Changes for Caroline

American Girl: Caroline #6

by Kathleen Ernst, Robert Papp (Illustrator), Lisa Papp (Illustrator)

Caroline receives a letter asking her to come and help on Uncle Aaron’s new farm. Although she hates to leave her family, Caroline is pleased to see her cousin Lydia—and to meet Lydia’s pretty cow and sweet baby calf. Determined to help out in any way she can, Caroline keeps watch when a thief starts sneaking around the farm. Then she makes an unexpected discovery—and learns that some things are not as simple as they seem. When Caroline returns home at last for an Independence Day celebration, she is treated to a wonderful surprise.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Historical, Fiction, Middle Grade, Chapter Books, New York

84 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2012

About the author

I grew up in Maryland, in a house full of books! Both of my parents were avid readers, thank goodness. Before we traveled to a new area, my librarian-mom used to bring home historical novels set in that place. It was a great way to get excited about history.

I began writing stories when I was maybe 10 or 11. At 15 I wrote my first novel; I sold my first novel to a publisher 20 years later! Writing was my hobby, so during those two decades I just kept practicing, reading, writing some more. What a thrill to finally hold my first book in my hand! Still, I write because I enjoy the process (at least most of the time).

For years I wrote while working at other day jobs. I spent 12 years working at a huge historic site, which was a perfect spot for someone interested in historical fiction. I also developed and scripted instructional videos for public television. Finally, though, it got to be too much to juggle. I now write full-time, and consider myself enormously fortunate to do something I love.

Reviews

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this disappointing conclusion to the series, Caroline goes to help on her cousin's farm, learning about how difficult it is to manage a farm, stay economically afloat, and find a thief who keeps stealing much-needed produce. By itself, this is a perfectly fine story, but because it diverges from the pattern of the previous books, it makes for a strange and unsatisfying ending. All of the other books share Sackets Harbor, New York, as their central setting, but this book has a totally different atmosphere and feel.

Nothing in the previous books foreshadows this, and it's an abrupt and total shift. It teaches kids about farm life, but there are plenty of other books to do that, and even though it provides educational details about wartime struggles and the economic impact on different families, this book does not fit with the rest of the series in a natural way. It just seems tacked on, and I wish that the author had concluded the series in Sackets Harbor and tied up loose ends for the characters who don't appear in this book.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet series <3

[Eva B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caroline full series review:
When American Girl announced they were retiring Caroline I wrote a tearful letter to them begging them to reconsider. Nuff said.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when Caroline thinks life may be getting back to normal at the end of the war, she is asked to labor on her cousin's family farm and help catch a thief. Since it's temporary, it's not really a classic Changes installment, but it shows how much Caroline has changed over the series, which is nice. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with this needle-wielding, wartime-sabotaging, plucky American Girl. She is definitely underrated. The blonde curls and light pink color scheme don't quite communicate the grittiness of her stories. I hope to add her books to my AG library someday.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, reading for the first time as an adult, in advance of the American Girls podcast.

It's not as stark as Changes for Samantha, but this one does feel very different from the other Caroline books. Most of it takes place on Uncle Aaron's new farm, so no battles, no enemy soldiers, and most of all, no sailing. But it's nice to see more of Caroline and Lydia together.

Oddly, this manages to be both lower stakes than most of Caroline's books (Surprise being the main exception), but also super eerie when she's left alone at the farm. It turns out ok, because of course it does, but you get a real sense of danger there for a while.

The thief plotline has a strong echo of the Kirsten short stories Kirsten's Promise and Kirsten and the Thief - a kid in a desperate situation, people who have resorted to stealing because there is no social safety net. Now that we're a little bit inland, it's easier to see how much upstate New York was "the frontier" in 1812 in the same way that Minnesota is in 1854. (Quotes because of course neither area is unpopulated, these are both narratives about Europeans moving into Indigenous spaces and deciding they own the place. I love Kirsten and I'm really liking Caroline, too, but history is messy at best.)

The Parkhurst family - like the Hawthornes in Secret Message, like the convenient Native Americans in Takes a Chance, like the last-minute news that the shipyard is safe in Battle - ever so conveniently turn up just in time for Caroline to go home for the Fourth of July celebrations. Caroline benefits from the privilege of being the main character.

And that's it! That's the main Caroline series. She's sweet, she has a vibrant setting, you see some fairly significant character growth. She starts to figure out when being impulsive helps you react quickly and when she needs to be steady and stay the course. As a nice bookend on her dream of captaining her own ship in Meet, her father presents her with a rebuilt skiff, now christened "Miss Caroline." And who knows where she might go from there.


More Caroline babble

Meet Caroline | Caroline’s Secret Message | A Surprise for Caroline | Caroline Takes a Chance | Caroline’s Battle | Changes for Caroline

Traitor in the Shipyard | The Traveler’s Tricks | The Smuggler’s Secrets

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed this series as a whole, but this final book in the series felt out of place and lackluster to me. As someone who knows very little about the war of 1812, learning more about it through this series was a pleasure. I also found Caroline incredibly likeable. She grows throughout the series, but she still maintains some of the charm of a child. In past stories, I feel like the girls either grow up too fast or barely change at all.

However, this book didn't have the same feel as the first five. We're removed from Sackett's Harbor, so we lose the background atmosphere of the lake and all the hustle and bustle of the shipyard, which I had grown accustomed to. We also get no update about Oliver or Seth, who just kind of peaced out and went to battle. Many of the characters a reader would want to see in the final story we don't. In general, I feel like this was an unsatisfying ending to a generally good AG series.

[Erin Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love that Ernst expanded Caroline's world in this volume, having her travel away from home to support her Uncle and cousin on their new farm. She makes some adorable city girl mistakes, but in the end showcases her bravery, decision making genius, and compassion.

My only complaint about this book was the last page or so of the historical notes. The blatant and uncritical support of manifest destiny was a bit much and just really seemed unnecessary.

I can't wait to read Caroline's mysteries and short stories! And yes, i might break down and buy the doll.... She's just that awesome.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not quite as exciting as the two previous books in the series, but it is a strong finish. I'm glad I decided to read/re-read all the American Girl books because if I hadn't I wouldn't have known how good the Caroline books are!

[RaspberryRoses · Rating 2 out of 5]

and now after 5 books which - as much as i didn't enjoy the action focus on them - felt coherent and cohesive as a story... we end on Kirsten Lite Farm Life!

as many others have pointed out, it is such a BAFFLING choice. there was enjoyment to be found in the slice of life moments, but not as much as i'd like. and it's just such an unsatisfying and out of nowhere ending to the series.

also the peak into the past.... this is a post-Kaya world. why are you glossing over Native Americans like that. not to say it was good / okay in earlier books but....? huh?

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Random-ass book to end the series on. Felt more like a supplemental spin-off book than the ending of a series. I did like those cows though.

Also this book was published in 2012 which is WAY too recent for the Peek Into the Past section to include an ominous-ass line like “Native American ways of life in these regions were also changed forever.” By 19th century settler colonialism? YEAH, I’d say that’s a bit of an understatement.

[Katy Kissel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This work of historical fiction is intended for readers ages 8 and above. In this story, Caroline goes to live with her Uncle and help out at his farm. Life there is very different for her and, on top of the daily struggles of farm life, there is a thief for her to catch. I found the story to be interesting enough, and I learned a new thing while I was reading it (cow's milk can taste like onions if the cow eats onions). The illustrations are bright and colorful without being overwhelming, and most of them are tiny additions to the text rather than whole pages of artwork. There is no vocabulary in this book that an eight year old wouldn't be able to understand, save maybe some of the types of ships mentioned and some of the farm vocabulary. The plot, while a bit simple, is decent enough and Caroline is a good main character. She is both driven and kind, and does her best at whatever she sets out to do. I think this makes her a good role model for young children to emulate. One thing in particular that I like about this book is the historical information included after the story. It provides the reader with true facts about the time period in which the book takes place, allowing the reader to learn more of the history of the United States. It also relates the history back to the story, giving young readers something to relate the history to as well. All in all, I would recommend this book to young readers.

[Bulk Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an alright book, but as an ending to Caroline's action-packed series, it's kind of lame. I don't necessarily need every book to be fast-paced and high stakes, but I didn't like how Caroline's final book involves her visiting a farm we've never seen before. I'm not that huge on farm stories to begin with, and the subplot with the thief was pretty similar to things we've seen in the past with AG.

It annoys me that after Caroline's father returns, we barely get to see any of him. Caroline goes on and on about how much she admires her father and aspires to be like him and wants him to see her as grown up. He returns in book 4, but is extremely sick, and in book 5, he's mostly gone fighting a battle while Caroline and her mother hold down the fort. We only get a few brief scenes with Mr. Abbott in this book; it would be nice to get more information on why Caroline idolizes him so much. Also, what happened to Rhonda and Amelia? Mrs. Shaw? All the other minor characters? There are so many directions this book could have taken instead.

However, the picture of Caroline running with a pitchfork with her eyes squinted may be my new favorite illustration ever.

Aside from Brave Emily and the short stories, I'm pretty much done with the main series! If I can finish those in a timely fashion, I might try to get to BeForever, but I might have to wait until spooky season is over. Too much else to read during that time!

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caroline's uncle Aaron sends for her. His wife is tending to her ill mother, and her cousin, Lydia is taking care of their new farm while her father is trying to plant.

Caroline leaves within an hour and arrives at a pretty ragged-looking farm. She's told that she'll be in charge of weaning the calf, Garnet, tending to the garden with Lydia and helping with meals.

There's a thief in the area, stealing milk, a chicken and items from people's gardens. The girls find a red thread and a loose board in the garden fence.

Lydia and Uncle Aaron go to a neighbor's house to harvest hay and feed some helpers and leave Caroline to tend to the cabin/farm. She spots the thief and chases him down. She finds out that his father was killed in Sackets Harbor, and his mother has been out of work. The family is starving.
She feeds them and when Uncle Aaron and Lydia come home, she explains the situation. He allows them to stay with him and Lydia until everyone is feeling better.

Caroline gets to go home to Sackets Harbor for Independence day, and her father surprises her with a salvaged "Sparrow" skiff, which he's now named "Miss Caroline." He's also named Caroline the captain.

[Elisheva · Rating 3 out of 5]

A generic ending to a generic series. I can see why Caroline did not last long in the historical doll line-up.

The Peak into the Past is somewhat tone deaf: “Native American ways of life in these regions were also changed forever.” - This is the understatement of the century. The Caroline series largely ignores the existence of indigenous people unless they are siding with the British (and therefore bad) or in reference to helping her father (healers but also not great because his leg healed wrong). The series and the Peak into the Past make it seem like the land was empty and waiting for Americans to move in and completely ignores the fact that indigenous peoples lived there. Which is weird because there is an American Girl History Mystery centered along the Great Lakes were a biracial indigenous girl has to navigate the tense relationship between French fur traders and her indigenous community. So it isn’t like American Girl wasn’t aware of indigenous people in the area or the time period and the complexities in the community relationships.


I miss the naming convention of the original series (Meet, Learns a Lesson, Happy Birthday, Surprises for, Saves the Day, Changes for).

[Karilyn Ro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really cute and thrilling story, like all the Caroline stories. I read all six main Caroline books in anticipation of the American Girls Podcast episodes, and Caroline was a bad bitch who underwent some bonkers experiences for a 10-year-old. As a Samantha who aged out of the series before these were published, I was both ashamed and delighted.

However, the context of this rah-rah patriot story coming out 10 years after 9/11 is pretty fucking dark of AG. Like if you were given this book as a child and are now a Fox News stan I would not be surprised (even though Caroline herself seems p cool). And the peek into the past in this book that simply says “Native American ways of life in these regions were also changed forever” re: western expansion after the War of 1812 is a pretty abhorrent understatement, but emblematic of the ethos of the whole brand tbh.

Full stars for a story series where a child chases someone with a pitchfork and is tasked with burning down a shipyard as soldiers run past in retreat, minus stars for AG being problematic.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pretty solid ending to the series! Series-wise, I enjoyed learning about the War of 1812, especially in a centralized/personal way, because I didn’t know much at all about it before. It had some cozy descriptions which I’m a sucker for, nice family relationships and I liked how Caroline seemed her age in her impatience and feelings as well as her want to learn and take responsibility. I also liked how they let her enjoy a traditionally feminine hobby like embroidery and not look down upon stuff like that in a “not like other girls” way. It was rather repetitive, mostly because of recaps of previous books that were needless imo, because I think usually these books would be read fairly close together. In this way it could get draggy at times, but overall I liked it. Series rating would be 4/5 stars probably

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved how these books ended!

[hhertzof · Rating 4 out of 5]

The people at American Girl haven't lost their touch.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

For being a ten year-old in a place that wasn’t her home, Caroline was given a lot of responsibility.

[Xyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting twist on Caroline's story. Not quite as exciting as the previous two installments; not nearly as whiny as the first three. Gives young readers an idea of just how hard life was on farms just getting started; and how much responsibility was required of young people prior to the twentieth century.

Caroline is 10-years old. Her uncle sends for her to help his daughter, Lydia, run their new farm while her aunt is away tending to a sick relative. He doesn't send for his sister, but her daughter! The two girls must take care of all the chores around the house and in the garden while Caroline's uncle continues to clear stumps and rocks from the crop field.

The house is spare. The pantry is pretty much bare. And to top things off, there is a thief stealing from the farms in the area. Caroline is homesick, but learns a lot.

A good story. Showed the challenges a pioneer starting up a farm from absolutely nothing would face.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read "A Scarlet Stockings Spy". It was the book I had chosen for January for a mini bookclub with my sister and niece--mainly because I liked the illustrator, Robert Papp, so much. I thought it was going to be a chapter book, but it was a picture book that I was able to read in about 15 minutes. Therefore, I suggested that we each reach another book as well that Robert Papp illustrated. I discovered that he had illustrated the "American Girl" series so thought I might read one from that series. This is the book (as well as some others) that I chose. What a pleasant surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed the story as well as the fact information at the end. And of course, the illustrations were wonderful!

[Joey Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting this to be a mystery book, but it certainly had that element within it, which was exciting. Caroline goes to help her cousin Lydia with the new farm and a thief no one can spot has been stealing food from everyone.

I really liked seeing how her life changed so quickly she’d never worked on a farm but she adapted to it so quickly, she was so willing to help and learn how to care for Minerva and Garnet. It was really impressive seeing Caroline step up like that.

I also really enjoyed that as she solved the mystery she got to the bottom of it and helped those in need, though she was scared and has to be very brave she figured out what was happening and fixed everything helping all the farmers and the thieves.

[TheBookishHobbit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took an interesting direction, after all the action in the last few books Caroline ends up on Lydia's farm. I thought this came out of nowhere, but I actually liked the ending. It was calm and showcased how much Caroline had grown in the course of the series. And with that I end my first (and probably not my last) reading of this series. Here is my ranking of the AG books I have read (if I remember correctly this is subject to change once I get past Addy whom I have read before).

1. Addy (1864)
2. Kaya (1763)
3. Kirsten (1854)
4. Josefina (1824)
5. Caroline (1812)
6. Felicity (1774)
7. Marie-Grace & Cecile (1853)
8. Elizabeth (1775)

[Ruth Mortensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caroline is working at her home when her cousins need help at their new farm. Caroline goes to her cousin’s farm. Caroline’s cousin Lydia has a cow and a calf. There has been a food thief at their farm. Caroline sees someone in a red jacket. Then that person runs away. Caroline goes to the stream and goes fishing. When Caroline sees the thief again she must stop him from taking the food. What will she do?

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unsatisfying ending to the series; there are quite a number of characters introduced in previous books whose fates are left uncertain because they do not make any appearances or even mentions here.
The series as a whole, in fact, while shining brightly in individual books here and there, did not at all feel cohesive. Only one thread, from the very first book, about Caroline's desire to be captain of her own shift someday, is brought pleasingly to a close.

[Danielle T · Rating 3 out of 5]

And that's a wrap on mainline Caroline books, though I've got some of the historical mysteries from the library waiting in my pile!

The war is over, so now it's a matter of surviving in the aftermath for many families. Caroline's cousin and uncle are trying to establish a farm, but there's a thief in the area! I know decades separate this from the Little House books but this does feel like the transition over towards that westward expansion era.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the AG series I hadn't read before and I really enjoyed it. The reader really gets a sense that Caroline has grown and matured over the course of a year. In book 6 she makes mature choices without a fuss: traveling to Uncle Aaron's farm, helping Lydia without complaint and feeding a family who has little. I think Caroline's story offers good lessons for young girls.

[Nichole Ostrander · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best out of the series. It brings everything into a conclusion and really shows how hard life was in the early 1800’s. It is truly sad that these books are not published in these short sweet books anymore. They are easy and fun reads with a touch of history in the back. If you can find them I suggest you get them.

[Jacqueline M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one makes no sense. It's not really connected to the rest of the series. I get that maybe the author was trying to show us rural life in 1813 New York, but that's a different character. That's Lydia's story, not Caroline's. I think this series suffers by not following the formula of the OG American Girl series. But the story especially the first and third books is stellar.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

This book was a little bit of a letdown after the previous one. Things really slow down, and instead of letting Caroline spend some time with her father (who was just recently reunited with her), her parents send her to work on her uncle’s new farm. What a bummer LOL!
I think the important takeaway from this though, is that even though things seem to be going back to normal for her, she sees firsthand the negative impact the war has had on many families and communities. We can see that she has grown so much since the first book (which you don’t always see with the AG characters) so I do appreciate that about her.