Rating: My bookshelf

Reading Level: Early Elementary; Mid-Late Elementary

If you like Little House on the Prairie, you’ll love this wholesome, imaginative story of two playful young girls in olden days.

Possible Concerns:

  • Old-fashioned use of the word “queer” (e.g., feelings after a death of a loved one, or an odd feeling of new shoes). It might be worth thinking about whether your kid should know that term has a different meaning now, or that the term may be offensive if used inappropriately.
  • Tacy’s baby sister dies of illness.
  • Betsy tries to comfort her friend by telling her things about heaven. As far as I know the things she says aren’t particularly biblical (e.g., birds can bring messages and gifts from earth to the baby in heaven; in heaven you play instruments beautifully without needing to learn or practice). The heart and spirit behind it is good, namely heaven is more wonderful than you can imagine.
  • One girl has a big imagination and tells fun stories. But one story involves getting into a wagon with a horse (think: horse and cart). The wagon belonged to a strange man and the horse tells them not to tell the parents because “this is our little secret.”. This is all imagined but it would be good just to remind your kids *never* to get into a cart with a stranger and *never* to keep secrets like that from parents.
  • Bashfulness/Selective Mutism.Tacy has a hard time in new places with new people. Her bashfulness is discussed in detail, particularly in front of others.

I wish the girls were a bit older; the reading Level is for 8-10 years but the girls are only about 5-6. But it could be great for a kid who wouldn’t mind childish musings, or great to read aloud to your pre-K kid.