AR: 4.5

"I will," said Ben. "But I will not change my mind."

"No," said Felicity, "but maybe you will have a change of heart."

A change of scenery is nice, but maybe put that scenery into context when you set your story on a plantation for a series that is supposed to be educational for children? This isn't a thing I go around complaining about--it is just glaring here. It's not only a disservice to people whose ancestors were enslaved, but it's also offensive to the reader's intelligence. This book may as well be called Felicity's Fun Plantation Summer with Grandpa and a Stolen Horse

I'm sorry to say it, but in rereading these books (only Felicity so far), they seem like a failure. What else is a historical novel that fails to put the important historical aspects into context? Maybe slavery isn't part of the story, but I assume a girl like Felicity would have some opinions on it. This could have been as simple as having a 2-minute conversation with her parents or grandpa about slavery, or even having the character simply ruminating on it. Go read the Clotee diary from the Dear America series instead of this for a children's novel set on a plantation. There is a runaway advert for a white boy instead of a slave of all things in a book set on a plantation. The historical information at the end of the book does nothing to make up for how thoroughly the story ignores slavery.

Yet this series is also coming off a bit weak in even representing the American Revolution. Don't get me wrong, they are entertaining enough to continue as a fun history/nostalgia thing between heavier reads and along with the American Girls podcast, but there are better historical children's novels, at least better than the Felicity books. ( )

Felicity's friend wants to join the Revolution.

In the 5th book of the series, Felicity is once again her daring self. This time she's spending the summer at her Grandfather's estate, where she is reunited with the horse Penny and saves Ben from unpleasantness after he runs away from his apprenticeship with Mr. Merriweather to join the Patriot army, is injured and hides in the woods near Felicity's grandfather's estate.
With the Revolutionary war looming in the background, this shows how politics can cause rifts in the family. ( )

Summary: After finding her friend Ben is in need of help, Felicity will stop at nothing to help him! Pulling from her inner strength, Felicity helps Ben whilst he is working for George Washington's Army!

Personal Reaction: I think this is a great novel because it gives a different angle of what was happening during the early stages of the Revolutionary War. I think it is so important for students to understand the early stages were the most complicated as people were becoming divided from one another.

Classroom extensions: I think it would be great to have students read about George Washington's Army, including the most notable spies from his army. I think it would be a neat research project for students to learn what contributed to our Country helping dissolve ourselves from England. ( )