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American Girl: Julie #6
Changes for Julie
Julie is in school detention for passing a note to Joy, a deaf student who has trouble understanding what their teacher is saying. Indignant, Julie decides to run for student-body president so she can make changes to the detention system. But the other students are put off by Joy, her choice for vice president, and Julie worries that she ll have little chance of winning if she partners with someone who seems so different. With persistence and creative campaigning, Julie wins over the students--and wins the election without compromising her principles. The "Looking Back" section discusses the 1976 presidential election. Author: Megan McDonald. Paperback or Hardcover. 104 pages.
This book is the final one in a series of six historical books filled with inspiring lessons of compassion, courage, and friendship. Julie s entire book set includes: Meet Julie; Julie Tells Her Story; Happy New Year, Julie; Julie and the Eagles; Julie s Journey; and Changes for Julie.
93 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2007
7 people are currently reading
574 people want to read
About the author
Megan McDonald
292 books744 followers"Sometimes I think I am Judy Moody," says Megan McDonald, author of the Judy Moody series, the Stink series, and THE SISTERS CLUB. "I'm certainly moody, like she is. Judy has a strong voice and always speaks up for herself. I like that."
For Megan McDonald, being able to speak up for herself wasn't always easy. She grew up as the youngest of five sisters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, an ironworker, was known to his coworkers as "Little Johnny the Storyteller." Every evening at dinner the McDonalds would gather to talk and tell stories, but Megan McDonald was barely able to get a word in edgewise. "I'm told I began to stutter," she says, leading her mother to give her a notebook so she could start "writing things down."
Critically acclaimed, the Judy Moody books have won numerous awards, ranging from a PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Book of the Year to an International Reading Association Children's Choice. "Judy has taken on a life of her own," the author notes, with nearly 3 million Judy Moody books in print. Interestingly, the feisty third-grader is highly popular with boys and girls, making for a strong base of fans who are among Megan McDonald's strongest incentives to keep writing, along with "too many ideas and a little chocolate." And now -- by popular demand -- Judy Moody's little brother, Stink, gets his chance to star in his own adventures! Beginning with STINK: THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING KID, three more stories, and his own encyclopedia, STINK-O-PEDIA, Stink's special style comes through loud and strong -- enhanced by a series of comic strips, drawn by Stink himself, which are sprinkled throughout the first book. About the need for a book all about Stink, Megan McDonald says, "Once, while I was visiting a class full of Judy Moody readers, the kids, many with spiked hair à la Judy's little brother, chanted, 'Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink!' as I entered the room. In that moment, I knew that Stink had to have a book all his own."
More recently, Megan McDonald has recalled some of her own childhood with the warmth, humor -- and squabbles -- of three spunky sisters in THE SISTERS CLUB.
Megan McDonald and her husband live in Sebastopol, California, with two dogs, two adopted horses, and fifteen wild turkeys that like to hang out on their back porch.
For Megan McDonald, being able to speak up for herself wasn't always easy. She grew up as the youngest of five sisters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, an ironworker, was known to his coworkers as "Little Johnny the Storyteller." Every evening at dinner the McDonalds would gather to talk and tell stories, but Megan McDonald was barely able to get a word in edgewise. "I'm told I began to stutter," she says, leading her mother to give her a notebook so she could start "writing things down."
Critically acclaimed, the Judy Moody books have won numerous awards, ranging from a PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Book of the Year to an International Reading Association Children's Choice. "Judy has taken on a life of her own," the author notes, with nearly 3 million Judy Moody books in print. Interestingly, the feisty third-grader is highly popular with boys and girls, making for a strong base of fans who are among Megan McDonald's strongest incentives to keep writing, along with "too many ideas and a little chocolate." And now -- by popular demand -- Judy Moody's little brother, Stink, gets his chance to star in his own adventures! Beginning with STINK: THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING KID, three more stories, and his own encyclopedia, STINK-O-PEDIA, Stink's special style comes through loud and strong -- enhanced by a series of comic strips, drawn by Stink himself, which are sprinkled throughout the first book. About the need for a book all about Stink, Megan McDonald says, "Once, while I was visiting a class full of Judy Moody readers, the kids, many with spiked hair à la Judy's little brother, chanted, 'Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink!' as I entered the room. In that moment, I knew that Stink had to have a book all his own."
More recently, Megan McDonald has recalled some of her own childhood with the warmth, humor -- and squabbles -- of three spunky sisters in THE SISTERS CLUB.
Megan McDonald and her husband live in Sebastopol, California, with two dogs, two adopted horses, and fifteen wild turkeys that like to hang out on their back porch.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
January 28, 2024
this was my favorite julie by FAR! such a good note to end her story on. she’s such a good friend and ally and activist. i love her and her passion to reform detention and advocate for joy’s needs while also letting her speak for herself!!
February 11, 2024
The great AG marathon continues. Reading this for the first time as an adult, inspired by the American Girls podcast.
The book is called “Changes for Julie,” and of course there are some, but as Julie reflects on the events of the series, it occurs to me that her biggest changes happened back in book 1 – the first half of her series was about learning to deal with them. But in 2007, AG was still titling the first book “Meet” and the last book “Changes for,” so here we are.
Unusually for AG, this is a second book that takes place largely at school and is mainly concerned with school issues: new teacher, new friend, detention and a school election. (What we don’t get is basketball, which is referenced but not seen here.) In short, Julie gets fired up, finds out she could run for student body president, and successfully finds a way to start making some changes of her own.
There we go: Book 1 – Changes Imposed on Julie. Book 6 – Changes Initiated by Julie.
Everything in this book can be traced back to Julie’s new friend, Joy, who is deaf. They’re passing notes because Joy had a question and is too shy to speak up. That leads to detention, which leads to running for office with a “make detention suck less” platform. And when Joy’s feelings are hurt by the popular kids Julie thinks of as the Water Fountain Girls (a name I love), it’s Julie who takes steps to encourage them to apologize and generally be nicer. Joy is the cause, but Julie takes action.
That leaves Joy doing two things in this story:
- She demonstrates that kids with disabilities are now being integrated into mainstream classrooms – though not always with the support they need. (The latter is a point not called out specifically in the book, but it’s there for you to see for yourself.)
- She serves as the damsel in distress – someone who needs Julie’s help.
And while everything is emotionally consistent through the story, serving as an object lesson who needs help is not exactly the portrayal of a disabled kid I would hope for. (Kaya’s sister Speaking Rain is sometimes stuck in the same position, which would be an interesting comparison for someone better versed than I in disability issues.) Maybe Joy gets a more active role in some of Julie’s mysteries?
All that said, it is nice to see Julie with another school friend, and it’s nice to see her blending old and new friendships when Joy and Ivy both help with her campaign posters. And it’s nice to see her friendship with TJ continuing outside of basketball.
In the background, there’s also some discussion of the ’76 presidential election, which might be another AG first – I can’t think of another example of election chatter. Color me 0% surprised that Julie’s mom is planning to vote for Carter, while her dad is leaning toward Ford. But I really like the example the book sets: both parents talk very civilly with Julie about their opinions, and when Dad suggests watching the debate, he does it with the mindset of listening to both candidates. (I’m not going to “good old days” this, but let’s just insert a deep, bone-weary sigh on the subject of political debates.)
So that’s Julie’s core series completed! It still doesn’t make me want to run out and buy the doll, but I do like Julie the character, and I’ll definitely continue through her mysteries. As a series, the first three books feel like a pretty tight arc, perhaps to the detriment of book 2, which felt like a re-tread of book 1 until Julie finally made a breakthrough at the end. Books 4 and 5 are each very much their own thing, with 6 circling back to school, feeling in some ways like a mirror of book 1.
More Julie babble:
Meet Julie | Julie Tells Her Story | Happy New Year, Julie | Julie and the Eagles | Julie's Journey | Changes for Julie
Good Luck, Ivy
The Tangled Web | The Puzzle of the Paper Daughter | The Silver Guitar | Lost in the City | Message in a Bottle
A Brighter Tomorrow
The book is called “Changes for Julie,” and of course there are some, but as Julie reflects on the events of the series, it occurs to me that her biggest changes happened back in book 1 – the first half of her series was about learning to deal with them. But in 2007, AG was still titling the first book “Meet” and the last book “Changes for,” so here we are.
Unusually for AG, this is a second book that takes place largely at school and is mainly concerned with school issues: new teacher, new friend, detention and a school election. (What we don’t get is basketball, which is referenced but not seen here.) In short, Julie gets fired up, finds out she could run for student body president, and successfully finds a way to start making some changes of her own.
There we go: Book 1 – Changes Imposed on Julie. Book 6 – Changes Initiated by Julie.
Everything in this book can be traced back to Julie’s new friend, Joy, who is deaf. They’re passing notes because Joy had a question and is too shy to speak up. That leads to detention, which leads to running for office with a “make detention suck less” platform. And when Joy’s feelings are hurt by the popular kids Julie thinks of as the Water Fountain Girls (a name I love), it’s Julie who takes steps to encourage them to apologize and generally be nicer. Joy is the cause, but Julie takes action.
That leaves Joy doing two things in this story:
- She demonstrates that kids with disabilities are now being integrated into mainstream classrooms – though not always with the support they need. (The latter is a point not called out specifically in the book, but it’s there for you to see for yourself.)
- She serves as the damsel in distress – someone who needs Julie’s help.
And while everything is emotionally consistent through the story, serving as an object lesson who needs help is not exactly the portrayal of a disabled kid I would hope for. (Kaya’s sister Speaking Rain is sometimes stuck in the same position, which would be an interesting comparison for someone better versed than I in disability issues.) Maybe Joy gets a more active role in some of Julie’s mysteries?
All that said, it is nice to see Julie with another school friend, and it’s nice to see her blending old and new friendships when Joy and Ivy both help with her campaign posters. And it’s nice to see her friendship with TJ continuing outside of basketball.
In the background, there’s also some discussion of the ’76 presidential election, which might be another AG first – I can’t think of another example of election chatter. Color me 0% surprised that Julie’s mom is planning to vote for Carter, while her dad is leaning toward Ford. But I really like the example the book sets: both parents talk very civilly with Julie about their opinions, and when Dad suggests watching the debate, he does it with the mindset of listening to both candidates. (I’m not going to “good old days” this, but let’s just insert a deep, bone-weary sigh on the subject of political debates.)
So that’s Julie’s core series completed! It still doesn’t make me want to run out and buy the doll, but I do like Julie the character, and I’ll definitely continue through her mysteries. As a series, the first three books feel like a pretty tight arc, perhaps to the detriment of book 2, which felt like a re-tread of book 1 until Julie finally made a breakthrough at the end. Books 4 and 5 are each very much their own thing, with 6 circling back to school, feeling in some ways like a mirror of book 1.
More Julie babble:
Meet Julie | Julie Tells Her Story | Happy New Year, Julie | Julie and the Eagles | Julie's Journey | Changes for Julie
Good Luck, Ivy
The Tangled Web | The Puzzle of the Paper Daughter | The Silver Guitar | Lost in the City | Message in a Bottle
A Brighter Tomorrow
January 27, 2024
4.5 // This one has to be my favorite. Julie is such an inclusive queen! I love the inclusion of Joy in this book and the use of sign language throughout--the IDEA law would have just gone into effect the year before this book takes place so to end the book on this note was such a thoughtful inclusion that is historically accurate. On a personal note, one of my close friends in elementary school was deaf and this reminded me of my friend group all learning ASL; though luckily our teachers were much more disability-competent than Julie's teacher! Also shout out to the historical note in the back, which discusses Judy Huemann, one of my heroes, who the following year after this book is set would lead the Section 504 sit-in in San Francisco :)
July 5, 2023
As a child of the 80s, I vividly remember getting the Pleasant Company catalogue in the mail and pouring over the advertisements for the beautiful historical dolls and accessories. The American Girl books were one of the only book series I became interested in and I got deliriously excited over each new doll and book release.
Decades later, I heard a booktuber who is my age mention reading the Rebecca and Julie series and enjoying them. These came out when I was an adult and, sadly, my daughters just aren’t as interested in these books. I decided to read them myself and while I enjoyed the Rebecca series, I found the Julie series more interesting. These aren’t high brow lit; they’re very simply written. But the timing in which I read the books, combined with my interest in the time and place in which the books are set, made for a great little reading experience for me over a weekend.
Decades later, I heard a booktuber who is my age mention reading the Rebecca and Julie series and enjoying them. These came out when I was an adult and, sadly, my daughters just aren’t as interested in these books. I decided to read them myself and while I enjoyed the Rebecca series, I found the Julie series more interesting. These aren’t high brow lit; they’re very simply written. But the timing in which I read the books, combined with my interest in the time and place in which the books are set, made for a great little reading experience for me over a weekend.
December 20, 2011
this book opens in such a totally insane way. apparently it's a new school year & julie has a new friend. joy is deaf & i guess we are supposed to assume that she is in julie's class due to new legislation that has been passed, allowing for students with various disabilities to be mainstreamed into regular classrooms (because there is a bit about this in the "looking back" section in the back of the book). joy lip reads & is having trouble following an assignment because the teacher's face is somewhat obscured by the angle at which she is standing. she passes julie a note requesting assistance & julie passes back a note explaining the lesson. the teacher busts them passing notes & sentences them both to detention after school. she does not permit julie or joy to explain what the note-passing was all about.
julie's experiences of injustice are pretty egregious, aren't they? maybe i am having trouble swallowing it because her stories are set less than forty years ago & deal with laws that are currently on the books, but i really don't understand how any adult in julie's school is managing to hold on to their job.
rather than stewing over this obvious example of egregious discrimination & poor teaching standards while in detention, julie instead frets over how pointless detention is. she has to write "i will not pass notes" 100 times, like she's bart simpson or something. she thinks her time could be better spent doing something to help the school, like cleaning up litter or something. sweetie, that's why they have janitors. maybe julie grew up to be newt gingrich's campaign manager?
a few days later, julie learns that elections for student government are happening soon. the most popular boy in the sixth grade is running for president & everyone assumes he's a shoo-in because, you know, he's the most popular boy in sixth grade. julie swings by the principal's office & learns that fifth graders are certainly welcome to run for student government, although none ever has. what the fuck is wrong with this school? when i was a kid, student government elections were a big deal & the rules for running were carefully explained in every class so that people could decide if they wanted to try it or not. but julie had to hear about this shit through the grapevine. ridiculous.
she decides to run on a "make detention useful" platform. she enlists joy to be her vice president. shenanigans ensue. people make fun of her & her campaign because: she's only a fifth grader. she's not the most popular boy in school. she's a girl. her vice president is deaf. she has a platform that goes beyond just "pizza should be available in the cafeteria". someone defaces her campaign posters. lots of people make fun of joy for being deaf. julie starts to realize that having a deaf running mate is a big liability & wonders if there's some way she can ask joy to drop out of the race without looking like a total asshole. joy picks up on this & things come to a head when julie overhears some popular girls in her grade making fun of the way joy talks. she tries to shield joy from the truth, but joy doesn't appreciate it. the girls do get in trouble. they are sent to detention. but joy spends a few days skipping school.
julie convinces the teacher to let her conduct her own detention with the girls who made fun of joy. she teaches them some basic sign language. they start to think that sign language is really cool ("like a secret code"--listen, bitches, sign language is the way deaf people communicate; it's not some totally awesome secret language for you & your buddies to co-opt) & they want to apologize to joy. julie takes them to joy's house & they apologize in sign language. they also pledge to vote for julie & joy & to help get out the vote on their behalf. which they do, & julie & joy win.
ugh.
julie's experiences of injustice are pretty egregious, aren't they? maybe i am having trouble swallowing it because her stories are set less than forty years ago & deal with laws that are currently on the books, but i really don't understand how any adult in julie's school is managing to hold on to their job.
rather than stewing over this obvious example of egregious discrimination & poor teaching standards while in detention, julie instead frets over how pointless detention is. she has to write "i will not pass notes" 100 times, like she's bart simpson or something. she thinks her time could be better spent doing something to help the school, like cleaning up litter or something. sweetie, that's why they have janitors. maybe julie grew up to be newt gingrich's campaign manager?
a few days later, julie learns that elections for student government are happening soon. the most popular boy in the sixth grade is running for president & everyone assumes he's a shoo-in because, you know, he's the most popular boy in sixth grade. julie swings by the principal's office & learns that fifth graders are certainly welcome to run for student government, although none ever has. what the fuck is wrong with this school? when i was a kid, student government elections were a big deal & the rules for running were carefully explained in every class so that people could decide if they wanted to try it or not. but julie had to hear about this shit through the grapevine. ridiculous.
she decides to run on a "make detention useful" platform. she enlists joy to be her vice president. shenanigans ensue. people make fun of her & her campaign because: she's only a fifth grader. she's not the most popular boy in school. she's a girl. her vice president is deaf. she has a platform that goes beyond just "pizza should be available in the cafeteria". someone defaces her campaign posters. lots of people make fun of joy for being deaf. julie starts to realize that having a deaf running mate is a big liability & wonders if there's some way she can ask joy to drop out of the race without looking like a total asshole. joy picks up on this & things come to a head when julie overhears some popular girls in her grade making fun of the way joy talks. she tries to shield joy from the truth, but joy doesn't appreciate it. the girls do get in trouble. they are sent to detention. but joy spends a few days skipping school.
julie convinces the teacher to let her conduct her own detention with the girls who made fun of joy. she teaches them some basic sign language. they start to think that sign language is really cool ("like a secret code"--listen, bitches, sign language is the way deaf people communicate; it's not some totally awesome secret language for you & your buddies to co-opt) & they want to apologize to joy. julie takes them to joy's house & they apologize in sign language. they also pledge to vote for julie & joy & to help get out the vote on their behalf. which they do, & julie & joy win.
ugh.
April 9, 2018
I like the julie books. But I often forget while reading them that I’m reading a story that took place in a different decade. There’s usually not too many mentions of anything that pulls me back to the correct era until the end when I read the looking back section and it talks about events that we’re going on st the time that may have made the characters act the way they did. I think it’s hard with that era being so much more similar to the present than say the civil war or colonial eras to really make the story set apart without a lot of pictures to remind us people dressed differently and without that looking back section to really tie it all together.
October 31, 2024
this book is... a weird one. because in BOOK 6 OF THIS 6 BOOK SERIES we introduce a new friend for julie. we arent shown when they become friends we're just told it happens. and like. i do think having a Deaf character is great! especially in this time period of the ADA and such! but like. sorry. its so weird WHERE IS IVY JUSTICE FOR IVY MY GIRL IS BARELY IN THIS. it's just hard to care about this new friend right at the end, and i wish they had incorporated disability earlier into the story or that they had saved the plotline for a different doll who could actually have it throughout her books. also her opponent was cartoonishly evil.
but also. kipperlilly copperkettle everywhere for those with eyes to see.
but also. kipperlilly copperkettle everywhere for those with eyes to see.
September 1, 2017
My Review:
Changes for Julie is the last book in the Julie series and it is way better than the first book. Of course, I haven’t read any of the other books in the series so far. To be honest, the only reason I chose to read this book was because a deaf girl (Joy) was in the story. It was a cute story, and like I said, better than the first one… but I wish the author had put more information in the back. I expected a page or two of some American Sign Language, since Joy is starred in the book, but nothing. There’s only info about the presidential election in 1976 and quick mentions of disabled children. There is a picture of a deaf actress who is using the “I love you” sign, but a little disappointing that there was nothing more about ASL. The story was cute, and I suppose good for younger girls, but I got the impression it was unrealistic in a way. I suppose, in general, I feel like the whole series is unrealistic, based on the two books I read.
No content warnings. Only mentions of Julie’s parents being divorced, girls making fun of Joy (the deaf girl), and mentions of a bully flushing other students’ lunch bags down the toilet. :/
This review was written in my own words and opinions.
Changes for Julie is the last book in the Julie series and it is way better than the first book. Of course, I haven’t read any of the other books in the series so far. To be honest, the only reason I chose to read this book was because a deaf girl (Joy) was in the story. It was a cute story, and like I said, better than the first one… but I wish the author had put more information in the back. I expected a page or two of some American Sign Language, since Joy is starred in the book, but nothing. There’s only info about the presidential election in 1976 and quick mentions of disabled children. There is a picture of a deaf actress who is using the “I love you” sign, but a little disappointing that there was nothing more about ASL. The story was cute, and I suppose good for younger girls, but I got the impression it was unrealistic in a way. I suppose, in general, I feel like the whole series is unrealistic, based on the two books I read.
No content warnings. Only mentions of Julie’s parents being divorced, girls making fun of Joy (the deaf girl), and mentions of a bully flushing other students’ lunch bags down the toilet. :/
This review was written in my own words and opinions.
May 27, 2025
Loved the political overtones of this book! I also found Julie’s opinions on detention fascinating- she’s grappling with what I grapple with as a teacher!
May 8, 2021
Note: When I wrote this review, I was confused about the timeline. See Amy's comment on my review for clarity about the election storyline.
---
Julie's timeline has serious problems. Book five was set in 1976, during the bicentennial, but now we are back in 1974 for the presidential election. This is incredibly lazy and poorly designed, but despite that, I enjoyed this book. It has great messages about Julie's efforts to make a difference in her school, and educates readers about the challenges that deaf students experienced as new laws in the 1970s allowed them to attend regular classes with teachers who often were not ready to accommodate their needs.
Julie's emotional arc related to supporting her deaf friend Joy is realistic and convincing, and Julie's desire to see her school's detention program support meaningful and productive behavior changes is admirable. In the end, she is able to help some of Joy's bullies see the light, and even though this book is imperfect, it has lots of great messages about confronting prejudice, changing out punitive measures for rehabilitative ones, and seeing life from someone else's perspective.
The Julie, Rebecca, and Marie-Grace/Cecile series all end with a main character in front of a podium, and I was inclined to be dubious about this book for that reason alone. However, this isn't meaningless, performative "make a change!" propaganda. Julie actually experiences hardship and growth, and begins to learn how to use her voice to help platform and encourage those who are less privileged than she is. This is a good ending to a subpar series, and I am glad that I have now read all of the books.
---
Julie's timeline has serious problems. Book five was set in 1976, during the bicentennial, but now we are back in 1974 for the presidential election. This is incredibly lazy and poorly designed, but despite that, I enjoyed this book. It has great messages about Julie's efforts to make a difference in her school, and educates readers about the challenges that deaf students experienced as new laws in the 1970s allowed them to attend regular classes with teachers who often were not ready to accommodate their needs.
Julie's emotional arc related to supporting her deaf friend Joy is realistic and convincing, and Julie's desire to see her school's detention program support meaningful and productive behavior changes is admirable. In the end, she is able to help some of Joy's bullies see the light, and even though this book is imperfect, it has lots of great messages about confronting prejudice, changing out punitive measures for rehabilitative ones, and seeing life from someone else's perspective.
The Julie, Rebecca, and Marie-Grace/Cecile series all end with a main character in front of a podium, and I was inclined to be dubious about this book for that reason alone. However, this isn't meaningless, performative "make a change!" propaganda. Julie actually experiences hardship and growth, and begins to learn how to use her voice to help platform and encourage those who are less privileged than she is. This is a good ending to a subpar series, and I am glad that I have now read all of the books.
March 21, 2011
The American Girl Series is a wonderful series for mothers to share with their young daughters. Each of these books have led to varied and meaningful conversations with my own daughter. In this series Julie has tackled many obstacles such as: dealing with change after a divorce, equality for women in sports, social awareness of the environment, and in this latest book discrimination for people with disabilities. Julies friend Joy is deaf. Since many of their fellow classmates do not understand Joy they don't know how to approach her or even comfortably share space with her. As so often happens when people are unsure they become afraid and act out meanly toward Joy. Julie has to make some difficult decisions about what is right vs. what is easy.
May 17, 2016
Five of My Thoughts on Changes for Julie
1. Why is this teacher so mean? Shouldn't she be more aware of the disabilities of one of her students? Shouldn't she at least look at the note?
2. Julie, clearly your school has bigger problems than useless dentition. I feel for you though because we also had to write lines in my high school. In fact, we had to copy sections from the student handbook.
3. Joy is probably one of American Girl's best characters. I'd really like to see more stories with Joy in them.
4. Student elections clearly haven't changed since the 70s.
5. Recommended!
1. Why is this teacher so mean? Shouldn't she be more aware of the disabilities of one of her students? Shouldn't she at least look at the note?
2. Julie, clearly your school has bigger problems than useless dentition. I feel for you though because we also had to write lines in my high school. In fact, we had to copy sections from the student handbook.
3. Joy is probably one of American Girl's best characters. I'd really like to see more stories with Joy in them.
4. Student elections clearly haven't changed since the 70s.
5. Recommended!
October 30, 2013
I liked this one more than most of the others in the series. It has those Mean Girls (stock characters who appear in every single piece of media intended for mid-elementary to preteen girls) but for once they have a change of heart and turn out to be not so mean in the end. That was refreshing. Changes for Julie also has a neater, more interesting story arc than the other Julie books I've complained about.
I guess I'm going to need to turn myself into a big fan of Julie pretty quickly, because Isobel has decided that's the doll she wants for Christmas!
I guess I'm going to need to turn myself into a big fan of Julie pretty quickly, because Isobel has decided that's the doll she wants for Christmas!
June 2, 2013
I felt bad for Joy because she didn't really fit in, and people made fun of her just because she was deaf.
September 17, 2014
Meh. Can't say I ever really warmed up to Julie. Repeated references to ASL as a "secret code" were truly irritating.
June 12, 2021
As I began to re-read the American Girl: Julie series, I didn't care for the first three books so much that I put a hold on reading the series for over three months. But I'm glad I came back to it, giving it another try, because, YES, the last three of the series were just as good as I remembered. Here's why.
As has happened in other American Girl books, there were small details that appeared unnecessary but later came into play. Though not done as impressively as in other AG books, every word was important!
Perhaps more than in any other American Girl series, Julie's has a sense of humor. I had a few smiles at little quotes, comments, and moments here and there.
I enjoyed that Julie had a guy friend without a romance with him. The two hung out and had conversations, working together as a team, but there was no hint of a romantic relationship. This indirectly shows kids that they, too, can be friends with someone of the opposite gender without having a crush.
Another indirect and positive message is that you may not be too young to try something. The main concept is that Julie is running for her school's president, even though she's in 5th grade and everyone who has run in the past was in 6th grade.
In this story, Julie makes a new friend--Hope--who is deaf. The school mocks Hope for her disability, but Hope's friends take a stand for her. Although the 1970s may not be that long ago, the 70s still had an important landmark of fighting for not separating those with disabilities from others, for seeing they're just as capable as others, just in different ways. This book gives readers a picture of what that was like.
The illustrations were fantastic. I have had experience in painting, but not nearly as much as the artist of the Julie series!
However, for a little bit, the book gets political. Julie is taught about the 1976 election and asks her mom who she'll vote for, her mom answering she's voting for Jimmy Carter. Julie later asks her father who he's voting for, and he says he's voting for Gerald Ford. Both of Julie's parents explain why they're voting for certain candidates, and it almost balances out, Carter being put slightly more in the light than Ford. This can be seen as good or bad; some readers prefer Carter, and others prefer Ford. I simply didn't like that the author and publishers wove politics into the book.
A few parts were not realistic. As I have said, the book can be educating. However, some of these unrealistic parts, which are too good to be true, can be misleading.
Changes for Julie was not my favorite of the American Girl: Julie series, but it was a solid conclusion.
As has happened in other American Girl books, there were small details that appeared unnecessary but later came into play. Though not done as impressively as in other AG books, every word was important!
Perhaps more than in any other American Girl series, Julie's has a sense of humor. I had a few smiles at little quotes, comments, and moments here and there.
I enjoyed that Julie had a guy friend without a romance with him. The two hung out and had conversations, working together as a team, but there was no hint of a romantic relationship. This indirectly shows kids that they, too, can be friends with someone of the opposite gender without having a crush.
Another indirect and positive message is that you may not be too young to try something. The main concept is that Julie is running for her school's president, even though she's in 5th grade and everyone who has run in the past was in 6th grade.
In this story, Julie makes a new friend--Hope--who is deaf. The school mocks Hope for her disability, but Hope's friends take a stand for her. Although the 1970s may not be that long ago, the 70s still had an important landmark of fighting for not separating those with disabilities from others, for seeing they're just as capable as others, just in different ways. This book gives readers a picture of what that was like.
The illustrations were fantastic. I have had experience in painting, but not nearly as much as the artist of the Julie series!
However, for a little bit, the book gets political. Julie is taught about the 1976 election and asks her mom who she'll vote for, her mom answering she's voting for Jimmy Carter. Julie later asks her father who he's voting for, and he says he's voting for Gerald Ford. Both of Julie's parents explain why they're voting for certain candidates, and it almost balances out, Carter being put slightly more in the light than Ford. This can be seen as good or bad; some readers prefer Carter, and others prefer Ford. I simply didn't like that the author and publishers wove politics into the book.
A few parts were not realistic. As I have said, the book can be educating. However, some of these unrealistic parts, which are too good to be true, can be misleading.
Changes for Julie was not my favorite of the American Girl: Julie series, but it was a solid conclusion.
March 26, 2022
Thank heaven, it's over. Julie is, by far, my least favorite American Girl.
Right off the bat, Julie annoys me. She and her friend, Joy, are caught passing notes which is forbidden in class. And from what the teacher says, it's not the first caution the two girls have been given, so it's hardly surprising when they are given detention. Then, Julie makes things worse by talking back to the teacher. In most middle school classrooms in the 1970s, talking back to the teacher would get you punishment. Should Mrs. Duncan have acted more considerately when teaching, standing in such a way so that Joy (who is deaf) could read her lips? Yes. Is it Julie's place to confront the teacher? No. If Joy is too shy or embarrassed to speak with the teacher after class, Joy's parents need to come in and discuss the problem. Also, since it's hinted that this has happened before, can't Julie wait until after class and then help clarify the things Joy missed? By the end of the book, the reader realizes Mrs. Duncan is not an unreasonable woman and I think a private discussion would have helped, not talking back.
Julie then decides to run for school president. Her platform? Change the way detention is run. She has a point that writing sentences helps no one. And while her idea worked where the Water Fountain Girls (what a dopey name) were concerned, I highly doubt her idea will pay dividends for the kids most often in detention. I don't think someone like Stinger would be too happy scrubbing graffiti off the school walls instead of writing sentences.
The illustrations have been hit or miss for me in the series, too. At least this time, the introductory illustration page is filled on both sides. However, why put in Stinger and Mark who barely make an appearance in the story? Why not the Water Fountain Girls who have been mentioned throughout the series? And it's doubly weird those two boys are featured in the illustration page when the last book had a nearly blank second page with no picture of April, Julie's cousin, who was an integral part of the story. So, while there are skilled illustrations, the decision on details leaves a lot to be desired.
This last comment is a personal preference, but I just do not care for Megan McDonald's writing. Very stilted, even for a kid's book.
Overall, my least favorite American Girl series by far. What a shame to end on a downer.
Right off the bat, Julie annoys me. She and her friend, Joy, are caught passing notes which is forbidden in class. And from what the teacher says, it's not the first caution the two girls have been given, so it's hardly surprising when they are given detention. Then, Julie makes things worse by talking back to the teacher. In most middle school classrooms in the 1970s, talking back to the teacher would get you punishment. Should Mrs. Duncan have acted more considerately when teaching, standing in such a way so that Joy (who is deaf) could read her lips? Yes. Is it Julie's place to confront the teacher? No. If Joy is too shy or embarrassed to speak with the teacher after class, Joy's parents need to come in and discuss the problem. Also, since it's hinted that this has happened before, can't Julie wait until after class and then help clarify the things Joy missed? By the end of the book, the reader realizes Mrs. Duncan is not an unreasonable woman and I think a private discussion would have helped, not talking back.
Julie then decides to run for school president. Her platform? Change the way detention is run. She has a point that writing sentences helps no one. And while her idea worked where the Water Fountain Girls (what a dopey name) were concerned, I highly doubt her idea will pay dividends for the kids most often in detention. I don't think someone like Stinger would be too happy scrubbing graffiti off the school walls instead of writing sentences.
The illustrations have been hit or miss for me in the series, too. At least this time, the introductory illustration page is filled on both sides. However, why put in Stinger and Mark who barely make an appearance in the story? Why not the Water Fountain Girls who have been mentioned throughout the series? And it's doubly weird those two boys are featured in the illustration page when the last book had a nearly blank second page with no picture of April, Julie's cousin, who was an integral part of the story. So, while there are skilled illustrations, the decision on details leaves a lot to be desired.
This last comment is a personal preference, but I just do not care for Megan McDonald's writing. Very stilted, even for a kid's book.
Overall, my least favorite American Girl series by far. What a shame to end on a downer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2018
I found this book slow to get into but it eventually picked up and got better. It was an interesting story showing Julie trying to change the injustice that her school offered as their way of punishment.
Julie and her friend Joy get given detention as Joy didn’t understand what the teacher was saying. Julie soon realised the system was wrong and something had to be done about it. She signs them up to run for Student body president but faces a tough battle as the competition is the most popular boy in school; and people are scared of her friend due to her being different. Julie gives up defeated until the popular girls in her class bully her friend and gets detention. This gives her the opportunity to show the change she wants to implement.
The last few chapters were really great reads, I loved how she changed the mind set for everyone and stopped the ignorance that was spreading through the school.
Julie and her friend Joy get given detention as Joy didn’t understand what the teacher was saying. Julie soon realised the system was wrong and something had to be done about it. She signs them up to run for Student body president but faces a tough battle as the competition is the most popular boy in school; and people are scared of her friend due to her being different. Julie gives up defeated until the popular girls in her class bully her friend and gets detention. This gives her the opportunity to show the change she wants to implement.
The last few chapters were really great reads, I loved how she changed the mind set for everyone and stopped the ignorance that was spreading through the school.
August 28, 2019
Ivywatch: minimally here, helps Julie with her campaign posters. :(
After getting detention for note passing and mouthing off to a teacher (Julie was trying to help out her new pal Joy, who is deaf and missed what the teacher said), Julie decides to run for student body president. After all, there's no rule restricting it to sixth grade so why not, especially when the shoo-in candidate is running on promises he probably can't keep, like Pizza Fridays and a pool? A bit of civics, some empathy lessons for people with disabilities, and it all turns out in the end. Though this takes places 43 years ago, there's still echoes to today- who could imagine a candidate that makes fun of the way someone talks? /s
Markers of the era: Ford vs Carter (consistent with the other books placing this firmly in fall of '76), Little House and Happy Days running on air. Kids on the bus singing the theme song to Flipper feels a decade too late unless it ran in syndication?
After getting detention for note passing and mouthing off to a teacher (Julie was trying to help out her new pal Joy, who is deaf and missed what the teacher said), Julie decides to run for student body president. After all, there's no rule restricting it to sixth grade so why not, especially when the shoo-in candidate is running on promises he probably can't keep, like Pizza Fridays and a pool? A bit of civics, some empathy lessons for people with disabilities, and it all turns out in the end. Though this takes places 43 years ago, there's still echoes to today- who could imagine a candidate that makes fun of the way someone talks? /s
Markers of the era: Ford vs Carter (consistent with the other books placing this firmly in fall of '76), Little House and Happy Days running on air. Kids on the bus singing the theme song to Flipper feels a decade too late unless it ran in syndication?
October 2, 2024
3 stars
This book was just an alright ending to Julie’s story arc.
The main plot points of this story are Julie running for class president, and learning more about ally ship when it comes to social issues.
Julie propose a restorative justice approach to detention, and this does end up playing out when the school mean girls make fun of her friend. However, the ending is a little too “after school special” in the way it deals with this subject matter.
There are a lot of interesting things going on in the 1970s, and I know American Girl isn’t expected to do an in-depth analysis of each event that occurs during a girl’s storyline, but the execution felt more surface level in this series than others. Julie is surrounded by far more interesting characters in her storyline and I think it suffers for that.
This book was just an alright ending to Julie’s story arc.
The main plot points of this story are Julie running for class president, and learning more about ally ship when it comes to social issues.
Julie propose a restorative justice approach to detention, and this does end up playing out when the school mean girls make fun of her friend. However, the ending is a little too “after school special” in the way it deals with this subject matter.
There are a lot of interesting things going on in the 1970s, and I know American Girl isn’t expected to do an in-depth analysis of each event that occurs during a girl’s storyline, but the execution felt more surface level in this series than others. Julie is surrounded by far more interesting characters in her storyline and I think it suffers for that.
April 24, 2025
I thought I'd do a recap of the series instead of reviewing each individual book. I think this was an overall enjoyable series, if sometimes too on-the-nose for me. I liked the general 70s vibes and the fact it went into somewhat varied topics - divorce and its effects on how families work, a look into Chinese New Year, environmentalism, the Bicentennial and patriotism, and wanting to make a difference in the world by helping people, all leaning into the theme of change in some way. Having not grown up with this series, I fully acknowledge and am not ashamed to say the lack of nostalgia lowers its rating, it's just something that can't be forced. These books weren't my favorite style per se, but overall something different and enjoyable.
October 25, 2019
The good: there are a lot of 1970s details that give a mini history lesson about what was going on in America in 1976. The Carter/Ford election was explained well. The bad: these new American Girl stories aren't as good as the original. There's something cheesy about them. Maybe the older stories just seem better because I read them when I was 9. Julie is a good role model for young girls. . .even if she did get detention. Happens to the best of us.
February 15, 2023
I really enjoyed this book because Julie had to experience the consequence of detention and its lack of value to correct behavior or poor choices. Julie came up with better tasks to encourage students to be productive and encourage resolutions to the matter that brought them to detention. In order to implement changes, Julie had to run for student government and experience the struggles candidates face to get their voice heard and accepted as a positive force.
March 9, 2024
4 stars. Okay, after being let down by the last three books it was great to really enjoy one of these books again. I really liked this. I thought the plot was good and Joy was a great new character. She’s deaf and having a hard time at school because the kids make fun of her. I thought Julie was a wonderful friend to her and I loved the way she stood up for her no matter what. It was so sweet. The school election was also interesting. Overall, this was a really good read.
February 3, 2025
“Remembering how hard it had been at first to stop wishing things would somehow go back to the way they used to be. But she learned she didn’t have to be afraid to change. It was different and sometimes sad, even painful, but it was also an invitation to think new thoughts, to see things in a new way, to grow, and even to become a better person. And all the changes had brought her to this moment.”
January 16, 2025
Julie is giving me the same feels Addy did - she’s too good for this world! Look at her standing up for her friends and making a positive impact among her peers! 🥹 This series did such a good job blending in the history with the story - you can tell the author must have used a bit of their own experience!
August 23, 2025
I appreciated the introduction of a new character, Joy. I've come to love Julie and her spunkiness and bravery. It was a fun parallel to political elections and that is something new for the AG world to cover.
April 30, 2018
One of my favorite series of the AG series. Earth Day, Chinese New Year, endangered animals, bicentennial, and more.
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July 5, 2019My favorite book in of the Julie stories. I hope there are more stories with Joy. I'm only sad she was introduced so late in the series.
Julie is definitely a great addition to the AG books.
Julie is definitely a great addition to the AG books.
August 14, 2019
Love this book :)
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