Understood Betsy

Description

This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare s finesse to Oscar Wilde s wit, this unique collection brings together works as diverse and influential as The Pilgrim s Progress and Othello. As an anthology that invites readers to immerse themselves in the masterpieces of the literary giants, it is must-have addition to any library.

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Anyone who fondly remembers how the fresh air of the moors puts a blush in the cheeks of sallow young Mary in The Secret Garden will love Dorothy Canfield Fisher's Understood Betsy just as much. First published in 1916, this engaging classic tells the tale of a thin, pale 9-year-old orphan named Elizabeth Ann who is whisked away from her city home and relocated to a Vermont farm where her cousins, the "dreaded Putneys," live. The Putneys are not as bad as her doting, high-strung Aunt Frances warns, however, and Elizabeth, who had been nurtured by her aunt like an overwatered sapling--positively blooms under their breezy, earthy care.

Elizabeth Ann's first victories are small ones--taking the reins from Uncle Harry, doing her own hair, making her own breakfast--but children will revel in the awakening independence and growing self-confidence of a girl who learns to think for herself... and even laugh. Along the way, "citified" readers of all ages will get a glimpse into the lives of people who are truly connected to the world around them--making butter ("We always bought ours," says Elizabeth Ann), experiencing the "rapt wonder that people in the past were really people," and understanding the difference between failing in school and failing at life. Fisher is a wise, personable storyteller, steeped in the Montessori principles of learning for its own sake, the value of process, and the importance of "indirect support" in child rearing. She also captures the tempestuous emotional life of a child as few authors can, crafting a story that children will find deeply satisfying. And in the end, readers will have grown as fond of the happier, stronger "Betsy" as the gentle, unassuming Putneys have.

Loving care was dolloped on this 1999 reissue of an old favorite--with sweet new pencil illustrations by Kimberly Bulcken Root, and an introduction and afterword by Eden Ross Lipson that offer a historical context for the book and its author. (Ages 8 to 12) --Karin Snelson

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The brimming cup

Description

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

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The Home Maker

Description

1924. The Home Maker is as relevant today as when it first appeared. It tells the story of Evangeline Knapp, the perfect, compulsive housekeeper, whose husband, Lester, is a poet and a dreamer. Suddenly, through a nearly fatal accident, their roles are reversed: Lester is confined to home in a wheelchair and his wife must work to support the family. The changes that take place between husband and wife, parents and children, are both fascinating and poignant. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

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Rough-hewn

Description

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

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The Montessori Manual; In Which Dr. Montessori's Teachings and Educational Occupations Are Arranged in Practical Exercises or Lessons for the Mother or the Teacher

Description

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1913. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... Ill AN ITALIAN CASA DEI BAMBINI--A DAY WITH THE CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES What has been said thus far is almost certain to have aroused in the minds of many readers the question, "How in the world does Dr. Montessori accomplish all this?" or, perhaps the more skeptical exclamation, "It can't be done, by Dr. Montessori or anyone else!" How can children teach themselves? How can they learn without detailed verbal instructions from a teacher? How does a boy learn to climb an apple tree? By being turned loose in company with the tree at that period of his life when he feels a surging natural impulse to climb trees. A boy of three can play about the foot of an apple tree day after day and no more think of climbing it than we of walking the ridge pole of our house. A man of twenty-one can play tennis, or plough, under the tree's branches with a similar lack of monkey-like desire to climb from branch to branch. But somewhere between those ages, there is a period in every normal life when, if the opportunity is present, a 22 vast amount of muscular agility, strength and accuracy are acquired, together with considerable physical courage, some daring, some prudence, and a fair amount of good judgment, all without the slightest need either to force or persuade the child to the acquisition of these desirable qualities. The Purpose Of The Montessori Devices And Their Educational Value.--Now, for all intents and purposes, the Montessori apparatus, so much talked of, so scientifically and ingeniously devised, is simply composed of supplementary apple trees. It is made up of devices and inventions which are intended, first, to stimulate the little child's natural desire to act and learn through action; second, to provide him with action which shall give him a better control of his ...

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Understood Betsy

Description

The insightful story of how an over-protected girl becomes a self-confident young woman.

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