Betsy's Little Star

Betsy #5

by Carolyn Haywood

More than anything, Star wants to go to school - but she's not old enough. Every morning she watches her big sister Betsy, and all her friends, walk to school, and wishes she could go with them. But Star can't stay sad. She's too busy having adventures! One day she does go to school - in a milk truck! On Halloween, she and her friends play a funny trick - and scare the big kids. Then Star finds Butch, a new friend who's just her age. Butch and Star discover something terrific - that makes all the other children wish they could stay home from school too! When her birthday comes, Star has only one wish - for a very special present. Will her wish come true?

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Chapter Books, Classics, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Juvenile

157 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1950

About the author

Carolyn Haywood was an American writer and illustrator of children’s books, best known for her beloved “Eddie” and “Betsy” series, which captured everyday childhood with warmth and authenticity. Raised in a supportive, middle-class Philadelphia family, she developed her artistic talents early, studying art and later working as a teacher, an experience that inspired her to write for young readers. After formal training in fine arts and travel in Europe, she worked on murals before turning fully to books. Her debut, “B” is for Betsy, appeared in 1939, launching a prolific career built on close observation of children’s lives and feelings, continuing for decades.

Reviews

[Kelly Kosinski]

I finally found this book. I couldn’t remember the name of the book but I read this as a little girl and loved it.

[Jennifer]

When I was a wee little lass and learning to read - I had a really tough time. I was in the "Special reading group" for those who had a tough time reading. Words were hard gosh darn it! Well being the girl that I am and always have been - I grabbed every book I could and took it by the throat and beat it into submission. I read and read until suddenly I found myself transported by books rather than in a grudge match. The school I went to was tiny - and they actually wouldn't let you read certain books until you were old enough. I have no idea why exactly they did this - but they did. So when I was old enough to read from the "Big kids side" of the library (Which I believe was 3rd and 4th graders btw) my friend Rebecca told me about the Betsy books and I checked them out - one after another - and read them ragged.

30 years later I am working at a used bookstore and suddenly in my hands is Betsy's Little Star! I was so excited to see my old friend! I bought the book that day (It was even a library edition!!!) and read it. Awesome to revist this book. I will probably try and collect them all one of these days.

[Jen]

Carolyn Haywood's books were a HUGE part of my childhood. When I was very, very young and had just started to read "big words," Carolyn's books were the stories I read over and over again. They are perfect for small children and also wonderful to read aloud. The stories are simple, but quaint, teaching good values. Also, as with a lot of older children's literature, her stories present a very idyllic image of life in simpler times.

[Cheryl]

The thing that makes me a bit dissatisfied with Haywood's books is that they're very episodic. Each chapter almost stands alone, and the books certainly do well enough. While this is True, in that children do live moment to moment, adventure to adventure, in Haywood's hands it's not sufficiently satisfying to me. Other books do it more successfully, imo, like the ones about Ramona Quimby, or Alice McKinley.

But for young children reading above grade level, or for families reading together, it works. In this one I particularly enjoyed the chapter about the red shoes (but apparently Mother has never read the Andersen fairy tale). This one charmed me; 3.5 stars rounded up.

[Amanda]

Still a favorite though for different reasons as an adult. Boy does Star (Twinkle) want to go to Kindergarten! I especially loved the chapter about tossing stones -- what powerful language for the young reader.
In the era of Junie B. Jones, Ramona, Eloise, Clementine, and others Betsy is sweet and quaint but not quite as precocious as the new female character. That is neither good nor bad, just true.
I still don't know what I went into the library to get, but an hour and a half later I finished a re-read of a favorite from childhood.

[Liz]

This book series does have it's problematic bits such as kids dressing up as 'Indians,' and that they refer to POC as 'colored,' however, there is a little girl of color and her mother who live in the neighborhood and while the mother is a cook for a white family, they live in their own apartment above the families garage, and the little girl plays with the children in the neighborhood and goes to school with them. While this book is set in the norther part of the US, it is still 1950, so while this book is far from perfect, it fairly forward for its time.

[Anne Veronica]

This book follows a little girl named Star from the time she is 4 and wanting to go to kindergarten with her friends to when she has just turned 5 and is able to go when school starts up again after the winter break. Star winds up in the kindergarten classroom multiple times before she turns 5 for varying reasons. And she meets another child who isn't in kindergarten yet. The two children discover that their new mailman keeps candy in one of his pockets for dogs and in another for children. The kindergarten children start to wish they didn't have to go to school so they could see the mailman. The book has many funny, serious, and sweet moments. I enjoyed this book about an adorable little girl and her amusing adventures.

[Cheryl]

3 stars -- In my opinion, this is not Carolyn Haywood's best. I found four- then five-year-old Star to be quite annoying. My two favorite chapters (Koala Bear Went to Kindergarten & The Mailman Who Had Two Pockets) are my favorites because Star is not the primary character in them. There is one scene in particular when Star throws a sharp rock at another dog, and the stone hits Thumpy, their cocker spaniel, in the eye. The dog is hurt, and Star regrets her choice, but she never takes responsibility for her action. I was frustrated by that whole chapter. Just as I believe that Haywood has certain feelings about adoption, I feel that she also has a perspective about animals, one that I don't agree with.

[Ginny]

This 5th book in the B Is for Betsy series focuses on Betsy's little sister Star, now 4 years old and wishing she were 5 so she could go to kindergarten with her friends. To me, this book lacked much of the appeal of the first four titles and gave me the feeling the author hadn't put as much care into writing it as she did the others. I know I read all of the books in this series as a child, but I found I didn't remember this one at all!

[Angie]

Lizzie didn't love this. She said it was because instead of one whole story, it was a collection of smaller stories about Star. I have a feeling the little girls will give it a higher rating when they get to it, since Lizzie is really too old for the book. She remembered reading others in Haywood's Betsy collection and read this since she remembered enjoying those in the past.

[Ellen]

We have a couple families who get their kids all the old timey books. This came through the other day and I remembered it from the school library when I was a little one. I can’t imagine reading it to my son, but rereading it was like time traveling.

[Anna Murdock]

I just finished reading this to Lydia, it is a cute book, she loved it.

[Nathaniel]

I liked it.

[Diana]

I got to read my 7year old the very copy I had received as a birthday gift around his age. It was fun to revisit with him.

[Melanie Mead]

Another very sweet book in this classic series. My two girls (5 and 9) love them.

[Carol]

Kids, 3rd?

[Brooke Lieder]

Read with Ruby!

[Shannon]

I still have my copy of this book, which actually belonged to my mother as a child. As you'd expect it's a fairly old hardcover book. I loved Betsy's Little Star and read it many times, including the times my mom read it to me. It was published in 1950, and as a child of the early 1980's there were many things about the time period that intrigued and enchanted me. It only enhanced my love of red shoes. Until recently, I didn't know there were any other books featuring these characters and to date this is the only one I've read that I know of, but I loved it.

[Andrea]

I have been looking for these books everywhere and I am so glad to have finally found them! While my friends in elementary school were always checking out the more "popular" books in the library, I found myself coming back to this series again and again. I'm pretty sure I read every book in the series at least twice! I'm a little perturbed to discover that they've been re-released with a more modern cover, because I actually prefer the vintage look. Brings back so many memories and should I stumble across these somewhere, I may just have to read them again!

[Theresa]

found this book at a book give away and had to scoop it up. I never read any of the Betsy stories as a kid, but stars mean a lot to me, so I grabbed it.

What an adorable little story. Each chapter could be its own story, but they also all go together. I think this is definitely something I will try to read to my nephew at some point. Could be perfect for summer reading.

[Betsy]

My sister used to read this book to me as a little girl. Betsy (my name) was the big sister (although, I, was the little sister). It was the first time I felt a relationship with a book and characters and it was amazing! This one book turned me on to a life long obsession with books and reading.

[K.S. Wicks]

I've been reading Carolyn Haywood's "Betsy" series since I was in elementary school. Very gentle first chapter books that were originally published in the early 1950s. Where else can you find books that make reference to "snow pants," "galoshes," "quarter past nine," and "eating Junket"?

[Ruth]

Another un-P.C. Carolyn Haywood book that I enjoyed as a kid.

[CLM]

I sometimes forget how much I enjoyed this Betsy before I discovered Betsy Ray! Here, she welcomes baby sister, Star, at Christmas.

[Danielle]

I read and re-read this book at my Grandma's one summer

[Ami]

An oldie but a goodie.

[Jiezelle Escarmosa]

good

[Amanda B]

A favorite from childhood.

[Kristi]

this was one of my favorite childhood books, and is hard to find. very sweet and pure.

[Cherese A. Vines]

One of my favorite books as a child.