Sorry, that should be Moffats, by Estes.

ITA with intparent. All the books she mentioned were personal favorites of mine, especially Katie John, Betsy-Tacy, Emily of New Moon... all great great books that are life affirming, funny, historical and not scary at all. Also, thinking it over, I remembered Hitty her first hundred years, Cornelia Meigs books, Caddie Woodlawn, Lois Lenski books... The Penrod books by Booth Tarkington, and of course Pippi Longstocking.