Customer Reviews (7)

Wounderful Memories
Blanche, Betty, Allison and Cleve were my friends on Vashon Island. This book is like setting down for coffee and talking with them again on Vashon Island. Always enjoyed hearing the stories of life, and the funny times they had during the early days with Betty MacDonald.

No longer living on the island, but enjoy reading the stories again and again.

I'm so terribly disapointed
I hoped to receive some more info about the life of Betty MacDonald. I found nothing. The pictures are very bad.
Only a few of Betty. No picsof Betty's mother, father, sisters and brother. Why? I don't understand this.
And the stories are rather boring. I found no details about Betty's life? And I know she had a very exciting and fascinating life. A good advice for Betty Fans all over the world. There is a Betty Fan Club and a wonderful surprise for me was that Betty's best friend Kimi is still alive and she is a real story
teller. A brilliant writer indeed.

Promises but does not deliver.
I was very pleased to discover this book having been a fan of Betty Macdonald for many years. I hoped this book would provide background information and answers to many unanswered questions about Betty's life - her family, marraiges, her early death etc. However, with the exception of the first chapter, this book was very disappointing. Titles to chapters promise all eg. "Betty tells chicken ranch stories" but scant information is confined to a few lines on the final page and this pattern is repeated throughout the book. Not to be recommended.

Huge Betty Fan
I was somewhat suprised to read the poor review of this book.I am always glad to learn any new information on Betty and was thrilled when I discovered this book last year.It was interesting to get an outsiders view of this fascinating family and I quite enjoyed Blanche Caffiere's writing style.It's a must read for the true Betty MacDonald fan.

Reliving my Past
This book is wonderful.Both Betty MacDonald and Blanche Caffiere were the same age as my parents and actually my folks were friends with both of them.It was like sitting at our dinner table at night and my Mom telling my Dad stories about her day with the "girls".I loved the story, the facts were very accurate, nice memories of places in Seattle such as Frederick & Nelson, Laurelhurst, The Athletic Club, Vashon (Burton), etc.For someone who is from the Seattle area, I think they would love this story and Mrs. Caffiere told her story like you were sitting across from her at the kitchen table with a cup of tea.I highly recommend. ... Read more

Book Description
Reissue of this immortal, hilarious, and heartwarming classic about working a chicken farm in the Northwest. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (63)

You've Come a Long Way, Baby!
Although Betty McDonald writes with a great deal of wry humor (some might say sarcasm) about her situation on a Washington chicken ranch in the late 1920s and early 1930s, there is a rather sad undercurrent to the story.This is the story of a woman who has been led to believe that her husband is the master and that she must follow blindly where he leads.Though her retrospection includes humorous description, the unraveling of her marriage is obvious thoughout the narrative.
For those who find her description of Native Americans offensive, one must recall the time when this was written. Americans weren't as "enlightened" (now there is sarcasm!!)as we are now.I don't agree with those who find her "snobbish" - Mrs. McDonald was a fish out of water and knew it but couldn't just walk away from it.She cares about her neighbors, the Kettles and the Hicks, but she just doesn't fit in with them.
She is definitely showing us that country life has a definite downside.
Her description of the natural surroundings is vivid and makes you feel the terrain with her.
I would recommend this book to young women today just to show how far they have come since that time.

Read it three times
I've read The Egg and I at least three times. The first
time I was about twelve, the second, maybe twenty-one
and the last time in the virtual dotage of sixty-two.

My ten year old self took this as a fabulous adventure
story and I wanted nothing more than to meet Gams and
the hyperactive grandma and eat a geoduck clam with
the MacDonalds.

At twenty-one, I laughed my head off. Being of an impractical
nature myself, I got anxious and then giggling at what
I took to be a hippies-in-the-woods story.

Last month, I nodded my head a lot as I read through my
mother's copy that was passed on through a few inheritances.
MacDonald looks to me now like an a woman who was sharp
before her time-a person who whose sense of adventure
and sense of humor allowed her to transcend the limited
choices she was offered in the 1950's and turn the egg she
was offered into a puffy, generous and thoroughly nutrisious
omellette.

-Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine and a novel
about another original woman: bang BANG

Well hatched plot
" The Egg And I " has stood the test of time as a book about the most basic lifestyle, farming. The trials and tribulations that any farmer and his wife will have to go through remain unchanged through the decades. "The Egg And I " can be read in any century and the movie of the same name with Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert is eminently watchable decades after it was made. Every actor in that movie has long died but the life in the film , and the book, will reamin forever. The gentle writing style with strong believable characters makes this book a worthy template for any writer to aspire to.

So much for the romance of the pre-electric life
If you are thinking of living off the grid and going back to nature, this book is for you. Chicken farming for sure isn't like this any more, except for maybe those "uncaged hens" eggs you can buy at Whole Foods. Still a life without electricity or indoor plumbing in the dripping Northwest is not what I dream about at nights. On the other hand the woman stuck it out and with good humor none the less even having been branded a "reader" by the neighbors when they all did "tatting" or "needlepoint". All those doilies you see in a farm house? That's a farmer's wife going slowly nuts.

Anyway the descriptions of the Kettles is wonderful.

Depressing
What a hard life the author had when she was first married.Although she makes light of her dificulties by joking, I can see that it was terrible and I found the book most depressing.
It must also have been dificult to live in those years when everyone was so racist and unaccepting of different sorts of people.I'm surprised that she was comfortable being with the Kettles and uncomfortable with the Hicks.Based on her feelings of the native population I would think it was the other way around!
I recommend reading this book for the picture it gives of the era that it covers. ... Read more

Book Description
You know how sometimes friendship blossoms in the Þrst few moments of meeting? “Something clicked,” we say. Well, that's what discovering Betty MacDonald was like for me: I happened to read a couple of pages of one of her books and — click — knew right away that here was a vivacious writer whose friendly, funny, and Þery company I was really going to enjoy. Although MacDonald's Þrst and most popular book, The Egg and I, has remained in print since its original publication, her three other volumes have been unavailable for decades. The Plague and I recounts MacDonald's experiences in a Seattle sanitarium, where the author spent almost a year (1938-39) battling tuberculosis. The White Plague was no laughing matter, but MacDonald nonetheless makes a sprightly tale of her brush with something deadly. Anybody Can Do Anything is a high-spirited, hilarious celebration of how “the warmth and loyalty and laughter of a big family” brightened their weathering of The Great Depression. In Onions in the Stew, MacDonald is in unbuttonedly frolicsome form as she describes how, with husband and daughters, she set to work making a life on a rough-and-tumble island in Puget Sound, a ferry-ride from Seattle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Perhaps the best of her books
I first met Betty McDonald when I read The Egg and I, back in high school in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1960s, and I was completely enthralled.First of all: she writes extremely well.Her sentences are terse and well-formed, and she has a knack for shaping quips of all kinds: the quick laugh, the sudden surprise laugh line, and the careful set-up gag.Most of all, though, I find myself laughing aloud (she's one of the few authors who makes me laugh aloud while reading) at the perfection of a sentence which is at the same time witty, perfectly balanced, completely appropriate, and completely unexpected.

You will find all this - in spades - in Onions in the Stew.It is a mellower book than the others, for many reasons; she was older when she wrote it - and, I think, happier in her second marriage; also, her already considerable skill at writing had grown.Her descriptions of Vashon Island in the 1940s are utterly perfect: beautiful, clever, and bittersweet all at once.Her descriptions of her husband and daughters - and others in her family - are full of warmth, and are at the same time completely clear-eyed and unsentimental.

Frankly, comparing Betty to Erma Bombeck is like comparing Julia Child to Rachael Ray.They can both cook - but, oh boy, I know whose house I'd like to visit for lunch . . .

Who Couldn't LOVE Betty MacDonald!
I first read Onions in the Stew almost thirty years ago, in a Reader's Digest Condensed Books version, and I never forgot it.What a JOY to receive the complete version as a gift years later, along with The Plague and I, and Anybody Can Do Anything, when they were reissued by The Common Reader.I absolutely devoured them, passed them around among my friends & loved ones (keeping track of who had them, very uncharacteristic but they're the kind of books you never want to lose!!!!) and agree with every five-star reviewer here, especially "pony-express," that Betty is the best friend you never met.Also enjoyed the comment about how much fun heaven will be, to drink strong coffee & yak with Betty MacDonald.She is still as witty today as when she wrote her books, utterly classic and fresh, laugh-out-loud and tremendously endearing without EVER being cloying.Such a cut above.Her other books are equally wonderful, and I just wish more people were exposed to her; she's a tonic for stress, an antidote to depression.So glad there are others out there who love her as I do!

Her Memoirs
I've just finished the fourth Betty MacDonald memoir. Thank you Amazon for the access to all these out of print books!
I now know what's going to be fun in Heaven - chatting with Betty over strong cups of coffee.
These books were like discovering a new best friend. I've never been so entertained by reading. What a gal!

Much better than. . .
"The Egg and I."As I said in my review of the earlier book, although I found parts of "Egg" charming, the chapter on Indians made my part-Cherokee blood boil, and that other parts seemed rather mean-spirited as well.

There is none of the mean-spiritedness in "Onions", probably because, in spite of the various toils and tribulations of life on the island, Betty was basically happy there, as opposed to "Egg" where she was mostly miserable.

I loved the part about the small woman who loved to curl up on soft, comfy places like sofas, armchairs, and other women's husbands' laps.I wondered, though, why Betty didn't just ask her to step out into the garden and then drop-kick her across the straight to Seattle?I'm sure she could have gotten some of the other women in their circle of friends to help.

Many of the events she tells of show us that teenage girls have always been a handful, whatever they say.However, in spite of all the complaining and whining, the girls were willing to pich in; how many girls their age nowadays would have something like stuffed pork chops waiting when their parents came home from work?

While "Egg" left me wondering why anyone in their right mind would want to run a chicken farm in the middle of a howling wilderness, "Onions" made me wonder if living on an island might not be fun.

What a pleasant surprise!
Having finished my previous book and waiting for Amazon's free shipping promo to buy more, I picked up this book collecting dust in my book closet. I was pleasantly surprised.

It is smart and funny and so down-to-earth that you have to instantly like Betty as your best friend. Althouhg I am not a big fan of women titles (those seems to dominate the New York Times bestsellers list these days), I laughed out loud on a plane from Washington DC to Houston on a business trip. Who knew that everyday domestic issues can be so light and funny?

Anyway, just try it. You will find it more enjoyable than you want to admit. ... Read more

Book Description
"Nancy and Plum" is a children's book written by the worldfamous author Betty McDonald, who wrote four popular "Mrs. PiggleWiggle" children's books, and also the adult books, "The Egg & I","Anybody Can Do Anything" and "Onion in the Stew".

"Nancy and Plum"was first published in 1952.It is a story Betty told her daughters,Joan and Anne, each night at bedtime, making it up as she went along. It is a delightful old fashioned Christmas story about two sisters,Nancy, 10 and Plum, 8, whose parents died in an accident.Theirsurviving relative is Uncle John, a wealthy bachelor with littlepatience or time for children.He puts the girls in Mrs. Monday'sBoarding School in Heavenly Valley, persuaded by Mrs. Monday's promisesand unctuous manner.

But Mrs. Monday is an ogre who pampers herniece, Maribelle, and persecutes the other girls in her custody.

Ofthe two sisters, Plum is the spunky one, leading Nancy on forays forfood and initiating their running away.Plum like that more famousorphan, ,Annie, is brave, innovative and energetic.

There arelovely characters who are sympathetic and help the girls: Mr. and Mrs.Campbell, who find the girls on their farm and rescue them; MissWaverly, the school teacher; Miss Appleby, the librarianl and Old Tom,the caretaker at the orphanage.For contrast their is Miss Gronk theSunday school teacher, who shares the role of villianess with Mrs.Monday.

"Nancy and Plum" and "Mrs. Piggle Wiggle" were made intoplays by the Seattle Children's Theater which were done exactly the wayBetty would have wanted.They appealed to adults as well as childrenand are now being performed by other children's theaters throughout theUnited States. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

My beloved second grade teacher in Juneau, Alaska, Mrs. Gwyther, read this book to our class
also; I was enchanted, and when it was done, asked her if I could borrow it.It was her personal copy, and very old (to me), and I loved the smooth, thin pages and the illustrations....She let me take it home to read, and I felt so special.I still feel special when I remember how much she trusted a second grader to keep her own book safe.I loved it and wanted to find it for my second grade daughter.Too bad there are no copies available here that are under $100 :-)

Fond Memories
I never had anyone read this to me.I stumbled upon it during library time at good old Woodmore Elementary in Bowie MD.I bet it's still there.I loved this book from the moment I opened it.I loved the story, the hard cover, the size of the book, the way the old brittle pages felt as I turned the pages, and even the way the old pages smelled in 1974 (the book had been out for about 20 years by then I guess).I checked it out over and over again and now I hope to read it to my 7 year old.I know she'll love it too.I'm thrilled to see it available on Amazon because you can't get it in our local library and even the used book store in town has given me the shrug.Yay Amazon.

Great Book
My 2nd grade teacher was the first person to share this story with me. I heard it again on an audio tape in 3rd grade. It's such a cute story, and I'm glad to see that it's in stock. (Must run to go ask dad if I can get it!)

Fond Memories!
My 3rd grade teacher in New Jersey read this book to us too! I thought of it all of a sudden today after a long time and I'm so excited to find it is available.

A lasting memory from a favorite teacher!
I first had this book read to me by Mrs. Frohning, my 3rd grade teacher.She helped bring this wonderfully descriptive book to life! I can close my eyes and be back in her class eagerly awaiting the next adventure of Nancy and Plum. My grandmother remembered that I loved this book and searched for this book and gave it to me in my twenties.Now in my thirties, I have two copies and am searching for a third to give to my sister, who also had Mrs. Frohning. My step-daughter and I read the book together and will return to this book time and time again. For all those who want a magical experience that will last a lifetime, buy this book! ... Read more

Book Description
You know how sometimes friendship blossoms in the Þrst few moments of meeting? “Something clicked,” we say. Well, that's what discovering Betty MacDonald was like for me: I happened to read a couple of pages of one of her books and — click — knew right away that here was a vivacious writer whose friendly, funny, and Þery company I was really going to enjoy. Although MacDonald's Þrst and most popular book, The Egg and I, has remained in print since its original publication, her three other volumes have been unavailable for decades. The Plague and I recounts MacDonald's experiences in a Seattle sanitarium, where the author spent almost a year (1938-39) battling tuberculosis. The White Plague was no laughing matter, but MacDonald nonetheless makes a sprightly tale of her brush with something deadly. Anybody Can Do Anything is a high-spirited, hilarious celebration of how “the warmth and loyalty and laughter of a big family” brightened their weathering of The Great Depression. In Onions in the Stew, MacDonald is in unbuttonedly frolicsome form as she describes how, with husband and daughters, she set to work making a life on a rough-and-tumble island in Puget Sound, a ferry-ride from Seattle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

After she dumped the bum. . . .
we get the story of what she and the children did with themselves.

Her father had been a mining engineer, and although he died fairly young he had been able to save quite a bit; her mother had come from a 'good' East Coast family--not REALLY rich, but apparently quite well off.Betty and her siblings had grown up in large houses with music and dance lessons.However, the Great Depression reduced the family's portfolio to wastepaper.The children had never been taught to actually *do* anything, and actually going out to work for a living was something that they (especially the daughters) had never thought that they would have to do.

The story of how they scrambled to make ends meet during the 1930s would have been grim, but the Bard family despises self-pity above all other faults, and Betty is able to find humor in any situation.

After women having to work to survive during the 1930s, and having to work in the 1940s when all the men were off to war, is it any wonder that the women of this generation and their daughters wanted to retreat into domesticity during the 1950s?

Treasure Worth Digging For
This book is hard to find, so if you get the chance, snap it up!
This is a hilarious account of the author's life post-"Egg & I."
Betty moves from the chicken ranch back to her family's home in Seattle.
Sister Mary, undaunted by the fact that Betty has no experience, eagerly launches Betty's business career and social life.
The mishaps that ensue are absolutely hilarious.
Skillfully written, this book makes the Depression a laugh riot.
BUY IT!
I only wish that Betty had written more books.

Great Book
My husband is one of Betty's nephews.All of the sisters had an incredible wit about them - probably because of their mother Sidney Bard. She did a wonderful job raising her children with out her beloved husband Darcy.It's too bad the children and grandchildren didn't learn lessons from Betty's books. She would be sad to see the way the family turned out.

Great gift for women
It's just so heartening to know that others love Betty MacDonald's books as much as I do.I've been giving Anybody Can Do Anything as my female gift book of this year.

But Nobody Is Funnier Than Betty
I discovered Betty MacDonald when I was about twelve years old, after checking The Egg and I out of the Carmichael Branch library here in Sacramento, about 22 years after it was first published.My parents had mentioned that the egg ranch Betty lived on with her first husband in the 1920s, which she writes about in The Egg and I, was located some miles from the place where we lived in Washington state, in the late 1950s. Furthermore, they had actually taken a day trip with friends to look at the old place, sometime after the book and the movie of the same name came out in the 1940s.

This familial connection, however faint, to an old, famous book and the movies it inspired, piqued my childish mind, and I eagerly started reading about life on a chicken ranch on the Olympic Penninsula.I fell in love with Betty's easy, friendly, hysterically funny, down-to-earth yet somehow elegant prose, and immediately checked out her other autobiographical books: The Plague and I, Anybody Can Do Anything, and Onions In The Stew.

In all of her autobiographical books save Onions In The Stew, Betty uses the first chapter to presage her theme by describing her experiences as a child in a large, boisterous family, in loving and extremely funny detail.In Anybody Can Do Anything, Betty describes life with her family and her two young daughters, Anne and Joan, in Seattle after she has left her husband and the egg ranch behind.The Depression is on, and Betty, now a single mother, struggles with her large and interesting clan to make ends meet, somehow finding a lot of laughs and funny adventures, often with her exuberant sister Mary, the inspiration for the book, along the way.Anyone who is interested in what life was like in Seattle in the 1930s, in witty character descriptions, and in a personal glimpse of how families coped with the "Great Depression", will find this book fascinating, not to mention frequently hilarious.

Betty, I miss you and the way you used to make me laugh out loud--I was sad when I finished reading Onions In The Stew for the first time and then realized it was the last autobiographical book you wrote: the tuberculosis finally caught up with you in 1958, when I was only four years old, still living in Washington, not far from your home on Vashon Island.I re-read your books many times as I grew up, even visited Vashon Island, and often wished I could have met you and your family. It's silly, but I've always felt a sense of loss at never having known you, because I am sure you must have been a marvelous friend.Your sense of humor had a profound effect on me, and inspired me in my earliest writing attempts.It's been many years since I've read your books, but I've never forgotten your irrepressible, bona-fide funniness.Wherever you are, thank you! ... Read more

Amazon.com
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has been wildly popular with children and adults for over 50 years. Children adore her because she understands them--and because her upside-down house is always filled with the smell of freshly baked cookies, and her backyard with buried treasure. Grownups love her because her magical common sense solutions to children's problems succeed when their own cajoling and yelling don't. For the child who refuses to bathe, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle recommends letting her be. Wait until the dirt on her body has accumulated to half an inch, then scatter radish seeds on her arms and head. When the plants start sprouting, the nonbather is guaranteed to change her mind about that bath.

Hilary Knight's (Eloise, Sunday Morning) delightful pictures provide lively, droll accompaniment to Betty MacDonald's refreshing stories. Whether Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is curing Answer-Backers or Slow-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Takers, her remedies always work like a charm. More than one parent over the years has surreptitiously turned to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle when Dr. Spock failed to come through. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie CoulterBook Description

The incomparable Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle loves children good or bad and never scolds but has positive cures for Answer-Backers, Never-Want-to-Go-to-Bedders, and other boys and girls with strange habits. `[Now] in paperback . . . for a new generation of children to enjoy.' 'San Francisco Examiner Chronicle.

Customer Reviews (59)

Don't want to eat, bathe, go to bed or comb your hair?
For every problem every parent and child has faced over the years, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has a magnificent solution that will surpass the iterventions of Dr. Spock, Supernanny, or even Dr. Phil!

The characters are so wonderful and the stories so creatively written that children will be spellbound by these books. Even non-readers will be captivated.

Wonderful reading!

A wonderful magical book

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a great book. The author is Betty MacDonald. The book is about a lady who is magic. She goes to kids and all the kids have a problem with manners. Some are bad listeners, whiners, and so on. It is a fantasy story.

The big part of the story is when Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle starts helping out all the children with bad manners.For each kid with bad manners she has a cure. She loves to play pretend and be funny. All the kids, after she cured them, had wonderful imagination and have proper manners. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is always happy and loves children.

I recommend this book to all kids six years old to kids that are nine years old, also to people who love humor and Fantasy. This book will boost the kid's imagination after they read the book. This book is full of humor.It was a great book to me and hopefully to you!!

A wonderful magical book

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a great book. The author is Betty MacDonald. The book is about a lady who is magic. She goes to kids and all the kids have a problem with manners. Some are bad listeners, whiners, and so on. It is a fantasy story.

The big part of the story is when Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle starts helping out all the children with bad manners.For each kid with bad manners she has a cure. She loves to play pretend and be funny. All the kids, after she cured them, had wonderful imagination and have proper manners. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is always happy and loves children.

I recommend this book to all kids six years old to kids that are nine years old, also to people who love humor and Fantasy. This book will boost the kid's imagination after they read the book. This book is full of humor.It was a great book to me and hopefully to you!!

A wonderful magical book

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a great book. The author is Betty MacDonald. The book is about a lady who is magic. She goes to kids and all the kids have a problem with manners. Some are bad listeners, whiners, and so on. It is a fantasy story.

The big part of the story is when Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle starts helping out all the children with bad manners.For each kid with bad manners she has a cure. She loves to play pretend and be funny. All the kids, after she cured them, had wonderful imagination and have proper manners. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is always happy and loves children.

I recommend this book to all kids six years old to kids that are nine years old, also to people who love humor and Fantasy. This book will boost the kid's imagination after they read the book. This book is full of humor.It was a great book to me and hopefully to you!!

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle - I Love You!
How can you not love this lady. I have read her stories over and over. They are so much fun and very easy to read. I would have liked to have met Betty MacDonald. I highly recommend this series.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

If you only have one MacDonald...
If "Anybody Can Do Anything," then everyone should have some Betty MacDonald books on the shelf. My super-modern grandson,m in second grade at the time, got a great kick out of the "Mrs. Piggle Wiggle" book I got him for Christmas.
The adult books are gems of humorous American writing. Every word should be savored. "Who Me?" was pulled together from Betty's four adult books. All the writing was hers, however. It was recommended to librarians at the time (around 1959 or 1960) that if they had the complete books, this abridgement wasn't necessary for the collection.
I would agree. ...Most of Betty's other stuff is available, however, which should be good news for fans new and old. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
I read this book at the Children's Story Hour in our town.This is the first Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle I read to the children.They were on the edge of their seats, laughing and participating!They begged me to bring more Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle stories.I have and they just as big a success! ... Read more

Book Description
The incomparable Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle loves children good or bad and never scolds but has positive cures for Answer-Backers, Never-Want-to-Go-to-Bedders, and other boys and girls with strange habits. `[Now] in paperback . . . for a new generation of children to enjoy.' —San Francisco Examiner Chronicle.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Read this!
This is the last of the four Mrs Piggle-Wiggle books, but it was probably my favourite when I was little - I loved horses as a little girl, and these stories include a pony. My parents read the Mrs Piggle-Wiggle books when they were kids, and these books have been a family tradition.

The stories aren't coy about the fact that they set out to show how kids ought to behave, but they're so much fun that I don't think anyone minds that they teach a lesson. After all, who minds when Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is the teacher? These stories, unlike those in the other 3 books, are set on a farm, and teach kids about responsibilty, self-reliance, and trust. Read them if you have kids, read them if you don't have kids. Just read them!

A children's classic
I grew up reading the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series. I loved every single story and I still remember them vividly. They may be a little dated but the lessons are still current and they are still very amusing.

Excellent book. I'm ordering them for my daughter!
I remember sitting in the library when I was little reading Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books over and over again.I loved everyone one of her "cures" and now that I have a daughter of my own I want her tohave her own copies of these classics from my childhood. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Betty MacDonald, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 2920 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Customer Reviews (10)

my alltime favorite book that will last a life time
Nancy and Plum are two sisters who dream of the day when their dresses aren't too short for them, a meal that isn't oatmeal, and christmas presents. These two orphan sisters live with evil Miss Monday and her spoiled niece, Marybell. All they know is there uncle hates them and never replies to there letters and only sends the rent, so they think. Will they ever escape from Miss Monday and after that will they have someone to love them?

I found it a beatifuly decribed book but also cliffhagger.this is giry book but the boys will be intersted too. highly recommed it for a family to be read for years to come.Betty McDonald has once again given the world a timeless jewel.

my favorite children's book
I read this book over and over again when I was young.I now read it to my fourth grade class each year and they LOVE it!!
Every year parents ask me where they can find this book!?!I don't understand why it hasn't been re-released, especially because the author's Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books are so popular.A must read!

nancy and plum
i first read this book in the 4th grade, long ago, i have re-read it many many times and still love the story... is a very touching story with a happy ending, i have read it to many of my nephews and nieces............this is my favorite book in the whole world... and i have read many....

Memorable after all these years
I will be 50 years old next month and my sister just turned 60.Whenever we talk on the phone, we still discuss this book and how much we loved it. Sadly, our copy was lost about 30 years ago.

I'll never forget when the nasty little girl got the ammonia spashed in her eyes!

Wonderful timeless children's book
I read this book about 45 years ago and still remember how much
I loved it.It is a beautiful story, whose ideas, relationships, themes, opinions, and manner of writing not too dated (like Rebecca of Sunybrook farm) ... about 2 little girls whose only real desire is a loving family ... but more like Lucy Maud Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables", the Stratton-Porter books like "Girl of the Limberlost" or Frances Hodgson Burnett's "The Secret Garden". For slightly younger children (to read to
Kindergartner's and up).GET THIS BACK IN PRINT!!!Betty Macdonald also wrote humorous adult books .. I think "The Egg and I" was made into a very funny move about a city couple taking up
farming (with Fred McMurray and Claudet Colbert? ... pre-dating "Green Acres"). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

GOOD BOOK FOR BATH TIME
[...]I must give this book 5 stars. It's intended to get your stubborn child to take a bath all the while using a little HUMOR.It was my husbands aunt, Betty McDonald who wrote this book, so perhaps I am partial, but I still don't think anyone since has been able to write books like Betty did. [...]

Wash This Book Away!
Nasty Patsy won't take a bath.Instead of doing the normal thing with stern reprimands; reasoning and that age old method involving soap and water, the stupid thing's parents call in Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.She suggests planting seeds in the dirt that has accumulated on the nasty girl.Before long, Nasty Patsy is sprouting all flora and vegetables and this is far from being a palatable story.This has been one of my least favorites since childhood.It is the worst Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle story.Ugh!

great shortened version of an old classic
This is one of the funniest stories about Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.What is a parent to do when your child does not want to take a bath?Why let them stay dirty-so dirty in fact that one can plant seeds on them.Mrs.Piggle-Wiggle tells the frusterated parents to plant radish seeds on theirdirt-encrusted daughter.Magically the seeds grow over-night to theastonishment of the little girl.After submitting to a bath she enjoys theradishes that she grew.A hilarious take on the old You-Can't-Make-Merountine. ... Read more