?

All-in-all surprised this one has made it through to the present as some kind of popular perennial. I don't see it.

(Note: I'm a writer, so I suffer when I offer fewer than five stars. But these aren't ratings of quality, they're a subjective account of how much I liked the book: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = really enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)

Gosh, I loved these books as a kid. I had an imaginary Betsy friend. I was still reading the Betsy books into middle school where they were way below my reading level and completely uncool. However, reading the first in the Betsy series now years later to my daughter, I thought they were just okay. I didn't feel the excitement I knew I once had about Betsy.

My first-grader, on the other hand loved it! It's the first successful chapter book we've read where she was demanding just one more chapter. She even wants a koala bear for Christmas, so she can have one just like Betsy. I was worried the book was old-fashioned, but I don't think my daughter even noticed. We will be reading "Betsy and Billy" next. Maybe the magic will return for me.

Dare I say I read a book as a girl. Growing up, reading just didn't seem like a normal thing. But yes, I read "B" is for Betsy. I don't remember too much, but I remember feeling really good about finishing a chapter book and actually liking it.