So after a good amount of research I have compiled this list. Acer seems to be the #1 price per performance Chromebook maker. The import parts of a Chromebook are:

CPU:
Avoid ARM processors, ARM isn't inherently bad but it limits the options of what can be installed on the system.
Core i3/5/7 are the top tier cpus with Celerons being lower tier

RAM:
You can't really change RAM on a laptop anyway and this thing is not designed to last 10+ years so soldered on RAM which you can't upgrade seems ok.
4GB should be good

Storage:
You will either find SSD or eMMC. SSD is basically the fast hard drive installed in your PC. eMMC is the equivalent to a flash card with slightly faster read/write speeds.
If possible we want SSD. Also SSD generally is easier to upgrade on a laptop.

Battery:
Just like a phone Li-ion is better then LiPo. She will have it plugged in most of the time so not really an issue, but Li-ion is better.

Screen:
IPS screens are nice but not required for her. 12"+ should be 1080p, otherwise 11" and below 720p _should_ be ok. 1920x1080 is always better, especially for readability.

Others:
As long as she has a USB port (preferably 3.0) and HDMI she's fine.


My recommendation FOR THE MOMENT would be the Acer Chromebook 15 (CB5-571-C1DZ), but still want to do a bit of research.



Chromebooks, listed by price that I think are ok:


Acer Chromebook 15 (CB5-571-362Q)
- $399.99
+ Intel Core i3 Dual 2.0Ghz
+ Intel HD Graphics 5500
+ 4GB DDR3L SDRAM
+ 32GB SSD 
+ 15.6" / 1920x1080
+ 9hrs Battery (Lithium Ion / Li-ion)
+ x1 USB 2.0
+ x1 USB 3.0
+ x1 HDMI port with HDCP support
+ Bluetooth 4.0
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X5X30V0

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Acer Chromebook 15 (CB5-571-C1DZ)
- $234.99
+ Intel Celeron Dual-Core 3205U 1.5 GHz
+ Intel HD Graphics
+ 4GB DDR3L SDRAM
+ 16GB SSD
+ 15.6" / IPS / 1920x1080
+ 9hrs Battery (Lithium Ion / Li-ion)
+ 802.11 A/C
+ x2 USB 2.0
+ x1 USB 3.0
+ Bluetooth 4.0
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TU7U4PU

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Acer Chromebook 14 (CB3-431-C5FM)
- $229.99
+ Intel Celeron Quad-Core N3160 1.6GHz (Up to 2.24GHz)
+ Intel HD Graphics
+ 4GB LPDDR3 SDRAM (Onboard a.k.a Soldered)
+ 32GB eMMC
+ 14" / IPS / 1920x1080
+ 12hr Battery (Lithium Polymer / LiPo)
+ 802.11 A/C
+ x2 USB 3.0
+ + Bluetooth 4.2
+ Aluminum case
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CVOLVPA

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Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Chromebook
- $229.20
+ Intel Celeron 3855U Dual-core 1.6Ghz
+ Integrated Intel HD Graphics 510
+ 4GB DDR3 SDRAM (Soldered)
+ 16GB eMMC
+ 13.3" / 1366x768
+ 10hrs Battery (Lithium Polymer / LiPo)
+ 802.11B, 802.11G, 802.11n
+ x2 USB C port
+ + Bluetooth 4.0
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HBJ60ME

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Acer Chromebook 15 (CB3-531-C4A5)
- $219.00
+ Intel Celeron N2830 Dual-Core processor 2.16GHz (up to 2.41GHz via Turbo boost)
+ Intel HD Graphics
+ 2GB DDR3 SDRAM 
+ 16GB SSD
+ 15.6" / LED-backlit (Basiclly IPS) / 1360x768
+ 8hrs Battery (Lithium Ion / Li-Ion)
+ 802.11A, 802.11bgn
+ x1 USB 2.0 port
+ x1 USB 3.0 port
+ x1 HDMI port
+ 3-in-1 memory card reader (SD, DXC, MultiMediaCard (MMC))
+ HD webcam
+ x1 headphone/speaker jack
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M9IGNL9
https://www.walmart.com/ip/45622188 ($178 Black Friday special?)

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Acer Chromebook 11 (CB3-131-C3SZ)
- $149.99
+ Intel Celeron N2840 2.16 GHz
+ Intel HD Graphics
+ 2GB DDR3L SDRAM
+ 16GB Internal Storage
+ 11.6" / IPS / 1366x768
+ 9hrs Battery (Lithium Polymer / LiPo)
+ 802.11 A/C
+ x1 USB 3.0 port
+ x1 USB 2.0 port 
+ x1 HDMI port with HDCP support
+ Bluetooth 4.0
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019G7VPTC