Meet Felicity: An American Girl (1991)

Felicity Merriman is a character from the American Girls Collection and her story takes place in 1774. The entire book gives the reader incite into the lives of those who lived in that time period. Join Felicity as she finds adventure in meeting the cruel Jiggy Nye and his wonderful horse. Appropriate for 5th grade and up.

Summary:
Felicity is an animal lover and when she hears there is a new horse in town that is right up her alley. Not only did she find out there was a new horse in town but she knew the guy that got the new horse would not take care of it. Felicity worried sick would wake up every morning really early before the guy was up and take the horse an apple. One day she over heard the guy say that if someone could ride this horse they could have it. Felicity continued bringing the horse an apple every day and finally the horse began to like her. Just like any other animal knows who takes care of them. So one day she road it home and unfortunately her parents would not let her keep it.

Personal Reaction:
I love the American Girl books! I loved them as a kid and still to this day think they have great morals. I think this group of books would be great to read like once a month to a class.

Classroom Extension:
1. I would have the kids make up their own plan on how they would save the horse and what they would do to do it without getting caught.

2. I would also have the kids write a letter to their parents trying to convince them that they can keep the horse and how they will take care of it. I would maybe pull a responsibility moral out of the story.

Summary: A young girl in 1774 who lives with her parents, brother and sister finds out that a man in town has received a new horse. Everyone in town knows the man will mistreat the horse and neglect the horse. Felicity gets up early every morning and takes the horse an apple and works with the horse until she trusts her enough to let Felicity ride her. Felicity heard the mean man say if anyone could ride the horse that they could have the horse. When Felicity is able to ride the horse she rides her home one morning expecting to keep the horse but her parents and the owner of the horse do not allow her to keep the horse.

Personal Reaction: Very good book, but also sad. This can teach children how we cannot always have what we want. Also teaches children that sometimes when we love something we have to set it free so that it can have a better life than the one it is living.

Classroom Extensions:
1.) Have a discussion about something the kids may have felt so strongly about or an animal they have taken care of.

2.) Use pop-sickle sticks to make a horse and use yarn for the mane. ( )

... This update is over the first six books about Felicity Merriman, a spunky young redhead in colonial America, in the dawn of the Revolutionary War. All six books were written by Valerie Tripp. Felicity lives in Virginia with her mother, father, and her little brother and sister. Her father is a shopkeeper, and his young apprentice lives with them as well - he is older than Felicity, but they become good friends. Felicity also befriends a girl her age whose family of Loyalists comes over from England. Felicity's family are Patriots, and this difference does cause some tension between the girls at one point. ...

For full review, please visit me at Here Be Bookwyrms on Blogger:

http://herebebookwyrms.blogspot.com/2011/08/felicity-american-girl.html ( )

This book hits on many of the topics adored by girls 9-13: taking initiative without parental consent, overcoming obstacles set by an unreasonable adult, and, above all, horses. Meet Felicity introduces us to nine-year-old Felicity Merriman, a shopkeeper's daughter in colonial Williamsburg. She's a tomboy at heart, and hates being forced to sew and wear confining dresses like her sister. Just to remind us that this is a real American origin story, she uses the word "independence" a lot. The gist of the plot involves mean old Jiggy Nye and his beautiful, mistreated mare, but these elements seem more like a frame constructed to allow Felicity to demonstrate her general spunkyness and depth of heart, thus making her eligible to join the official American Girl club. The story is wholesome as apple pie and educational to boot, but seeks to manipulate its readers emotions in a particularly ham-handed manner. The whole thing felt as though it was constructed in some lab like Frankenstein's monster in order to hit just the right notes for just the right girls to make them want to buy a Felicity doll for themselves. While I wouldn't recommend this book, it is appropriate for ages 8-12. ( )