Book-It 'o15! Book #3
Feb. 16th, 2015 11:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alivemagdoleneThe Fifty Books Challenge, year six! (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014) This was a library request.
Title: Meet Caroline by Kathleen Ernst, illustrated by Robert Papp
Details: Copyright 2012, American Girl Publishing
Synopsis (By Way of Back Cover):
"Caroline Abbott is doing what she loves most-- sailing on Lake Ontario with Papa-- when her world turns upside down. A British officer boards their sloop, announces that Britain and America are at war, and takes her father prisoner. As Papa is led away, Caroline promises him that she will stay strong and steady until he returns. She tries hard to keep her promise by helping Mama run the family's shipyard. Then the British attack her village, and it looks as if the American side is in trouble. Can Caroline stay steady enough to help win the day?"
Why I Wanted to Read It: Remember my remembrances of the American Girl franchise? And my reviews of the character Kit's six-book series? And my reviews of the character Rebecca's six-book series? And my reviews of the characters Cécile and Marie-Grace's six-book series, my review of Marie-Grace's mystery, and my review of Cécile's mystery? Okay, then.
How I Liked It: I'd read and learned enough about the additions to the American Girl franchise since I'd been a kid, why read any more? Well, I do like historical fiction (which was helped along in childhood by those books) and I'd heard that Caroline's was actually a well-written series. So why not give it a try, fully realizing that it usually takes a few books in to appreciate the character?
This book is no exception, although it did provide a sufficient amount of character development and setting to make me want to go through with reading the other books. I admit, the War of 1812 isn't one of my areas of history, but going in basically cold was interesting.
The books have always been given the difficult task of educating about history while making girls of the past seem relatable. Too much of the former and it can get dull; too much of the later and it gets dull as well as shallow. Caroline's first book strikes a surprisingly entertaining mix.
We know the book is going to drop off fairly quickly (the books I remember from my childhood appeared to be more "stand-alone" than series), but it still does so with a decent amount of finish and character development.
The illustrations, while miles above the previous historical characters' (Cécile Rey and Marie-Grace Gardner), do have a feel of community theater performances as models (which isn't exactly new to American Girl). The smaller illustrations are a decent quality with a slight cartoonishness (which isn't distracting; it's actually somewhat charming) to the figures. The "Looking Back" section attempts to condense the War of 1812 into a more understandable version, along with America's progress (and divisions) at the time.
Title: Meet Caroline by Kathleen Ernst, illustrated by Robert Papp
Details: Copyright 2012, American Girl Publishing
Synopsis (By Way of Back Cover):
"Caroline Abbott is doing what she loves most-- sailing on Lake Ontario with Papa-- when her world turns upside down. A British officer boards their sloop, announces that Britain and America are at war, and takes her father prisoner. As Papa is led away, Caroline promises him that she will stay strong and steady until he returns. She tries hard to keep her promise by helping Mama run the family's shipyard. Then the British attack her village, and it looks as if the American side is in trouble. Can Caroline stay steady enough to help win the day?"
Why I Wanted to Read It: Remember my remembrances of the American Girl franchise? And my reviews of the character Kit's six-book series? And my reviews of the character Rebecca's six-book series? And my reviews of the characters Cécile and Marie-Grace's six-book series, my review of Marie-Grace's mystery, and my review of Cécile's mystery? Okay, then.
How I Liked It: I'd read and learned enough about the additions to the American Girl franchise since I'd been a kid, why read any more? Well, I do like historical fiction (which was helped along in childhood by those books) and I'd heard that Caroline's was actually a well-written series. So why not give it a try, fully realizing that it usually takes a few books in to appreciate the character?
This book is no exception, although it did provide a sufficient amount of character development and setting to make me want to go through with reading the other books. I admit, the War of 1812 isn't one of my areas of history, but going in basically cold was interesting.
The books have always been given the difficult task of educating about history while making girls of the past seem relatable. Too much of the former and it can get dull; too much of the later and it gets dull as well as shallow. Caroline's first book strikes a surprisingly entertaining mix.
We know the book is going to drop off fairly quickly (the books I remember from my childhood appeared to be more "stand-alone" than series), but it still does so with a decent amount of finish and character development.
The illustrations, while miles above the previous historical characters' (Cécile Rey and Marie-Grace Gardner), do have a feel of community theater performances as models (which isn't exactly new to American Girl). The smaller illustrations are a decent quality with a slight cartoonishness (which isn't distracting; it's actually somewhat charming) to the figures. The "Looking Back" section attempts to condense the War of 1812 into a more understandable version, along with America's progress (and divisions) at the time.
