Various Authors
This is another set that reads differently to children than adults. They are all about pre-teen (9-11 year old) girls at different points in American history. When I grew up there was just Felicity, Kristen, Molly, Addy, and Samantha. I'll do my best to outline all the current ones here.
Addy-She and her mother escape slavery, leaving the other half of the family behind
Felicity-Lives with her grandmother in the American Colonies. She must decide where she stands in regards to the war for independence
Molly-Molly is an irrepressible girl struggling on the homefront of World War II
Kristen-A Sweedish immigrant in the midwest during the 1800's
Samantha-A young Victorian lady who struggles between societal expectations and her own vivacious nature.
Josephina- A Mexican American girl during the Spanish American War who struggles to find her own culture
Kit- The trials of the Great Depression are the perfect place for Kit to stretch her imagination and see what she can do with the world around her
Caroline is afraid of being separated from her father during the War of 1812, but determines not to let it happen
Julie-in the face of her parent's divorce, Julie struggles to follow her dreams amid the sexism of the 1970s
Ivy Ling- an American Girl of the 1970s must decide how to incorporate the traditions from her rich past with her dreams of the future
Rebecca moved from Russia to the land of opportunity in 1914, but finds that being Jewish in America leads to other problems and unexpected joys for her and her family
Kaya, a Native American from the Naz Perez tribe loves her fast horse, but quickly learns that bragging will get in the way of everything she wants to do in life and in racing
Marie-Grace lives in 1853 New Orleans. Amid the flurry of color and spectacle she dreams of being a singer, but how can she overcome her shyness and pursue a life on stage?
Audience
These are great first chapter books. As soon as the child has mastered something like Frog and Toad are Friends or Magic Tree House is a great time to introduce your daughter/student to the American Girls
What I Love:
1) The stories feel genuine to me, very natural as opposed to feeling contrived or made up
2) The struggles of these girls pull at my heartstrings. Things like trying to keep a family together and fear of an uncertain future
3) There's always a 'Looking Back' section at the end of each book to give a true picture of historical fact
4) The setting is pretty accurate to history without the Looking Back section
Cautions:
1) There are lots of pictures (appropriate for a first chapter book)
2) Each girl deals with real issues (i.e. slavery, child labor)
3) I've never known a little boy to get enthused about these. Almost all the characters are girls.
4) There is a booming franchise of expensive dolls and doll accessories to go with every character, and your girl will almost definitely want them after reading the books.
All the girl's stories follow this same format:
Meet Addy: An American Girl
Addy Learns a Lesson: A School Story
Addy's Surprise: A School Story
Happy Birthday Addy: A Springtime Story
Addy Saves the Day: A Summer Story
Changes for Addy: A Winter Story
*Note: I've done one American Girl from each time period. Now the series includes two girls from each period, one from a privileged class and one from the underclass of the day
This is another set that reads differently to children than adults. They are all about pre-teen (9-11 year old) girls at different points in American history. When I grew up there was just Felicity, Kristen, Molly, Addy, and Samantha. I'll do my best to outline all the current ones here.
Addy-She and her mother escape slavery, leaving the other half of the family behind
Felicity-Lives with her grandmother in the American Colonies. She must decide where she stands in regards to the war for independence
Molly-Molly is an irrepressible girl struggling on the homefront of World War II
Kristen-A Sweedish immigrant in the midwest during the 1800's
Samantha-A young Victorian lady who struggles between societal expectations and her own vivacious nature.
Josephina- A Mexican American girl during the Spanish American War who struggles to find her own culture
Kit- The trials of the Great Depression are the perfect place for Kit to stretch her imagination and see what she can do with the world around her
Caroline is afraid of being separated from her father during the War of 1812, but determines not to let it happen
Julie-in the face of her parent's divorce, Julie struggles to follow her dreams amid the sexism of the 1970s
Ivy Ling- an American Girl of the 1970s must decide how to incorporate the traditions from her rich past with her dreams of the future
Rebecca moved from Russia to the land of opportunity in 1914, but finds that being Jewish in America leads to other problems and unexpected joys for her and her family
Kaya, a Native American from the Naz Perez tribe loves her fast horse, but quickly learns that bragging will get in the way of everything she wants to do in life and in racing
Marie-Grace lives in 1853 New Orleans. Amid the flurry of color and spectacle she dreams of being a singer, but how can she overcome her shyness and pursue a life on stage?
Audience
These are great first chapter books. As soon as the child has mastered something like Frog and Toad are Friends or Magic Tree House is a great time to introduce your daughter/student to the American Girls
What I Love:
1) The stories feel genuine to me, very natural as opposed to feeling contrived or made up
2) The struggles of these girls pull at my heartstrings. Things like trying to keep a family together and fear of an uncertain future
3) There's always a 'Looking Back' section at the end of each book to give a true picture of historical fact
4) The setting is pretty accurate to history without the Looking Back section
Cautions:
1) There are lots of pictures (appropriate for a first chapter book)
2) Each girl deals with real issues (i.e. slavery, child labor)
3) I've never known a little boy to get enthused about these. Almost all the characters are girls.
4) There is a booming franchise of expensive dolls and doll accessories to go with every character, and your girl will almost definitely want them after reading the books.
All the girl's stories follow this same format:
Meet Addy: An American Girl
Addy Learns a Lesson: A School Story
Addy's Surprise: A School Story
Happy Birthday Addy: A Springtime Story
Addy Saves the Day: A Summer Story
Changes for Addy: A Winter Story
*Note: I've done one American Girl from each time period. Now the series includes two girls from each period, one from a privileged class and one from the underclass of the day
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