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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
I was pleasantly surprised to find Courtney's second book centers around the AIDS pandemic and how reactive people were (which reminds me of current disinfo around the COVID-19 pandemic). Courtney's new friend Aaron is a hemophiliac who got an infected blood transfusion, mirroring the real life case of Ryan White, and the descriptions of angry people protesting him being at school and in public places reminded me that the real people who did similar are today's grandparents, alive and well (and potentially still narrow minded). AIDS is addressed at an age-appropriate level for middle grade, and this would be a good introduction to the concept of why we should be kind to people with chronic illness instead of treating them like pariahs.
I kinda wish Kip had more to do here, and kind of wondered at Courtney apparently being the only friend to go visit Aaron in person when he was at home. From his surname, I'm guessing Kip is of Japanese descent, and his relatives likely experienced outward discrimination from WWII onwards (or contemporarily, given Vincent Chin's murder by racist autoworkers in 1982) so he absolutely could've been another friend empathizing with Aaron's experiences.
The product placement was cute but I thought it was funny that Courtney's dad just... gives her a Christmas present months early because her books ditched the classic school year format in favor of being from January through fall of 1986. I do agree with Sarah though- I was fascinated by Kirsten's lunch pail in the catalog! (growing up, I got the catalog to look through but like Courtney's mom, my parents thought the dolls were too expensive).
In terms of impactful education about a decade, I liked the Courtney books more than MaryEllen even if I still find it horrifying to tag 1986 as historical fiction. Courtney's books show the impacts of divorce more strongly than Julie's (again, it really was a missed opportunity to center Ivy as a main historical character but that's my forever AG soapbox).
Dreading the inevitable '90s which will be siiiiiiiiick (rise of Saturday morning cartoons? I dunno mattel, tell me what you're going to zoom in on)
I kinda wish Kip had more to do here, and kind of wondered at Courtney apparently being the only friend to go visit Aaron in person when he was at home. From his surname, I'm guessing Kip is of Japanese descent, and his relatives likely experienced outward discrimination from WWII onwards (or contemporarily, given Vincent Chin's murder by racist autoworkers in 1982) so he absolutely could've been another friend empathizing with Aaron's experiences.
The product placement was cute but I thought it was funny that Courtney's dad just... gives her a Christmas present months early because her books ditched the classic school year format in favor of being from January through fall of 1986. I do agree with Sarah though- I was fascinated by Kirsten's lunch pail in the catalog! (growing up, I got the catalog to look through but like Courtney's mom, my parents thought the dolls were too expensive).
In terms of impactful education about a decade, I liked the Courtney books more than MaryEllen even if I still find it horrifying to tag 1986 as historical fiction. Courtney's books show the impacts of divorce more strongly than Julie's (again, it really was a missed opportunity to center Ivy as a main historical character but that's my forever AG soapbox).
Dreading the inevitable '90s which will be siiiiiiiiick (rise of Saturday morning cartoons? I dunno mattel, tell me what you're going to zoom in on)
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
hopeful
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, since the premise involves HIV. Parents typically choose American Girl as a safe, wholesome option for their children, and wouldn't expect an American Girl chapter book to teach their eight-year-old girls about sexually transmitted diseases. However, despite my initial concerns, the author handles the topic at an age-appropriate level, and it's a great book overall.
The story focuses on Courtney's new friendship with a boy she meets at the arcade. As they get to know each other, and as she incorporates him into her friend group, she learns that he gets sick a lot. Over time, she ends up learning that he had contracted HIV through a blood transfusion. He deals with persecution in the local community because of people's ignorance and fear about this disease, and Courtney helps stand up for him, learning about HIV and educating other people so that they will understand that this boy isn't contagious, and so that they will see him as a person instead of a threat.
The book is very emotionally intense, but it is authentic and realistic, portraying the challenging emotions that Courtney would feel in this situation. However, this isn't too serious or dark for the intended audience. The story also includes lighthearted and fun moments as Courtney enjoys life with her family and friends, and there is a fun subplot about her discovering a Pleasant Company catalog and wanting a Molly doll, which she receives from her dad for Christmas.
Other reviewers view this as egregious product placement, and I can see why, but I absolutely loved it. Molly was my favorite American Girl when I was growing up, and I loved reading the descriptions of the doll, and of Courtney's enthusiasm for Molly's story. Also, I cracked up laughing over the way that Courtney's mom responded to the doll's price point. I never would have expected an American Girl character to exclaim over how expensive American Girl dolls are, but it was so relatable!
The photo-illustrated historical note shares great information, and continues to skirt the sexually transmitted aspect of HIV/AIDS. One paragraph says, "Because many of the earliest patients were gay men, a lot of people wrongly saw AIDS as a gay disease. But AIDS impacted all kinds of people..." This is the only reference to LGBT issues, and it still does not mention anything about sexual transmission. The historical note mostly focuses on the true story of Ryan White, the child whose experiences inspired this story, and the character of Courtney's friend.
Parents will definitely want be aware of the topic that this book covers, and some may want to wait until their children are older before letting them read this book, but this does not involve sexual content or sexual references. This is a historically relevant, moving story about friendship and family, and about the importance of having empathy and not ostracizing other people. I enjoyed it, think that it fits well within the American Girl world, and am glad that the author handled the topic with such sensitivity and care.
The story focuses on Courtney's new friendship with a boy she meets at the arcade. As they get to know each other, and as she incorporates him into her friend group, she learns that he gets sick a lot. Over time, she ends up learning that he had contracted HIV through a blood transfusion. He deals with persecution in the local community because of people's ignorance and fear about this disease, and Courtney helps stand up for him, learning about HIV and educating other people so that they will understand that this boy isn't contagious, and so that they will see him as a person instead of a threat.
The book is very emotionally intense, but it is authentic and realistic, portraying the challenging emotions that Courtney would feel in this situation. However, this isn't too serious or dark for the intended audience. The story also includes lighthearted and fun moments as Courtney enjoys life with her family and friends, and there is a fun subplot about her discovering a Pleasant Company catalog and wanting a Molly doll, which she receives from her dad for Christmas.
Other reviewers view this as egregious product placement, and I can see why, but I absolutely loved it. Molly was my favorite American Girl when I was growing up, and I loved reading the descriptions of the doll, and of Courtney's enthusiasm for Molly's story. Also, I cracked up laughing over the way that Courtney's mom responded to the doll's price point. I never would have expected an American Girl character to exclaim over how expensive American Girl dolls are, but it was so relatable!
The photo-illustrated historical note shares great information, and continues to skirt the sexually transmitted aspect of HIV/AIDS. One paragraph says, "Because many of the earliest patients were gay men, a lot of people wrongly saw AIDS as a gay disease. But AIDS impacted all kinds of people..." This is the only reference to LGBT issues, and it still does not mention anything about sexual transmission. The historical note mostly focuses on the true story of Ryan White, the child whose experiences inspired this story, and the character of Courtney's friend.
Parents will definitely want be aware of the topic that this book covers, and some may want to wait until their children are older before letting them read this book, but this does not involve sexual content or sexual references. This is a historically relevant, moving story about friendship and family, and about the importance of having empathy and not ostracizing other people. I enjoyed it, think that it fits well within the American Girl world, and am glad that the author handled the topic with such sensitivity and care.
I was really pleasantly surprised by AG willing to do such a deep dive into the cultural elements surrounding AIDS in the 80s and I applaud them for it. The plotline was based on Ryan White's experience which is discussed at the end of the book. Unfortunately this type of thing (being vague to avoid spoilers) did happen to kids, and I felt it was handled really well for the age of the characters. The level of product placement was especially high here but I could excuse it based on the rest of the book!
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Hate crime, Terminal illness, Blood, Outing, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent
This book is great!! I’m a collector, and took particular interest in this book as I’m developing a literature based homeschool curriculum on LGBT history!!! This book definitely will have a place in it.