Betsy and Billy

I have been reading a chapter each night to my two daughters (6 & 10). We have laughed together every night! I love to hear my children chuckle over a book. It's been a fun read! We are sad to see it end but ready to start the next Betsy book!

Betsy is now in the second grade and ready for new adventures in this sequel to Carolyn Haywood's "B" is for Betsy. Betsy is pleasantly surprised to discover that her beloved first grade teacher, Miss Grey, has also been promoted to the second grade, and enjoys celebrating various holidays with her in the classroom. The children have a Halloween party and bake Valentine cookies. They also have a May Day party and operate a wishing well for the bazaar on the last day of school. This book doesn't focus exclusively on school activities, but also looks at Betsy's life outside of the classroom. Billy and Betsy inadvertently create a mess while trying to help themselves to bread and molasses at Billy's house. Betsy and Mr. Kilpatrick, the police officer, rescue Betsy's dog, Thumpy, from the dog-pound. And in one of the most memorable episodes in the series, Betsy asks Santa for a baby sister. The baby is born on Christmas day, and Betsy names her Star. Although this is a sweet and gentle story, the author does show a range of human emotion that young children will recognize. Billy is irritated when he is no longer the only child with a loose tooth, and shoves Betsy. Kenny cries when his Halloween costume shrinks, and Betsy is jealous and hurt when she discovers that Ellen has been awarded the number one spot in the class. Betsy's mother is angry when Thumpy climbs on the kitchen table and eats the chopped meat she was planning to cook for dinner. All of these little crises end happily, so sensitive children should not find them disturbing. Although the book was written in 1941, it has aged well, and only a few clues betray its age, including the word "policeman" (instead of "police officer") and the home birth of Betsy's sister. The latter event is implied, not explicit, as Betsy's mother kisses her goodnight, and is in bed the next morning with the new infant in a bassinet beside her. This book is a worthy sequel to "B" is for Betsy, and is perfect for young children who are ready for chapter books.

Betsy is back in an all new adventure. This time she is off to second grade. She and her best friend Billy are always up to something. This time they fight over who will lose their first tooth first, make great Halloween costumes, and make a big mess in the kitchen when making a snack. You just never know where the book will take you next! The chapters are short and easy to read. There is no violence of any kind in the book. Readers who need gentle book will enjoy this very much. I would recommend this book to kids in second grade. They will be able to relate to the book and the characters in the book well.

My daughter just finished reading this book and I am back to purchase more. She needed to chose a chapter book for her first book report and I was trying to steer her away from her first choice of Junie B. Jones - which she picked up in school. She said she loves Junie B. because it's funny - but I feel the main character is rude and wanted a better role model for my daughter. When she realized that Betsy is also in second grade she began to read it.After finishing the book she told me she understands everything in Betsy's book whereas with Junie B. she was just reading the words. Her favorite part of this book was the fact that Betsy got her Christmas wish of a baby sister - which they named Star. Just a very nice story for a little girl who is a new reader.

Betsy and Billy are very good friends in this book. They played together a lot and they had funny adventures. I liked this book because it was interesting and funny. It made me laugh. I have read lots of other books about Betsy too,