Released on Amazon Prime in October 2016
Plot
Melody is caught up in the Space Race, but her grandfather's concerned with things on Earth. Protesters marching for civil rights are being unjustly arrested and even attacked. Melody struggles to understand why police, who are supposed to protect everyone, are hurting peaceful protesters. Melody wonders about the Pledge of Allegiance her class recites--"with liberty and justice for all"--but is told to not "disturb the peace" and that "good things come to those who wait." Some white boys bully her at recess. Another black student says the bullying is too much and she wants to go to her neighborhood school (presumably she's bused to this one for diversity) where she won't be a pariah.
When visiting her mother at work (she sews dresses for a clothing store), Melody is accused of trying to steal a dress, while a white girl browsing just like Melody is left alone. Her mother nearly loses her job over it. Melody's mother and grandfather voice their anger in different ways: Melody's mother mourns privately because she wants Melody to not have to grow out of her childhood innocence yet and focus on how things can get better, while her grandfather says that's what people have been saying for generations.
Melody is discouraged by the discrimination. She has a bit of hope at school when a white girl, Trish, comes over to talk to her about Melody's drawings, and invites her over to play, even after two other white girls try to talk Trish out of it.
But two days later, the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama is bombed. Yes, that bombing. Four young black girls are killed. At school the next day, Melody can't keep quiet. She can't say the Pledge while the country is divided. Her teacher sends her to the principal's office, and she's suspended for a week. Her grandfather is proud of Melody for standing up for civil rights.
Melody's mother is asked by their church to play piano in a concert honoring the girls killed in Alabama. Melody is terrified that someone will bomb their church too, and doesn't want her to perform. But she overcomes fear and agrees to help, even sewing an outfit for her mother to wear while she plays. When the day of the concert arrives, Melody is stunned to see that her class has come to see the concert as a field trip (this is during Melody's suspension). It seems her outburst got to her teacher, who organized the field trip. One of the boys who bullied Melody refuses to come, but Trish takes Melody's hand and leads the rest of the class into the church, where Melody's mother plays to an integrated crowd. Melody leads the mourners in song.
Misc
Filmed in Los Angeles, CA.
Melody wants to be an astronaut now, rather than her book focus on being a singer. My parents were born about the same time as Melody, and it's understandable the Space Race would be interesting to a child in the 1960s, but why change such a big part of Melody's personality?
Melody's father is dead here, unlike the books. Her siblings don't feature in the movie, either. Her family is also lower class, rather than middle class like the books.
Melody is left-handed in the movie.
Melody's grandfather says Melody's dad enlisted in a desegregated military. The books have him as a Tuskegee airman in World War II, and Executive Order 9981 was signed in 1948. I guess he was in the Korean War in this version instead. The picture Melody has of him shows him as a pilot. With Melody now being an only child rather than having older siblings, Korea makes more sense than World War II, age-wise. My dad is slightly older than Melody and his dad was in World War II, while my mom is slightly younger than Melody and her dad was in Korea (both my parents have older and younger siblings).
The church bombing places this movie in September of 1963.
Huh, Melody looks at a display of dolls, which are all white, seeing none like her. Something, something, American Girl dolls and diversity...
Ouch, watching this movie about civil unrest and police violence in 2020...
Cast
Melody Ellison - Marsai Martin
Frances Ellison - Idara Victor
Frank Ellison - Frankie Faison
Miss Abbot - Frances Fisher
Donald - Garret McQuaid
Lorraine - Dara Iruka
Trish - Lola Wayne Villa
Principal Davis - Matthew Foster
Sales Clerk - Briana Lane
Store Manager - Chuck McCollum
Mr. Schuler - Rocky McMurray
Neighborhood Girl - Daija Bickham
Neighborhood Girl - Skyelar Wesley
Mother in Store - Libby Ewing
Daughter in Store - Joelle Better
Mary Beth - Isabel Myers
Male Bystander - Joshua Wilkinson
Church Choir members - Errol Gillett, Caitlyn Lemle, Charles Elvin Lemle, Darene Annette McDuffey, Asani Myers, Marsha Joi Myers, Edward W. Robbins, and Rosa Ophelia Williams
2/15/20
Maryellen 1955: Extraordinary Christmas
Released on Amazon Prime in November 2016 (now on YouTube)
Plot
Maryellen and her siblings are running all over a department store while her mother desperately tries to find a Christmas present for her husband. Maryellen is longing for a white Christmas, especially during a December heat wave in Florida. Maryellen is tired of the same old traditions--while some people find comfort in familiarity, she wants something different. Maybe she can visit her grandparents in Georgia. At least it snows there!
The Larkin family is also preparing to host Benji, who's just recovered from polio, and his mother while Benjy has an operation to help him be able to walk better, as his polio side effects are worse than Maryellen's (Mrs. Larkin knows his mother from when they worked in a factory during WWII). To welcome them...Maryellen paints the house's front door bright red. Maryellen and her mother have a heart-to-heart while Maryellen helps clean up, about how Maryellen wants to stand out and be special, and how Maryellen's mom built planes during WWII but now is a stay-at-home mother. Can Maryellen find a way to balance family obligations and her desire to grows herself?
Late that night, Maryellen finishes painting the door red (it was streaky and patchy). She and Benji talk while paints. He's an only child, his father having died when he was little, so Maryellen's numerous siblings are quite a change for him. They also talk about Benji's upcoming operation. He's hopeful that if it works, people will stop overlooking him. Joan comes home with Jerry, and after complimenting Maryellen's art (maybe that's her special talent!), he confides that he and Joan are "pinned" (engaged to be engaged). Maryellen is sworn to secrecy, and happily agrees.
Maryellen and Davy stop by hospital to visit Benji after school. They're dismayed to see so many children will have to spend the holidays in the hospital, especially after a doctor says the hospital is focused on healing and not Christmas decorations or presents. Davy feels uncomfortable around the patients, which distresses Maryellen. After all, she had polio, too! But she's too confrontational with Davy, putting him off. That leaves Maryellen to try to plan a talent show for the children in the hospital by herself...but her siblings are annoyed that she's going off to Georgia by herself...then she lets it slip that Joan's engaged (Joan was waiting for Christmas to make the announcement).
Since she hasn't yet upset Benji, Maryellen visits him. While talking, she sketches him laughing at the jokes he loves. Benji loves the sketch--everyone thinks of him as a cripple, not any aspect of his personality. The doctor also notes how happy Benji is with the drawing. Maryellen visits the other children in the hospital, talking with them about their post-hospital plans. She also learns that the children there don't want a big celebration. Maryellen draws the children doing what they dream of after their recoveries, and Davy uses his wood-working skills to make frames. Like her mom talked about earlier, she's learning to listen to what others want, rather than what she thinks they want. She even returns her train ticket to Georgia so she can give the money to Benji, to allow him and his mother to return for rehab.
Christmas arrives, sunny and hot, but with Maryellen happy to be with her family, feeling confident that she can be her own person, and her grandparents coming for a surprise visit--with a cooler full of snow from their home!
Misc
I can't find out where this was filmed.
Mrs. Larkin's name is spelled Carolyn in the credits and pronounced that way by Mr. Larkin, but spelled Caroline in the captioning. Benji is spelled with an I in the credits and with a Y in the captioning. And Davy is spelled "Davey" in the captioning. AND the captions have "feelings" spelled as "feelin's"!
The story Mrs. Larkin tells about Jonas Salk is true--Salk refused to patent his polio vaccine to keep the cost low.
There are several mentions of the 1950s mindset that women are to be homemakers, but are capable to more as well, including Joan worrying that getting married young means she won't be able to go to college (Maryellen suggests Joan talk to Jerry about their future).
The doctor at the hospital says he's not allowed to discuss the patients' medical information. While HIPAA wasn't enacted until 1996, it's not out of the realm of possibility that hospitals had their own policies in place.
IMDB notes several anachronisms, like cars from after 1955.
Cast
Maryellen Larkin - Alyvia Alyn Lind
Kay Larkin - Mary McCormak
Joan Larkin - Madison Lawlor
Carolyn Larkin - Jessica Belkin
Mr. Larkin - Gerald Downey
Beverly Larkin - Noelle E. Parker
Tom Larkin - Jax Daniel Morgan
Grandpop - Paul Linke
Grandmom - Mary Linda Phillips
Davy Fenstermacher - Maxwell Acee Donovan
Benji - Samuel Faraci
Jerry Ross - Alex MacNicoll
Paul - Sean Leo
Polio Kid - Jethro Posz
Doctor - Kurt Fuller
Plot
Maryellen and her siblings are running all over a department store while her mother desperately tries to find a Christmas present for her husband. Maryellen is longing for a white Christmas, especially during a December heat wave in Florida. Maryellen is tired of the same old traditions--while some people find comfort in familiarity, she wants something different. Maybe she can visit her grandparents in Georgia. At least it snows there!
The Larkin family is also preparing to host Benji, who's just recovered from polio, and his mother while Benjy has an operation to help him be able to walk better, as his polio side effects are worse than Maryellen's (Mrs. Larkin knows his mother from when they worked in a factory during WWII). To welcome them...Maryellen paints the house's front door bright red. Maryellen and her mother have a heart-to-heart while Maryellen helps clean up, about how Maryellen wants to stand out and be special, and how Maryellen's mom built planes during WWII but now is a stay-at-home mother. Can Maryellen find a way to balance family obligations and her desire to grows herself?
Late that night, Maryellen finishes painting the door red (it was streaky and patchy). She and Benji talk while paints. He's an only child, his father having died when he was little, so Maryellen's numerous siblings are quite a change for him. They also talk about Benji's upcoming operation. He's hopeful that if it works, people will stop overlooking him. Joan comes home with Jerry, and after complimenting Maryellen's art (maybe that's her special talent!), he confides that he and Joan are "pinned" (engaged to be engaged). Maryellen is sworn to secrecy, and happily agrees.
Maryellen and Davy stop by hospital to visit Benji after school. They're dismayed to see so many children will have to spend the holidays in the hospital, especially after a doctor says the hospital is focused on healing and not Christmas decorations or presents. Davy feels uncomfortable around the patients, which distresses Maryellen. After all, she had polio, too! But she's too confrontational with Davy, putting him off. That leaves Maryellen to try to plan a talent show for the children in the hospital by herself...but her siblings are annoyed that she's going off to Georgia by herself...then she lets it slip that Joan's engaged (Joan was waiting for Christmas to make the announcement).
Since she hasn't yet upset Benji, Maryellen visits him. While talking, she sketches him laughing at the jokes he loves. Benji loves the sketch--everyone thinks of him as a cripple, not any aspect of his personality. The doctor also notes how happy Benji is with the drawing. Maryellen visits the other children in the hospital, talking with them about their post-hospital plans. She also learns that the children there don't want a big celebration. Maryellen draws the children doing what they dream of after their recoveries, and Davy uses his wood-working skills to make frames. Like her mom talked about earlier, she's learning to listen to what others want, rather than what she thinks they want. She even returns her train ticket to Georgia so she can give the money to Benji, to allow him and his mother to return for rehab.
Christmas arrives, sunny and hot, but with Maryellen happy to be with her family, feeling confident that she can be her own person, and her grandparents coming for a surprise visit--with a cooler full of snow from their home!
Misc
I can't find out where this was filmed.
Mrs. Larkin's name is spelled Carolyn in the credits and pronounced that way by Mr. Larkin, but spelled Caroline in the captioning. Benji is spelled with an I in the credits and with a Y in the captioning. And Davy is spelled "Davey" in the captioning. AND the captions have "feelings" spelled as "feelin's"!
The story Mrs. Larkin tells about Jonas Salk is true--Salk refused to patent his polio vaccine to keep the cost low.
There are several mentions of the 1950s mindset that women are to be homemakers, but are capable to more as well, including Joan worrying that getting married young means she won't be able to go to college (Maryellen suggests Joan talk to Jerry about their future).
The doctor at the hospital says he's not allowed to discuss the patients' medical information. While HIPAA wasn't enacted until 1996, it's not out of the realm of possibility that hospitals had their own policies in place.
IMDB notes several anachronisms, like cars from after 1955.
Cast
Maryellen Larkin - Alyvia Alyn Lind
Kay Larkin - Mary McCormak
Joan Larkin - Madison Lawlor
Carolyn Larkin - Jessica Belkin
Mr. Larkin - Gerald Downey
Beverly Larkin - Noelle E. Parker
Tom Larkin - Jax Daniel Morgan
Grandpop - Paul Linke
Grandmom - Mary Linda Phillips
Davy Fenstermacher - Maxwell Acee Donovan
Benji - Samuel Faraci
Jerry Ross - Alex MacNicoll
Paul - Sean Leo
Polio Kid - Jethro Posz
Doctor - Kurt Fuller
10/6/19
Boy-Crazy Stacey (GN#7)
Original Publication Date: 2019
Ghostwriter? No, the text copyright is for Ann M. Martin.
Illustrator: Gale Galligan
Synopsis:
Not a ton of difference between this and the original version. Three things that stood out to me: Mary Anne wears a more modest two-piece swimsuit than Stacey but doesn't seem embarrassed that Stacey's is more mature, Stacey doesn't ask what the secret sauce is at Burger Garden, and Claire brings a sun-burnt Mary Anne peanut butter "because it's yummy" rather than butter which avoids the poor medical advice about putting butter on burns.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Stacey's diabetes explained in picture form:
Kristy's new room:
Mary Anne's sun protection get-up:
Claudia candy: She's hardly in the book, but there is a one drawing of her eating from a bag of chips.
Their Families:
The Pike kids:
The beach house:
The Club (and clients): nothing new, aside from a different artist's take on the Pikes
SMS: summer vacation!
PSA Time: I'm glad this version took out the part about butter being good for burns--it's not!
Misc:
Martin dedicates this book to "June and Ward Cleaver (alias Noel and Steve) from the Beav."
Galligan dedicates it to "Mom, Dad, Lori, and all our childhood beach adventures. And [to] Patrick, who I forgive for pretending to be a sea monster and grabbing my ankle that one time."
What Stacey packs for the trip:
Stacey in LUV:
The beach at Sea City:
Burger Garden:
Stacey and Mary Anne's double date with Alex (shorter hair) and Toby:
Logan Like Mary Anne! is slated for a graphic novel release. I doubt we'll get all the books, because already they've skipped Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls and The Ghost at Dawn's House (two of my favorites), but wouldn't it be great to get the Super Specials?
Ghostwriter? No, the text copyright is for Ann M. Martin.
Illustrator: Gale Galligan
Synopsis:
Not a ton of difference between this and the original version. Three things that stood out to me: Mary Anne wears a more modest two-piece swimsuit than Stacey but doesn't seem embarrassed that Stacey's is more mature, Stacey doesn't ask what the secret sauce is at Burger Garden, and Claire brings a sun-burnt Mary Anne peanut butter "because it's yummy" rather than butter which avoids the poor medical advice about putting butter on burns.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Stacey's diabetes explained in picture form:
Kristy's new room:
Mary Anne's sun protection get-up:
Claudia candy: She's hardly in the book, but there is a one drawing of her eating from a bag of chips.
Their Families:
The Pike kids:
The beach house:
The Club (and clients): nothing new, aside from a different artist's take on the Pikes
SMS: summer vacation!
Misc:
Martin dedicates this book to "June and Ward Cleaver (alias Noel and Steve) from the Beav."
Galligan dedicates it to "Mom, Dad, Lori, and all our childhood beach adventures. And [to] Patrick, who I forgive for pretending to be a sea monster and grabbing my ankle that one time."
What Stacey packs for the trip:
Stacey in LUV:
Burger Garden:
Stacey and Mary Anne's double date with Alex (shorter hair) and Toby:
2/18/19
Girl of the Year 2019: Blaire Cooks up a Plan
Published: 2019. Author: Jennifer Castle. Illustrator: Suzanne LaGasa
Summary
Blaire's enjoying the start of fifth grade, thinking hard about a service project (all fifth graders at her school get involved in this way). She's soon presented with a bit of a distraction: Marco Gonzalez, the host of one of her favorite shows, Room Revolutions, stopped by out of the blue to see the renovated barn, which he learned about from the magazine spread. And he ends up staying a few nights at the Wilsons' inn! He even invites Blaire and Thea (there for a sleepover) to the set of this latest project--and she gets to be on camera for part of the show (with her parents' permission)!
It isn't long before Blaire gets inspiration for her service project. It starts with donating clothes she and her brother outgrew, which is how she starts talking to Beckett's classmate Abby, about how Abby doesn't like vegetables, which gets her thinking of recipes that present vegetables in kid-friendly ways, which ends up teaching her that some families can't reliably get all the ingredients for her recipes (or food in general), which inspires her to organize her class into making healthy food kids will enjoy to donate the to food bank. But, as is common with Blaire, she doesn't quite think things through. For example, she volunteers the restaurant kitchen and ingredients from the farm without asking her parents, and doesn't know where or how to buy enough jars to keep the food in. Her parents do want Blaire to be able to see her project through, so they help her plan it out--with restrictions and limits.
Soon, Blaire has donations and a schedule sorted out. She need her classmates on board to help, though, and she's especially hoping that the new student, Eli, will cooperate. He's standoffish, but Blaire thinks that's just because he's not used to the school yet. She wants to help him feel welcomed. She's thrilled that not only is her whole class excited for her idea, but that Eli signs up to help as well. Blaire seems to have learned her lesson from the summer too; she over-commits herself one day but realizes her mistake and politely declines another commitment and is able to fully enjoy having her classmates over to harvest ingredients for the pasta sauce they're going to make a donate. Eli is there, and gets along fantastically with Beckett and Abby. The following day (Monday) Eli brings in brownies for his birthday, and quietly mentions to Blaire that they're dairy-free...and that he'll join the class that night to make the sauce. Seems he's settling in!
But when the class is busy prepping and cooking, Eli spends part of the time filming instead of helping. And he wanders by the stove where Blaire's mom is working, and as Blaire tries to get him out of the way, some of the sauce spills. Blaire is extra upset that they run out of jars before Abby can get one--if Eli hadn't been in the way, they could have had enough!
Marco reminds Blaire that even a little bit can help, and can inspire bigger things. After all, seventy-six people still got nutritious, filling, homemade food.The point really gets hammered home a few days later when Eli shows what he was filming: a video good enough to look professionally edited that ends with a call for donations to the food bank (the whole class absolutely loves it). Blaire talks things over with Eli, who reveals that his father recently died. They used to make videos together, and this is the first one Eli's made since his father got sick. It seems to have helped Eli in his grieving process. After talking and understanding each other better, Blaire and Eli are friends.
Eli's video sparks something else: Eli shares it, with the proper permissions, and donations start pouring in. The family moving into the home Marco is renovating sees it too, and wants to jump right into being part of their new community...by sponsoring a kitchen renovation at the foodbank that Marco will spearhead. Volunteers will be able to cook food there (food donations have to be from professional-level kitchens) and the food bank can offer cooking classes to help people learn efficient ways to use their food. And it all started with a chain reaction stemming from donating old clothes.
Misc
Dedicated to "my grandmother Sadye Garonzik, who showed me what it means to make a difference."
The first Blaire book was dedicated to a Sadie (and a Clea). The author has two daughters; if Sadie is one of them or another family member, I wonder if she's named for the author's grandmother.
Before Blaire donates some of her favorite-but-too-small clothes, she takes pictures of them to remember them by. That's a good solution to getting over the conflict of giving away something you enjoyed but can't use anymore.
A lot of school buses nowadays have video monitoring. Kids can report an issue to the driver (who has to pay attention to a lot of things and might not see every problem with the students) and then the video can be reviewed and appropriate disciplinary action taken.
There are a few recipes at the back of the book.
Summary
Blaire's enjoying the start of fifth grade, thinking hard about a service project (all fifth graders at her school get involved in this way). She's soon presented with a bit of a distraction: Marco Gonzalez, the host of one of her favorite shows, Room Revolutions, stopped by out of the blue to see the renovated barn, which he learned about from the magazine spread. And he ends up staying a few nights at the Wilsons' inn! He even invites Blaire and Thea (there for a sleepover) to the set of this latest project--and she gets to be on camera for part of the show (with her parents' permission)!
It isn't long before Blaire gets inspiration for her service project. It starts with donating clothes she and her brother outgrew, which is how she starts talking to Beckett's classmate Abby, about how Abby doesn't like vegetables, which gets her thinking of recipes that present vegetables in kid-friendly ways, which ends up teaching her that some families can't reliably get all the ingredients for her recipes (or food in general), which inspires her to organize her class into making healthy food kids will enjoy to donate the to food bank. But, as is common with Blaire, she doesn't quite think things through. For example, she volunteers the restaurant kitchen and ingredients from the farm without asking her parents, and doesn't know where or how to buy enough jars to keep the food in. Her parents do want Blaire to be able to see her project through, so they help her plan it out--with restrictions and limits.
Soon, Blaire has donations and a schedule sorted out. She need her classmates on board to help, though, and she's especially hoping that the new student, Eli, will cooperate. He's standoffish, but Blaire thinks that's just because he's not used to the school yet. She wants to help him feel welcomed. She's thrilled that not only is her whole class excited for her idea, but that Eli signs up to help as well. Blaire seems to have learned her lesson from the summer too; she over-commits herself one day but realizes her mistake and politely declines another commitment and is able to fully enjoy having her classmates over to harvest ingredients for the pasta sauce they're going to make a donate. Eli is there, and gets along fantastically with Beckett and Abby. The following day (Monday) Eli brings in brownies for his birthday, and quietly mentions to Blaire that they're dairy-free...and that he'll join the class that night to make the sauce. Seems he's settling in!
But when the class is busy prepping and cooking, Eli spends part of the time filming instead of helping. And he wanders by the stove where Blaire's mom is working, and as Blaire tries to get him out of the way, some of the sauce spills. Blaire is extra upset that they run out of jars before Abby can get one--if Eli hadn't been in the way, they could have had enough!
Marco reminds Blaire that even a little bit can help, and can inspire bigger things. After all, seventy-six people still got nutritious, filling, homemade food.The point really gets hammered home a few days later when Eli shows what he was filming: a video good enough to look professionally edited that ends with a call for donations to the food bank (the whole class absolutely loves it). Blaire talks things over with Eli, who reveals that his father recently died. They used to make videos together, and this is the first one Eli's made since his father got sick. It seems to have helped Eli in his grieving process. After talking and understanding each other better, Blaire and Eli are friends.
Eli's video sparks something else: Eli shares it, with the proper permissions, and donations start pouring in. The family moving into the home Marco is renovating sees it too, and wants to jump right into being part of their new community...by sponsoring a kitchen renovation at the foodbank that Marco will spearhead. Volunteers will be able to cook food there (food donations have to be from professional-level kitchens) and the food bank can offer cooking classes to help people learn efficient ways to use their food. And it all started with a chain reaction stemming from donating old clothes.
Misc
Dedicated to "my grandmother Sadye Garonzik, who showed me what it means to make a difference."
The first Blaire book was dedicated to a Sadie (and a Clea). The author has two daughters; if Sadie is one of them or another family member, I wonder if she's named for the author's grandmother.
Before Blaire donates some of her favorite-but-too-small clothes, she takes pictures of them to remember them by. That's a good solution to getting over the conflict of giving away something you enjoyed but can't use anymore.
A lot of school buses nowadays have video monitoring. Kids can report an issue to the driver (who has to pay attention to a lot of things and might not see every problem with the students) and then the video can be reviewed and appropriate disciplinary action taken.
There are a few recipes at the back of the book.
2/4/19
Girl of the Year 2019: Blaire
Published: 2019. Author: Jennifer Castle. Illustrator: Suzanne LaGasa
Summary
Life on the Wilsons' Pleasant View Farm in upstate New York is hectic: it's a farm-to-table restaurant and bed-and-breakfast inn that just recently began hosting weddings. But Blaire wouldn't have it any other way. She loves having people around and making them happy by providing excellent customer service and even better homemade food. What she doesn't like is her new dietary restrictions: Blaire was just diagnosed with lactose intolerance, and it's severe enough that lactaid-type pills don't work, and no amount of dairy, even in baked goods, is safe. She's definitely not used to the new precautions she had to abide by. Her best friend Thea is thoughtful enough to get Blaire a dairy-free cupcake at Thea's birthday party so Blaire isn't left out of the celebration, but Blaire feels too conspicuous eating a separate dessert and having to explain why to everyone. And her younger brother Beckett is taking Blaire's place as taste-tester for their mom's new recipes, which stings.
Blaire is grateful for things to keep herself busy so she doesn't get stuck moping. A few baby goats and helping the farm manager's boyfriend plan a surprise marriage proposal are just the ticket. And after the farm manager, Cat, says yes to her boyfriend, Gabe, there's a wedding to plan! Especially since they really want to get married in eight weeks (Cat's brother, Lorenzo, is going to deploy with the Marines, and she's always planned on Lorenzo walking her down the aisle since their father died). That means the barn needs to be ready by then--and Cat thinks hosting such a happy even as Cat's wedding will convince her maternal grandfather that hosting weddings is a good idea for the family business. Cat's like another grandchild to him.
Cat and Gabe are happy to have Blaire help with the planning, but she soon discovers she might in over her head when Gabe's mother (his father and Cat's both parents have passed away; Cat's brother is her only living family), communicating over email, assumes she's a professional, not to mention adult, event planner. Fortunately for Blaire the misunderstanding is cleared up before it gets to be too big of an issue. Still, caring for the goats and lambs and chickens, planning a wedding, renovating the barn, and being a junior bridesmaid...it's a lot for a pre-teen. Especially when Cat wants a rustic theme and her soon-to-be-mother-in-law is hoping for more fancy. But it's enough to come up with excuses to not go on her usual summer outings with her friends--the ones that have too many things she can't enjoy anymore, like ice cream.
Blaire does such a good job avoiding reminders of her lactose intolerance that she doesn't even know Thea gets the part of a dance duet at the fair (she knows Thea is dancing there, but not so big a part) and misses some of the performance responding to texts about Cat's search for a wedding dress. Thea finally lets out her frustration with Blaire, pointing out how Blaire is always searching her phone or tablet for wedding ideas while their friendship atrophies. For her part, Blaire is upset that Thea keeps bringing up Blaire's intolerance. She already knows what she can't eat, she doesn't need Thea talking about it all the time. But all that pales in comparison to the next fight...
Blaire and Cat are talking when Gabe comes in with the announcement that his mother contacted Empire State Wedding magazine and it wants to do a spread on their wedding. Blaire's parents agree it would be fantastic publicity for the wedding. But no one talked to Cat about it. Her desire for a more rustic wedding was already getting steamrolled, and now wedding reporters will be judging her wedding? She declares she and Gabe are on a break--and the wedding is off.
It's time for some disaster control. Blaire talks with her grandfather, who encourages her to go discuss the fight with Thea--in person, not over text. They make up, and quickly write up a fake play script that they insist Cat and Gabe help them with. As the two adults humor them and read the lines, they soften a bit and make up. The wedding's back on--with Cat and Gabe in charge of how it will go, and just one reporter from the magazine (Cat and Gabe's way of saying thank you to Blaire's parents for hosting the wedding). Gabe's mother is still eager to help, and finds a way to do so without making it her vision of a wedding. And Blaire even gets back into cooking again. She still can't eat everything on the menu, but there are things she can eat, and it's nice to not feel sick now that she avoid dairy. Plus, she can still be happy that the wedding guests will enjoy what she's made. Soon, it's the big day. There's a slight hiccup when some chickens get into the barn just before the reception, but Blaire thinks quickly, grabbing Beckett's bowtie and a bit of tulle from her bouquet, and dresses to chickens as a bride and groom. The magazine reporter loves it--fantastic publicity. The wedding goes perfectly.
Misc
Dedicated to "Sadie and Clea, who make every day delicious."
I wish the book had started a month or so earlier, with Blaire discovering her lactose intolerance. Would have been interesting to see that in "real time" with the testing and diagnosis. Although that would probably work better with a dietary restriction that doesn't have so many gastrointestinal issues...hives or something would be more reader-friendly!
Before asking someone to marry you, you really should have discussed the idea together first. Marriage sort of requires cooperation from everyone who's going to be involved in it, after all. It's best if the question itself isn't a surprise, just details like the time and place.
It's brief, but there's a good bit about online safety and privacy issues. Good message for the intended age group for this book.
From the description, it sounds like Blaire and Gabe's mom use Pinterest to organize their wedding plans.
There are screenshot-type images of text chats with Blaire and her friends. It is so weird to see emojis in an American Girl book! Obviously it makes sense with this being set in present times, but since I more often read the books set decades or centuries ago...
Some people with lactose intolerance can safely consume goat's milk. Blaire might not be able to do so, and her goat is male, but I'm surprised the idea isn't mentioned.
Summary
Life on the Wilsons' Pleasant View Farm in upstate New York is hectic: it's a farm-to-table restaurant and bed-and-breakfast inn that just recently began hosting weddings. But Blaire wouldn't have it any other way. She loves having people around and making them happy by providing excellent customer service and even better homemade food. What she doesn't like is her new dietary restrictions: Blaire was just diagnosed with lactose intolerance, and it's severe enough that lactaid-type pills don't work, and no amount of dairy, even in baked goods, is safe. She's definitely not used to the new precautions she had to abide by. Her best friend Thea is thoughtful enough to get Blaire a dairy-free cupcake at Thea's birthday party so Blaire isn't left out of the celebration, but Blaire feels too conspicuous eating a separate dessert and having to explain why to everyone. And her younger brother Beckett is taking Blaire's place as taste-tester for their mom's new recipes, which stings.
Blaire is grateful for things to keep herself busy so she doesn't get stuck moping. A few baby goats and helping the farm manager's boyfriend plan a surprise marriage proposal are just the ticket. And after the farm manager, Cat, says yes to her boyfriend, Gabe, there's a wedding to plan! Especially since they really want to get married in eight weeks (Cat's brother, Lorenzo, is going to deploy with the Marines, and she's always planned on Lorenzo walking her down the aisle since their father died). That means the barn needs to be ready by then--and Cat thinks hosting such a happy even as Cat's wedding will convince her maternal grandfather that hosting weddings is a good idea for the family business. Cat's like another grandchild to him.
Cat and Gabe are happy to have Blaire help with the planning, but she soon discovers she might in over her head when Gabe's mother (his father and Cat's both parents have passed away; Cat's brother is her only living family), communicating over email, assumes she's a professional, not to mention adult, event planner. Fortunately for Blaire the misunderstanding is cleared up before it gets to be too big of an issue. Still, caring for the goats and lambs and chickens, planning a wedding, renovating the barn, and being a junior bridesmaid...it's a lot for a pre-teen. Especially when Cat wants a rustic theme and her soon-to-be-mother-in-law is hoping for more fancy. But it's enough to come up with excuses to not go on her usual summer outings with her friends--the ones that have too many things she can't enjoy anymore, like ice cream.
Blaire does such a good job avoiding reminders of her lactose intolerance that she doesn't even know Thea gets the part of a dance duet at the fair (she knows Thea is dancing there, but not so big a part) and misses some of the performance responding to texts about Cat's search for a wedding dress. Thea finally lets out her frustration with Blaire, pointing out how Blaire is always searching her phone or tablet for wedding ideas while their friendship atrophies. For her part, Blaire is upset that Thea keeps bringing up Blaire's intolerance. She already knows what she can't eat, she doesn't need Thea talking about it all the time. But all that pales in comparison to the next fight...
Blaire and Cat are talking when Gabe comes in with the announcement that his mother contacted Empire State Wedding magazine and it wants to do a spread on their wedding. Blaire's parents agree it would be fantastic publicity for the wedding. But no one talked to Cat about it. Her desire for a more rustic wedding was already getting steamrolled, and now wedding reporters will be judging her wedding? She declares she and Gabe are on a break--and the wedding is off.
It's time for some disaster control. Blaire talks with her grandfather, who encourages her to go discuss the fight with Thea--in person, not over text. They make up, and quickly write up a fake play script that they insist Cat and Gabe help them with. As the two adults humor them and read the lines, they soften a bit and make up. The wedding's back on--with Cat and Gabe in charge of how it will go, and just one reporter from the magazine (Cat and Gabe's way of saying thank you to Blaire's parents for hosting the wedding). Gabe's mother is still eager to help, and finds a way to do so without making it her vision of a wedding. And Blaire even gets back into cooking again. She still can't eat everything on the menu, but there are things she can eat, and it's nice to not feel sick now that she avoid dairy. Plus, she can still be happy that the wedding guests will enjoy what she's made. Soon, it's the big day. There's a slight hiccup when some chickens get into the barn just before the reception, but Blaire thinks quickly, grabbing Beckett's bowtie and a bit of tulle from her bouquet, and dresses to chickens as a bride and groom. The magazine reporter loves it--fantastic publicity. The wedding goes perfectly.
Misc
Dedicated to "Sadie and Clea, who make every day delicious."
I wish the book had started a month or so earlier, with Blaire discovering her lactose intolerance. Would have been interesting to see that in "real time" with the testing and diagnosis. Although that would probably work better with a dietary restriction that doesn't have so many gastrointestinal issues...hives or something would be more reader-friendly!
Before asking someone to marry you, you really should have discussed the idea together first. Marriage sort of requires cooperation from everyone who's going to be involved in it, after all. It's best if the question itself isn't a surprise, just details like the time and place.
It's brief, but there's a good bit about online safety and privacy issues. Good message for the intended age group for this book.
From the description, it sounds like Blaire and Gabe's mom use Pinterest to organize their wedding plans.
There are screenshot-type images of text chats with Blaire and her friends. It is so weird to see emojis in an American Girl book! Obviously it makes sense with this being set in present times, but since I more often read the books set decades or centuries ago...
Some people with lactose intolerance can safely consume goat's milk. Blaire might not be able to do so, and her goat is male, but I'm surprised the idea isn't mentioned.
12/24/18
Kristy's Big Day (GN#6)
Original Publication Date: 2018
Ghostwriter? No, the text copyright is for Ann M. Martin.
Illustrator: Gale Galligan
Synopsis:
Not a ton of difference between this and the original version. There is a mention that Watson's parents are very religious and he doesn't want to upset them, so moving in together before being married isn't an option. "Morbidda Destiny" shows up a bit later, and Dawn is the one who stops Karen from yelling about magics clashing, and Karen briefly treats her neighbor like a human being.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: She searches for Ring Dings but can't find them
Their Families:
Watson's house
Nannie and her Pink Clinker
Watson's parents seem uncomfortable with talk of magic as well as living together before marriage (although Elizabeth and Watson could have stayed in separate rooms!)
The Brewer/Watson family
The Club (and clients):
Six-member club
SMS:
End-of-the-year school dance
PSA Time:
Baby walkers are not recommended by the American Pediatric Association--too big a risk of falls.
Misc:
Galligan dedicates this to "Max, William, Durinn, Nate, and Lily. And for Patrick, who is much older than these cool babies, but still manages to have a good time."
The wedding
Karen causing a scene
Kristy's wedding present to her mother and Watson
Ghostwriter? No, the text copyright is for Ann M. Martin.
Illustrator: Gale Galligan
Synopsis:
Not a ton of difference between this and the original version. There is a mention that Watson's parents are very religious and he doesn't want to upset them, so moving in together before being married isn't an option. "Morbidda Destiny" shows up a bit later, and Dawn is the one who stops Karen from yelling about magics clashing, and Karen briefly treats her neighbor like a human being.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: She searches for Ring Dings but can't find them
Their Families:
Watson's house
Nannie and her Pink Clinker
Watson's parents seem uncomfortable with talk of magic as well as living together before marriage (although Elizabeth and Watson could have stayed in separate rooms!)
The Brewer/Watson family
The Club (and clients):
Six-member club
SMS:
PSA Time:
Baby walkers are not recommended by the American Pediatric Association--too big a risk of falls.
Misc:
Galligan dedicates this to "Max, William, Durinn, Nate, and Lily. And for Patrick, who is much older than these cool babies, but still manages to have a good time."
The wedding
Karen causing a scene
Kristy's wedding present to her mother and Watson
12/17/18
Dawn and the Impossible Three (GN#5)
Original Publication Date: 2017
Ghostwriter? No, the text copyright is for Ann M. Martin.
Illustrator: Gale Galligan (praise for Galligan's work from previous illustrator Raina Telgemeier is prominently displayed on the cover)
Synopsis:
The plot is almost exactly like the original version of Dawn and the Impossible Three, but includes parts of Hello, Mallory in the form of Mallory joining as a junior member (Jessi is not in the graphic novel).
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: Gummi worms
Mary Anne's redecorated room (in chocolate brown and green instead of navy and yellow)
Their Families:
Scatter-brained Sharon
Dawn and Jeff eating their organic pizza (Dawn specifically asks Jeff if he wants "organic pizza")
The Bizzer Sign
Dawn's grandparents seeing Richard for the first time in years
The Club (and clients):
Five-member club
Mallory describes how Nicky broke his finger
Mallory's first meeting and the infamous test. She stands up for herself better here.
Mallory saving Marnie from the chocolate brownie
Mallory joins as a junior member
The Barretts' house before Dawn
The Puddle Walk (I've always loved this idea)
SMS:
SMS lunchroom (Dawn, Mary Anne, and Kristy are eating with the Shillaber twins)
PSA Time:
Yay, Dawn's wearing a helmet! I know they were less the norm when the books were published (thirty years ago!) but with an uncle who's not only into outdoor sports but also an ER doctor, I'm glad Galligan put this detail in.
Misc:
Martin dedicates this book to her aunt Dot. Galligan gives "eternal thanks to Mom, Dad, Lori, AMM, Raina Telgemeier, Cassandra Pelham, David Saylor, David Leviathan, Phil Falco, Sheila Marie Everett, Braden Lamb, John Green, Dave Roman, Rachel Young, Ngozi Ukazu, Dave Valeza, and all my beloved friends, family, and grads. [line break] And to Patrick, who gets his very own line because he is my favorite boy."
I really hope the release of this and Kristy's Big Day means we'll get at least the first ten books as graphic novels. I'd love to see The Ghost at Dawn's House in this format. Maybe some of the more memorable books or Super Specials so we can see Jessi, Logan, Shannon, and Abby!
Ghostwriter? No, the text copyright is for Ann M. Martin.
Illustrator: Gale Galligan (praise for Galligan's work from previous illustrator Raina Telgemeier is prominently displayed on the cover)
Synopsis:
The plot is almost exactly like the original version of Dawn and the Impossible Three, but includes parts of Hello, Mallory in the form of Mallory joining as a junior member (Jessi is not in the graphic novel).
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: Gummi worms
Mary Anne's redecorated room (in chocolate brown and green instead of navy and yellow)
Their Families:
Scatter-brained Sharon
Dawn and Jeff eating their organic pizza (Dawn specifically asks Jeff if he wants "organic pizza")
The Bizzer Sign
Dawn's grandparents seeing Richard for the first time in years
The Club (and clients):
Five-member club
Mallory describes how Nicky broke his finger
Mallory's first meeting and the infamous test. She stands up for herself better here.
Mallory saving Marnie from the chocolate brownie
Mallory joins as a junior member
The Puddle Walk (I've always loved this idea)
SMS lunchroom (Dawn, Mary Anne, and Kristy are eating with the Shillaber twins)
PSA Time:
Yay, Dawn's wearing a helmet! I know they were less the norm when the books were published (thirty years ago!) but with an uncle who's not only into outdoor sports but also an ER doctor, I'm glad Galligan put this detail in.
Misc:
Martin dedicates this book to her aunt Dot. Galligan gives "eternal thanks to Mom, Dad, Lori, AMM, Raina Telgemeier, Cassandra Pelham, David Saylor, David Leviathan, Phil Falco, Sheila Marie Everett, Braden Lamb, John Green, Dave Roman, Rachel Young, Ngozi Ukazu, Dave Valeza, and all my beloved friends, family, and grads. [line break] And to Patrick, who gets his very own line because he is my favorite boy."
I really hope the release of this and Kristy's Big Day means we'll get at least the first ten books as graphic novels. I'd love to see The Ghost at Dawn's House in this format. Maybe some of the more memorable books or Super Specials so we can see Jessi, Logan, Shannon, and Abby!
12/3/18
The Show Stopper
Published in 2018; author Mary Casanova; illustrators Julie Kolesova and Kirsty Pargeter
Misc
Dedicated to "Lucia and all who love the stage."
I like that the book touches on Rebecca and Ana feeling conflicted over working on the Sabbath, especially because their Sabbath is different from the majority's (Saturday vs Sunday). There's discussion of the religious observance vs practicality. Rebecca's father keeps his shoe store open on Saturdays because he can't afford to lose the business he'll do that day.
In a book about racial, ethnic, and national stereotypes, I was a little disappointed to see the main Irish character drinking on the job, and the Jewish theater owner being stingy.
The theater owner's last name is Hammerstein. A reference to Rodgers and Hammerstein?
Plot
Using her charm and self-confidence and a connection provided by her older cousin Michael, Rebecca is able to get herself and her cousin Ana a gig working at a Broadway theater--sort of. They play the parts of farm workers at a themed restaurant that holds dinner theater. But Rebecca's thrilled with this because she ends up being tasked with taking a daily glass of fresh milk to Olivia "Ollie" Barry, an up and coming actress (who Rebecca's boss thinks is a diva).
During rehearsals, Ollie starts finding herself in untenable situations. It really seems like someone is out to at least sabotage her career, if not actually hurt her. Rebecca and Ana are able to investigate pretty well, having access to a lot of behind-the-scenes areas. Who could it be? Rebecca and Ana's boss, who seems jealous of Ollie not only for her stardom but for dating her ex? The play's director, who's always short with her? For a while, Rebecca and Ana are even suspects, when Ollie is given milk tainted with rat poison.
After a few false leads and some lucky breaks, Rebecca realizes the real culprit: Mr. O'Hara, the set painter Michael was hired to help. He's known Ollie for years, and knows her secret. They're both Irish immigrants, but Ollie has worked hard to suppress her accent to avoid the prejudice so many in the 1920s have against the Irish. O'Hara wants to keep Ollie from catching too big of a break, believing that if she remembers her roots she'll fall in love with him. Never mind that she's already in a serious relationship! Still perfectly fine to endanger her because you pine for her. (sarcasm)
Using her charm and self-confidence and a connection provided by her older cousin Michael, Rebecca is able to get herself and her cousin Ana a gig working at a Broadway theater--sort of. They play the parts of farm workers at a themed restaurant that holds dinner theater. But Rebecca's thrilled with this because she ends up being tasked with taking a daily glass of fresh milk to Olivia "Ollie" Barry, an up and coming actress (who Rebecca's boss thinks is a diva).
During rehearsals, Ollie starts finding herself in untenable situations. It really seems like someone is out to at least sabotage her career, if not actually hurt her. Rebecca and Ana are able to investigate pretty well, having access to a lot of behind-the-scenes areas. Who could it be? Rebecca and Ana's boss, who seems jealous of Ollie not only for her stardom but for dating her ex? The play's director, who's always short with her? For a while, Rebecca and Ana are even suspects, when Ollie is given milk tainted with rat poison.
After a few false leads and some lucky breaks, Rebecca realizes the real culprit: Mr. O'Hara, the set painter Michael was hired to help. He's known Ollie for years, and knows her secret. They're both Irish immigrants, but Ollie has worked hard to suppress her accent to avoid the prejudice so many in the 1920s have against the Irish. O'Hara wants to keep Ollie from catching too big of a break, believing that if she remembers her roots she'll fall in love with him. Never mind that she's already in a serious relationship! Still perfectly fine to endanger her because you pine for her. (sarcasm)
Misc
Dedicated to "Lucia and all who love the stage."
I like that the book touches on Rebecca and Ana feeling conflicted over working on the Sabbath, especially because their Sabbath is different from the majority's (Saturday vs Sunday). There's discussion of the religious observance vs practicality. Rebecca's father keeps his shoe store open on Saturdays because he can't afford to lose the business he'll do that day.
In a book about racial, ethnic, and national stereotypes, I was a little disappointed to see the main Irish character drinking on the job, and the Jewish theater owner being stingy.
The theater owner's last name is Hammerstein. A reference to Rodgers and Hammerstein?
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