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Felicity: An American Girl, 1774
Felicity Merriman is a spunky, spritely girl growing up in Virginia in 1774, just before the Revolutionary War. Felicity's stories tell of the adventures of this spirited girl, who grows impatient doing the "sitting down kinds of things" that colonial girls are expected to do. Felicity much prefers to be outdoors, especially riding horses In her stories, Felicity learns about responsibility and loyalty -- to her family, her friends, and her new country -- and what it means to be truly free.The perfect way to learn about Felicity is with a complete set of her six books in an attractive slipcase.
412 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
21 people are currently reading
1414 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Tripp
273 books439 followersValerie Tripp is a children's book author, best known for her work with the American Girl series.
She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York with three sisters and one brother. A member of the first co-educated class at Yale University, Tripp also has a M.Ed. from Harvard. Since 1985 she has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her husband teaches history at Montgomery College.
Right out of college, Tripp started writing songs, stories, and nonfiction for The Superkids Reading Program, working with Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl. For that series, Tripp wrote all the books about Felicity, Josefina, Kit, Molly, and Maryellen and many of the books about Samantha. She also wrote the "Best Friends" character stories to date, plays, mysteries, and short stories about all her characters.. Film dramatizations of the lives of Samantha, Felicity, Molly, and Kit have been based on her stories. Currently, Tripp is writing a STEM series for National Geographic and adapting Greek Myths for Starry Forest Publishing. A frequent speaker at schools and libraries, Tripp has also spoken at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, The New York Historical Society, and Williamsburg.
She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York with three sisters and one brother. A member of the first co-educated class at Yale University, Tripp also has a M.Ed. from Harvard. Since 1985 she has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her husband teaches history at Montgomery College.
Right out of college, Tripp started writing songs, stories, and nonfiction for The Superkids Reading Program, working with Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl. For that series, Tripp wrote all the books about Felicity, Josefina, Kit, Molly, and Maryellen and many of the books about Samantha. She also wrote the "Best Friends" character stories to date, plays, mysteries, and short stories about all her characters.. Film dramatizations of the lives of Samantha, Felicity, Molly, and Kit have been based on her stories. Currently, Tripp is writing a STEM series for National Geographic and adapting Greek Myths for Starry Forest Publishing. A frequent speaker at schools and libraries, Tripp has also spoken at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, The New York Historical Society, and Williamsburg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
July 15, 2019
I owned the box set of the Felicity series when I was little- my second favorite American Girl after Kirsten. Awwww.
January 23, 2022
I was a bit hot and cold on these stories. I really liked Felicity's character growth throughout the books (especially as she starts out particularly strong-headed and selfish), and I enjoyed the material detail throughout. However, I felt that some of the handling of social conditions was problematic (especially as relates to slavery), and I did find a few factual errors that were distracting.
July 31, 2022
Ok felicity slays but book is propaganda
September 3, 2020
I'm not going to give Felicity's books to my own children because of the profoundly troubling way the stories deal with slavery.
Felicity's parents and grandfather are slaveowners, and at no point does Felicity have any internal conflict or unease about this. These books depict Virginia as if abolitionists did not exist (they did) and as if slavery was not something talked about (it was).
There are ways to write a setting where slavery is normalized, and the narrative makes it clear that it's not morally neutral. This book wasn't that. It felt really icky to read.
Felicity's parents and grandfather are slaveowners, and at no point does Felicity have any internal conflict or unease about this. These books depict Virginia as if abolitionists did not exist (they did) and as if slavery was not something talked about (it was).
There are ways to write a setting where slavery is normalized, and the narrative makes it clear that it's not morally neutral. This book wasn't that. It felt really icky to read.
February 15, 2009
I love these books and read them at least once each season as time passes both in our world and in the books. I adore Felicity's adventures and high spirits, which I feel would not be much diffrent from mine if I lived in that era. I have also collected the doll and as many of the accessories as I can afford (they are quite pricy) from American Girl Co.
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October 8, 2025Believe in your self.
October 29, 2023
We read these aloud as part of our Revolutionary War study. The kids are completely obsessed (each of them are rereading/relistening to the whole series now). Reading it through adult eyes definitely gives me a different perspective (specifically: how is Felicity able to do many of the "heroic" things she does without being caught. Also, are we not even mentioning that her family are obviously slave owners? I *did* make sure to cover that in our own conversations), but I loved watching my kids fall in love with my favorite American girl and make connections to our wider historical studies.
May 6, 2024
Read this with my AO Year 4 student just in time to give her the doll for her 10th birthday.
August 6, 2020
In my mind, none of the recent American Girl books can hold a candle to the 5 (6 if you count Josefina, who came along later) original story collections. Though I’m relying on my Child Brain here, I do remember the stories dealing with some pretty difficult topics, such as slavery, immigration, and child labor. They also do a fairly decent job of teaching about different historical time periods, thanks to some beautiful illustrations and some historical notes. The more recent American Girl books seem childish and simplistic, though I’ll admit I haven’t read them and am solely going off of summaries and descriptions. As an adult, I’m most interested to see how well these books hold up to an adult’s eyes, and if some of the collections are really as hardhitting and difficult as I remember them being.
Since the “books” are so short (approx. 60 pages each), I couldn’t warrant reviewing each one separately, so I’ll be reviewing the 6 story collections I have (the original 5 American Girls, plus Josefina). If you’re not familiar with American Girl stories, they’re all formatted very similarly and each numbered book in each series has the same title and theme. For example, the first books is always “Meet ______,” the second book is always about school, the third book is always about Christmas, etc. There’s also beautiful color illustrations in each book, which I always adore.
Felicity: An American Girl tackles the time right before the Revolutionary War, and the books cover the growing tension between Patriot and Tories, the tax on tea and the Boston Tea Party, and the attempt to steal the militia’s gunpowder from Williamsburg. Outside of that, the books also briefly touch on apprenticeship, the lack of medical knowledge, and what schooling was like for young women. Oh, and there’s a great deal about horses, and lots about friendship. The last book also tackles forgiveness and being kind to people who haven’t been so kind to you.
I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of writing and how Tripp managed to convey historical detail without sacrificing accuracy (as in, the annoying trope of having characters explain what things are even though they should know what it is being that they live in that time period). These were clearly researched and, though the historical notes often explained topics that were not touched on in the book, covered a comprehensive amount.
I definitely enjoyed the books that dealt more with the Revolutionary War aspect than the others, though none of them were bad. Occasionally Tripp had to stretch the bounds of reality a little bit to get Felicity where she needed to go, as there were many occasions when Felicity was like, “I’m going to do this!” and the older boy and even the adults were like, “Sure, go ahead,” when in reality, most likely the boy would have been sent. But I really liked how Tripp managed to show how friendship and love goes beyond political boundaries, a message sorely needed today.
Since the “books” are so short (approx. 60 pages each), I couldn’t warrant reviewing each one separately, so I’ll be reviewing the 6 story collections I have (the original 5 American Girls, plus Josefina). If you’re not familiar with American Girl stories, they’re all formatted very similarly and each numbered book in each series has the same title and theme. For example, the first books is always “Meet ______,” the second book is always about school, the third book is always about Christmas, etc. There’s also beautiful color illustrations in each book, which I always adore.
Felicity: An American Girl tackles the time right before the Revolutionary War, and the books cover the growing tension between Patriot and Tories, the tax on tea and the Boston Tea Party, and the attempt to steal the militia’s gunpowder from Williamsburg. Outside of that, the books also briefly touch on apprenticeship, the lack of medical knowledge, and what schooling was like for young women. Oh, and there’s a great deal about horses, and lots about friendship. The last book also tackles forgiveness and being kind to people who haven’t been so kind to you.
I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of writing and how Tripp managed to convey historical detail without sacrificing accuracy (as in, the annoying trope of having characters explain what things are even though they should know what it is being that they live in that time period). These were clearly researched and, though the historical notes often explained topics that were not touched on in the book, covered a comprehensive amount.
I definitely enjoyed the books that dealt more with the Revolutionary War aspect than the others, though none of them were bad. Occasionally Tripp had to stretch the bounds of reality a little bit to get Felicity where she needed to go, as there were many occasions when Felicity was like, “I’m going to do this!” and the older boy and even the adults were like, “Sure, go ahead,” when in reality, most likely the boy would have been sent. But I really liked how Tripp managed to show how friendship and love goes beyond political boundaries, a message sorely needed today.
September 18, 2024
I was reading Felicity's collection for the first time, so there's a tad of general American Girl nostalgia here, but not a lot. The presentation of this collection (the gold edges, the ribbon bookmark, the illustrations) is lovely. My enjoyment of the content though? It varied. The Christmas Story ended up being my overall favorite, but I found elements I liked in each. The low point with Felicity's stories is how they glaze over slavery, considering she comes from a slave-owning family. It was particularly uncomfortable in the Summer Story as it takes place on her grandfather's plantation. I would've appreciated if that element had been handled differently. Otherwise, I think Felicity shows good character growth in a book for young readers.
My more detailed series review can be found here: https://youtu.be/VKwgkQsW_gE?si=ESl29...
My more detailed series review can be found here: https://youtu.be/VKwgkQsW_gE?si=ESl29...
March 29, 2009
Felicity Merman is growing up in a time of very feirce loyalty and Firey Independence Just as America is about to break free from englands rule! Everyone around her her friends family everyone is taking different sides. With her passion and her courage felicity must find a way to hold both love and loyally in her heart. MEet felicity is all about how felicity tries to get the hoarse she has allways dreamed of from that wretched Jickey Nigh who treats her like dirt. Felicity learns a lesson is all about how felicity learns how to be a prouper young lady. In felicity's surprise felicities mother sadly passes away, but the seamstress surprises her with a beautiful ballgown for the royal ball. In felicity saves the day, Penny felicity's horse is going to have a foal, and jiggie nigh is very ill in jail. Will felicity save him? You will have to read the book to find out! :D
I LOVED this book i even read it on the car ride to disneyland it was so good!
I LOVED this book i even read it on the car ride to disneyland it was so good!
June 26, 2009
Felicity's world seemed the most inaccessible to me growing up, considering that she was the oldest character and her world was far more chartered and organized than mine. I groaned to think of Miss Manderly's lessons and proper parties at the governor's. I was thrilled that she maintained her friendship with Elizabeth, despite their cultural differences. I feared for her horse, Penny, who was abused, for her mother who got sick, for Ben, who perhaps scared me most of all, as his indentured relationship to Felicity's father strayed close to slavery in my eyes. Though the fact that Ben, an adult, and Felicity, a young girl (though certainly viewed in more mature terms in her time,) were close friends didn't bother me at all. I actually liked navigating their relationship, and witnessing humble Ben teaching hotheaded Felicity a few lessons, and vice versa.
March 26, 2010
I loved these books! They were refreshing after reading huge complicated novels. I enjoyed all the characters and the stories that were filled with such emotion! Any young lady would love to read these books! Reading level is for about 8 years old or older and an experienced reader can finish one book in about an hour. The books average out to about 68 pages and each include 'A Peek Into The Past' section at the end. I think these collection would be a great gift for a young reader or even an older one! Out of the six books my favorite would have to be the sixth one, Changes for Felicity, but all the books were very enjoyable!
June 30, 2019
I listened to this collection on audiobook for the first time in probably over 15 years, possibly closer to 20. I loved these as a kid, but I’d forgotten everything that happened, so it was like reading it for the first time all over again! I love that.
This was the full collection of Felicity’s six books. They’re so short I didn’t really want to add each one individually. The length of each audiobook was about an hour, so the whole collection was only six hours long.
My favorite of the set was Felicity Learns a Lesson. I loved hearing all about tea time and their stitching. Felicity’s stories are so wholesome.
This was the full collection of Felicity’s six books. They’re so short I didn’t really want to add each one individually. The length of each audiobook was about an hour, so the whole collection was only six hours long.
My favorite of the set was Felicity Learns a Lesson. I loved hearing all about tea time and their stitching. Felicity’s stories are so wholesome.
May 28, 2023
It was so lovely to be reading an American Girl book again! This has kicked off a Sumner project of reading all the original American Girl books. I think I have an unpopular opinion about Felicity. She honestly seems like a spoiled brat to me and her rich girl problems didn't get much empathy from me.
February 19, 2019
Just as good as I remember, if not better. Felicity is a shero! I love how passionate and caring she is, and how she is able to stand by her principles, esp when she mounts a political protest while being a lady. A role model, for me at least! ;)
October 27, 2024
My kids (10, 7, 6) and I enjoyed listening to this series on audio. While they aren't "superb literature," I do like the fact that my kids are getting a glimpse into what life could have been like at these different times in history.
April 24, 2010
to always be happy
October 12, 2015
a classic story I recommend any young girl read.
November 21, 2025
3.5⭐, rounding up. I really do like Felicity - she is a spunky, independent girl and her growth as a friend and a person make for endearing stories. I especially like the school and Christmas stories for highlighting this ... but some books feel over the top. An 11 year old girl stops the gunpowder plot in the Williamsburg armory? She'd never be permitted to make many of the choice she makes.
I also really enjoy how much the author incorporates Williamsburg as a real city. The gunpowder plot really happened, just about the same time as Lexington and Concord kick off the Revolution, and the illustrations look just like the real buildings and shops restored in Williamsburg today. Having been there, it was fun to realize the level of research put into the books.
I was bothered, though, by how glossed over the institution of slavery is in the story - and by realizing as an adult it seemed fine to me when reading them as a kid. . Felicity's family clearly owns enslaved people, and while I can believe an 11 year old might not grapple with what her family is doing ... for the authors and illustrators to intentionally use language like "servants" in the text is a choice by the author.
It contrasts sharply with just how clearly its horrors are addressed to readers of Addy's series... which makes me wish I had grabbed that series next to pair the narratives rather than having Samantha waiting for us now, to give a counterpoint.
Reenie's Review: 5⭐
"Felicity was really brave - she helped Ben when he was hurt. She didn't know if Penny would come back to her, but Penny did! Even when her grandfather died, she was brave. She didn't throw a tantrum. She even helped Jiggy Nye - they were enemies, but her best friend Elizabeth helped her help them so they could become friends. The stories were adventurous.
I also really enjoy how much the author incorporates Williamsburg as a real city. The gunpowder plot really happened, just about the same time as Lexington and Concord kick off the Revolution, and the illustrations look just like the real buildings and shops restored in Williamsburg today. Having been there, it was fun to realize the level of research put into the books.
I was bothered, though, by how glossed over the institution of slavery is in the story - and by realizing as an adult it seemed fine to me when reading them as a kid. . Felicity's family clearly owns enslaved people, and while I can believe an 11 year old might not grapple with what her family is doing ... for the authors and illustrators to intentionally use language like "servants" in the text is a choice by the author.
It contrasts sharply with just how clearly its horrors are addressed to readers of Addy's series... which makes me wish I had grabbed that series next to pair the narratives rather than having Samantha waiting for us now, to give a counterpoint.
Reenie's Review: 5⭐
"Felicity was really brave - she helped Ben when he was hurt. She didn't know if Penny would come back to her, but Penny did! Even when her grandfather died, she was brave. She didn't throw a tantrum. She even helped Jiggy Nye - they were enemies, but her best friend Elizabeth helped her help them so they could become friends. The stories were adventurous.
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May 13, 2021General: Currently reading through the American Girl series with my 5 year old daughter. So far, she loves the Felicity series because it has a horse! Ha. Felicity is growing up in revolutionary America. While the colonies are deciding what to do regarding English loyalties, Felicity is busy learning proper manners and how to be a lady.
Content: One thing I will say as a parent, I did not appreciate Felicity’s defiance of her parents. At one point, she repeatedly disobeys them in order to befriend a wild horse under the care of a mean man. In one aspect, it brought up conversation with my daughter about wisdom and following rules... however, I felt like there was no consequence for Felicity’s disobedience! On the contrary, she succeeds in taming the horse and then sets it free from its owner! Again, conversation about property rights / animal abuse, and what Felicity could have done instead, etc. In a later book in the series, Felicity keeps a secret from her parents and again, receives no ramifications. So yes, this was the one American Girl series where I repeatedly thought, “I don’t want my child to replicate the heroine’s behavior!”
Content: One thing I will say as a parent, I did not appreciate Felicity’s defiance of her parents. At one point, she repeatedly disobeys them in order to befriend a wild horse under the care of a mean man. In one aspect, it brought up conversation with my daughter about wisdom and following rules... however, I felt like there was no consequence for Felicity’s disobedience! On the contrary, she succeeds in taming the horse and then sets it free from its owner! Again, conversation about property rights / animal abuse, and what Felicity could have done instead, etc. In a later book in the series, Felicity keeps a secret from her parents and again, receives no ramifications. So yes, this was the one American Girl series where I repeatedly thought, “I don’t want my child to replicate the heroine’s behavior!”
July 5, 2024
Read aloud book with my four year old: We had two of my old American Girl books in the house (Meet Kirsten and Meet Felicity) and he wanted me to read them to him. He enjoyed both stories so I borrowed each character's complete collection from the library. Felicity's stories were very engaging. He kept wanting to know what happened next. I tried to provide some historical context to the events of the story by explaining the boycott of tea and what the Revolutionary War was about as well as discussing the concept of slavery (even though that's super glossed over in the book and really could have been acknowledged much better considering the grandfather owned a plantation and Felicity's family seemed to have at least two slaves though neither character was explicitly noted as being enslaved in the books). But my son is only four so not sure how much he got out of the conversation. Sad to say that when I read these books as a kid, I didn't even notice that aspect of history was lacking in the books. But he did enjoy the character of Felicity and the adventures that she had. Now on to the Kirsten stories!
October 26, 2022
I really enjoy the American Girl series because of the fact that they make stories of the dolls come to life. As a young girl who loves her American Girl dolls, these books are a great series to get your student or child into reading about something that they enjoy. While reading about Felicity you not only learn some valuable life lessons, but some historical information as well. Felicity is growing up in Virginia in the 1770s which is right before the revolutionary war. She is a colonial girl who expected to do the minimal things young girls and women in general did during this time period, though Felicity has a love for being riding horses, playing outside, and being productive in her days. She is adapting what it's like to be free in her new country and the responsibilities she has while growing up into a young lady. I remember reading these books when I was younger and I loved learning the different stories of all the American girls. Again, these are good series for young readers who especially have a love for their American girl dolls.
January 10, 2021
Grading for kids' lit, obviously.
I've always been fascinated by books for kids and I think the American Girl books are far stronger than their apparently commercial aims would suggest. The stories in this collection are of extremely mixed quality (the birthday story is lifeless) but a lot of the emotional scenes land hard and the fairy-tale-like first story about Penny the horse ends up being thematically useful as the story continues.
I picked this up to use in a reading class and I think it's a great choice.
*****Ought to be read alongside the Addy books for best results. Slavery is extant in this book, practiced by a beloved character, and little discussed. I remember this disturbing the hell out of me as a child because I'd already read the Addy books.
I've always been fascinated by books for kids and I think the American Girl books are far stronger than their apparently commercial aims would suggest. The stories in this collection are of extremely mixed quality (the birthday story is lifeless) but a lot of the emotional scenes land hard and the fairy-tale-like first story about Penny the horse ends up being thematically useful as the story continues.
I picked this up to use in a reading class and I think it's a great choice.
*****Ought to be read alongside the Addy books for best results. Slavery is extant in this book, practiced by a beloved character, and little discussed. I remember this disturbing the hell out of me as a child because I'd already read the Addy books.
April 18, 2022
The tone of this short story collection felt very age-neutral. I don't think that a child would have much trouble keeping up with this, but it wasn't offensive to read as an adult. They were somewhat simple stories but still enjoyable to read. I loved the historic details and illustrations -- I can tell that there was research done. Very human and lifelike characters and relationships. (POSSIBLE SPOILER) I also was very fond of the redemption arc for Jiggy. I also enjoyed that there was an obvious chronology and order to the stories, but the stories (books) aren't back to back -- some time passes between the ending of one and the beginning of another. I wish that the stories for Elizabeth Cole were included as well.
March 27, 2022
Another wonderful historical JFic — this one about pre revolutionary life in Williamsburg. I enjoyed the intro to the revolution, tho the gloss over the slave issue was disappointing (Felicity’s family owns a few). It was also a reminder that there’s more ways to participate in a revolution or movement aside from fighting
Also, my sweet animal lover thoroughly enjoyed the rescue of Penny the horse 🐴
Also, my sweet animal lover thoroughly enjoyed the rescue of Penny the horse 🐴
February 3, 2025
Per usual, the Peek into the Past sections didn't pull their punches, but the stories definitely hold back on the fact that Felicity's family enslaves people, instead describing their enslaved cook and shop hand as people who "help" Felicity's family. Ick. The stories were also surprisingly almost neutral about the Revolution? Not necessarily a bad thing, but surprising how many characters just wanted everyone to get along instead of going to war.
July 18, 2020
Since this is a collection of six short books, here are six short reviews for each story.
Meet Felicity:
This is a good story to introduce Felicity's character and the world she lives in. It talks very little of the political tension during the time in this book, although it foreshadows that it will be a plotline in the series. I like how she starts the series seeming impatient and careless, and how she proves otherwise through the patience it took to get the horse to trust her. I liked how that was placed in the story, showing her growth through the book. It was a little slow compared to the others in this series, but was a good introduction to the character.
3/5 Stars
Felicity Learns a Lesson:
Felicity meets her best friend Elizabeth in this story, and gets her first dose of the political tension going on around her when she realizes that her father and Ben have different views than Elizabeth and her sister. She is conflicted because she believes that in order to be friends with someone you must have to have similar opinions on things, but learns through the book that this is not true. I love how when Felicity asks her father what side she should be on, he tells her that is a decision only she should make. Her revolutionary decision to refuse tea politely at her tea lesson was her answer to this decision. I love this book! The lesson is so relevant today, and Elizabeth is the perfect friend to Felicity's wild spirit.
5/5 Stars
Felicity's Surprise
The Christmas books are always some of my favorites in the American Girl series! This one has special memories for me because I remember reading it with my mom at Christmas when I was little. This story is very sweet. Felicity gets the opportunity to go to the Governor's special Christmas ball and her mother offers to make her dream dress. But when her mother gets sick, everything that was once priority to Felicity suddenly shifts, realizing what is now most important. This story has all the makings of a sweet Christmas book, and will always be one of my favorites.
5/5 Stars
Happy Birthday, Felicity!
I actually didn't remember this one when I read it. It was alright. The first bit was pretty slow. Felicity proved to be irresponsible after disobeying her mother and grandfather by taking the guitar she received for her birthday to school to make Annabel jealous. While at the Cole's house, she overhears talk of a raid that would take place that night against the Patriots. Felicity tries to warn her father who doesn't believe her because of her previous disobedience. Felicity once again disobeys her parents by sneaking out to warn others of this raid. When these rumors turn out to be true, Felicity is rewarded by her father for disobeying him because it was the right thing to do...
3/5 Stars
Felicity Saves the Day
Felicity visits her grandfather's plantation outside of Yorktown during the summer. She gets the surprise of her life when Penny, the horse she helped escape shows up at the plantation. It seems a little over the top to believe the horse made its way back into her life, but I am happy that this storyline was resolved in a sweet way. The real storyline of this book though, is that Ben, Mr. Merriman's sixteen year old apprentice runs away. Felicity finds him injured after attempting to join George Washington's army. Felicity convinces him to come back home, and helps Ben and her father make amends. This book was pretty good. I liked that it took place outside of Williamsburg. It was exciting and I liked the development of Ben's character throughout this series. His climax is defiantly in this story.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Changes for Felicity
Again, I don't actually remember this one. I'm sure I read it as a kid, it was just not one that stood out to me, but it actually was a really good conclusion to this series. Elizabeth's father is placed in jail because of his loyalist views, and Felicity is confused as to why people she saw as her allies were hurting the people she loved. She is also dealing with the pain that comes from a dying relative, and learning that the war will test her and her family for awhile to come. Although this story seemed really short compared to the others, it was a wonderful way to conclude the series. Although we don't see how the war itself will effect Felicity, we know that she will change as a person because of it.
Rating 5/5 stars
Final Rating: 4/5 Stars
This is clearly a children's series, but I don't care that I am now like 3x the age of the average reader of this series. These books will always carry a special place in my heart because they introduced me to history. And for that reason, I will always remember these sweet little stories.
Meet Felicity:
This is a good story to introduce Felicity's character and the world she lives in. It talks very little of the political tension during the time in this book, although it foreshadows that it will be a plotline in the series. I like how she starts the series seeming impatient and careless, and how she proves otherwise through the patience it took to get the horse to trust her. I liked how that was placed in the story, showing her growth through the book. It was a little slow compared to the others in this series, but was a good introduction to the character.
3/5 Stars
Felicity Learns a Lesson:
Felicity meets her best friend Elizabeth in this story, and gets her first dose of the political tension going on around her when she realizes that her father and Ben have different views than Elizabeth and her sister. She is conflicted because she believes that in order to be friends with someone you must have to have similar opinions on things, but learns through the book that this is not true. I love how when Felicity asks her father what side she should be on, he tells her that is a decision only she should make. Her revolutionary decision to refuse tea politely at her tea lesson was her answer to this decision. I love this book! The lesson is so relevant today, and Elizabeth is the perfect friend to Felicity's wild spirit.
5/5 Stars
Felicity's Surprise
The Christmas books are always some of my favorites in the American Girl series! This one has special memories for me because I remember reading it with my mom at Christmas when I was little. This story is very sweet. Felicity gets the opportunity to go to the Governor's special Christmas ball and her mother offers to make her dream dress. But when her mother gets sick, everything that was once priority to Felicity suddenly shifts, realizing what is now most important. This story has all the makings of a sweet Christmas book, and will always be one of my favorites.
5/5 Stars
Happy Birthday, Felicity!
I actually didn't remember this one when I read it. It was alright. The first bit was pretty slow. Felicity proved to be irresponsible after disobeying her mother and grandfather by taking the guitar she received for her birthday to school to make Annabel jealous. While at the Cole's house, she overhears talk of a raid that would take place that night against the Patriots. Felicity tries to warn her father who doesn't believe her because of her previous disobedience. Felicity once again disobeys her parents by sneaking out to warn others of this raid. When these rumors turn out to be true, Felicity is rewarded by her father for disobeying him because it was the right thing to do...
3/5 Stars
Felicity Saves the Day
Felicity visits her grandfather's plantation outside of Yorktown during the summer. She gets the surprise of her life when Penny, the horse she helped escape shows up at the plantation. It seems a little over the top to believe the horse made its way back into her life, but I am happy that this storyline was resolved in a sweet way. The real storyline of this book though, is that Ben, Mr. Merriman's sixteen year old apprentice runs away. Felicity finds him injured after attempting to join George Washington's army. Felicity convinces him to come back home, and helps Ben and her father make amends. This book was pretty good. I liked that it took place outside of Williamsburg. It was exciting and I liked the development of Ben's character throughout this series. His climax is defiantly in this story.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Changes for Felicity
Again, I don't actually remember this one. I'm sure I read it as a kid, it was just not one that stood out to me, but it actually was a really good conclusion to this series. Elizabeth's father is placed in jail because of his loyalist views, and Felicity is confused as to why people she saw as her allies were hurting the people she loved. She is also dealing with the pain that comes from a dying relative, and learning that the war will test her and her family for awhile to come. Although this story seemed really short compared to the others, it was a wonderful way to conclude the series. Although we don't see how the war itself will effect Felicity, we know that she will change as a person because of it.
Rating 5/5 stars
Final Rating: 4/5 Stars
This is clearly a children's series, but I don't care that I am now like 3x the age of the average reader of this series. These books will always carry a special place in my heart because they introduced me to history. And for that reason, I will always remember these sweet little stories.
August 12, 2025
I love these books, the history they give kids within the art of storytelling that’s appropriate for their ages! Honestly, as a kid I just enjoyed the stories of these girls and having the time with my mom. As an adult I love how they weave in true historical events that we can discuss! So special having this time with Rose. :) onto the next one.
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