AR: 4.3

Felicity receives a guitar for her birthday from her Grandfather, that belonged to her Grandmother.

I was really pleased with this book and overall the series of "American Girls" that I have acquired recently. I had wanted to read them for some time to see the quality of them for young children and found that they are something I would definitely want to share with them. This book focuses on Felecity going to learn some lessons that would have been suitable for the time period right before the Civil War. It is interesting to see how much care went into making these almost historically accurate as possible. The author, Valerie Tripp, spent great care in making sure that every single moment felt like something that could have really happened to this fictional character. I commend her for this aspect to her writing. The book is truly a gem that will teach great morals to your children and also help them to understand a vastly different way of living than what they are used to today. ( )

Summary: In Felicity Learns a Lesson, Felicity helps give us a glimpse into Colonial America and what young girls learned in school. Along with her friend, Elizabeth, we see a divide starting with those on both sides of the pre-Revolutionary War.

Personal Reaction: I think this is a beautifully written story with so many historical contributions that make you feel as though you are seeing a classroom from Colonial America. I think this is so great that so much historical context is included in this book!

Classroom extensions: I think it would be so neat to ask students what they learn from their parents as in Colonial America young girls learned so much from their mothers. I think it would be neat to see if students were learning how to cook, sew, or anything that is considered traditional, or if they are interested in learning any hobbies or skills. ( )

Summary:

Felicity, a young girl growing up in the colonial days, would rather spend all her free time being a kid, than learning how to be a lady from her mother. Unfortunately, she grows up pretty fast when she has to decide what is best for her: her friendship with her closest friend, or supporting the boycott of tea.

Personal:

I love all of the American Girl books. I think that they give the reader an insight to what their lives could have been if they were living in that time period. Even though they are fiction, they are well-written and make the reader actually want to believe this really happened to the girls.

Classroom Extension

1. I would have the class write a paragraph about what they would be feeling if they were in Felicity's shoes.

2. I would read this book when we were going over a history lesson about colonial days, and the Boston Tea Massacre and explain that children their age had to go through everyday life like we do. ( )