Originally Posted by sushi

What kind of sewing do you think your granddaughter will do?

If she's a beginner, she might be fine with the most simple/cheapest machine you can buy.

If you expect her to expand her skills, then a machine with more flexibility makes sense.

If you know she's "hooked," you may want to invest in a fine machine she can take with her into adulthood.

FWIW, I have had bad experiences with plastic/made-in-a-developing-country sewing machines. (Sorry, but this includes the Brother CS-6000i.) They just don't hold up well under serious use. But if your granddaughter's use will be light and you don't care if the machine accompanies her into adulthood, the Brother may be a fine choice. (Unless I'm thinking of a different model, Consumers' Report gave it very good review several years ago.)

On the other hand, if you want do want to buy a machine she can take with her, I encourage you to buy a non-plastic/non-3rd-world-made machine, even though they're way more expensive. One way to minimize their cost is to buy an older one on at an estate sale, on Craig's List, or on eBay. I'm convinced that an old Bernina is a better long term investment than a plastic machine

Just my humble opinion, of course.