Shirley Parenteau

Chiyo's constant emotional upheavals are almost tragicomic. Just when you think she can't be kicked around anymore, here comes another sock in the gut. Mean girl Hoshi is so subtle in her bullying that she makes "Little House's" Nellie Oleson look like a bumbler. Girls reading this will root for Chiyo to get back up again and for Hoshi to get her comeuppance, all while being transported to Japanese culture. The story of the doll exchange between the U.S. and Japan in the 1920s is also of show more interest. An author's note further explains the history of the Friendship Dolls. show less

Love that these three books each stand alone well enough that if your library doesn't have them all, you can jump in anywhere. Love the attention of historical detail... what exactly went through some people's minds, why exactly was a hill-country girl sent to boarding school.... Love that these are engaging stories about brave & strong-willed (but well-intentioned) & intelligent girls first, and historical fiction second... and they have bits of humor and joy, too, which is all too scarce show more in children's HF. show less

A bit earnest, not surprisingly, but still engaging. I particularly liked the authentically complex characters. They almost fit 'types' but were nuanced, not 'stereotypes.' For example sometimes Grandma got exasperated with herself, and Jake wasn't afraid to admit to Lexie that he liked her haiku and understood her desire to hold the doll. The Wilkins were drawn with a heavier brush, but were still interesting.

And Lexie is short for Electra... what a great name for a ne'er-do-well flapper show more mama to give her daughter!

I look forward to reading the next two and am grateful to Rolla for buying all three. show less

In 1926, a teacher missionary organized an event for the American children to send more than 12,000 dolls to Japan in hopes of avoiding a future war. Clearly, the mission didn't work but Parenteau's novel based on this little-known event in history works from the get go. What kid wouldn't want to pick up a book that starts with "I dare you. I double-dare you" (Parenteau, p. 1). Lexie is immediately caught up in a moral dilemma that never lets up. She wants the chance to hold the doll, so she show more takes the dare -- something her strict grandparents with whom she is living would not approve of. But there's a little bit of her carefree mother in her, and her mom who is nurturing a new marriage and a singing career in California would definitely accept a dare. Getting caught trespassing (in her teacher's house no less ) just to hold the special doll that her class is sending to Japan starts a whole chain of events that makes Lexie think hard about what's right, about who to believe, and what makes her happiest. A fast-paced historical novel with lots of action, Ship of Dolls holds particular appeal for young girls. It deals with getting caught up in lies, jealousy, and competition as the girls are promised that whoever rights the best letter will accompany the doll to San Francisco. show less