Plumfield and Paideia

B is for Betsy

Reviewed by Sara Masarik
I read B is for Betsy by the morning campfire with two cups of coffee. It is a perfect book. Perfect. I did not want to put it down, and I kept reading scenes aloud to my family. There is one scene with a dog that is utter perfection. (There I go using that word again…) Read the full review

A Baby Sister for Frances

Reviewed by Diane Pendergraft
Frances is obviously struggling with the fact that she is no longer the center of her parents’ attention. Frances is well known for her little songs, but no one even comments on the one she composes while sitting cozily under the kitchen sink as Mother feeds the baby. Her parents don’t appreciate the musical instrument Frances makes with gravel in a coffee can. Read the full review

Bambi: A Life in the Woods

Reviewed by Diane Pendergraft
Oh, Bambi! I had no idea. My husband inherited his dad’s copy of Felix Salten’s Bambi, so it was in our family library until we passed it on to our son. Though my husband assured me that it was nothing like the cartoon, for over 30 years I resisted reading it. I assumed that since I hadn’t read it as a child, it wouldn’t be worth my time as an adult. I knew it couldn’t be just like the Disney version. No book I know of has survived Disney-fication intact. But I still expected a less than stimulating read. I didn’t believe an author could maintain my interest in a baby deer throughout an entire novel, and I assumed Salten would rely heavily on manipulating my emotions. After all, we know Bambi’s mother dies. And there’s the terror of that devastating, man-caused forest fire... Read our full review to learn more about this incredible and important novel for children and adult alike... Read the full review