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American Girl: Julie #1
Meet Julie: An American Girl
In 1974, after Julie's parents divorce, she moves to a new San Francisco neighborhood where the school does not have a girls' basketball team, so she fights for the right to play on the boys' team.
92 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2007
45 people are currently reading
1557 people want to read
About the author
Megan McDonald
295 books736 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 208 reviews
December 7, 2010
I decided to "Meet Julie" when my daughter, who is rapidly approaching her eighth birthday, scanned through the "Historical Character" section of the American Girl website and got all excited about this character and the year 1974 . . . the year I was born. Well. That's enough to plunge anyone into a midlife crisis: I mean, seriously, "historical"? Looking at Julie, I noticed that she comes wearing a turtleneck I used to actually own, has the same hair I had, and is living in San Francisco, just a few hundred miles north of where I was living at that age, San Diego. It's probably (wait, who am I kidding -- I've lived my life -- it's DEFINITELY) the closest I'll ever get to seeing myself in a wax museum and it was creepy. Anyway, having all my dreams of stitching samplers (Felicity) or learning Spanish (Josefina) with my daughter shattered, I got the book to see what might be in store. Here is a sample:
Not that Julie doesn't have bigger problems: her parents have recently divorced, she's the new girl in town, and she's going to need Title Nine to help her achieve her basketball dreams. But reading Megan McDonald's (of Judy Moody fame) version of my childhood to my daughter is -- well, it's weird, not to mention bland, by-the-numbers writing. Maybe the problem of my whole American Doll idea was that I was going to carefully worm an Educational Experience into my child's life. Now that it's both trite and personal, I can't bring myself to do it.
For my eighth birthday, I went to the zoo (that's what we used to do back then); I remember it because we went to the San Diego Zoo and I got to go on an elephant ride. If my daughter wants to have a similar experience, we'll do it -- and if she wants me to show her how to macrame a plant holder or make a friendship bracelet, we can do that too -- no book necessary. No need to "Meet Julie."
"Class," said Ms. Hunter. "President Ford is about to sign a bill that will soon have the whole country using the metric system. It's what the rest of the world uses. Australia and New Zealand have converted. The metric system is taking over the world, and we Americans don't want to be left behind."
Julie sighed. Millimeters? Decimeters? What's wrong with good old inches? she wondered as she picked up T.J.'s ruler. She felt just inches away from throwing up her hands in frustration. Or was it centimeters?
Not that Julie doesn't have bigger problems: her parents have recently divorced, she's the new girl in town, and she's going to need Title Nine to help her achieve her basketball dreams. But reading Megan McDonald's (of Judy Moody fame) version of my childhood to my daughter is -- well, it's weird, not to mention bland, by-the-numbers writing. Maybe the problem of my whole American Doll idea was that I was going to carefully worm an Educational Experience into my child's life. Now that it's both trite and personal, I can't bring myself to do it.
For my eighth birthday, I went to the zoo (that's what we used to do back then); I remember it because we went to the San Diego Zoo and I got to go on an elephant ride. If my daughter wants to have a similar experience, we'll do it -- and if she wants me to show her how to macrame a plant holder or make a friendship bracelet, we can do that too -- no book necessary. No need to "Meet Julie."
November 10, 2012
After having read some of the negative reviews I kind of imagined reading this book and thinking it wouldn't have terribly much for my daughter. Having been born after Julie, I'm not sure I have the same problem with feeling old and that the 1970s aren't really history as some parents. Julie would only be 47-48 this year, so for some parents it's entirely possible that their children have read these books and learned about their mother's childhood, but not mine. When I was in school we learned about classic rock (rock from the 60s and 70s) and that entire era was before my time. I would think the book might have some kind of historical significance to kids because it's hitting the point that this might be their grandparents' generation, not theirs.
This book clearly illustrates that things were different in the 1970s than when even I was growing up. Just looking at some of what was going on then, it's understandable how a child might take some part of American history out of it. They touch upon the Vietnam War. They talk about women's rights. Title 9 was still a pretty big and new thing. As much as I hear parents outraged that Julie didn't just demand to play because it was federal law to allow her, that's not exactly how things worked. From my own research there were a lot of girls that wanted to play and weren't allowed to because the schools didn't really care about Title 9. Unless a complaint was made or someone made a fuss, it often got ignored. In today's level of equality that's something hard to understand. It helps for girls to know exactly how hard of a fight women had to gain equality so they appreciate the rights they've been granted.
Not only is Julie's story about a period of history, but it's also just like all the other American Girl stories. Julie has a huge challenge in her life, even if it is something we take for granted in modern America. She has to fight to overcome that challenge in the face of everyone looking down on her. Playing basketball on the boys' team means going against a coach who doesn't want her to play. It means her father's disapproval. The girls in school call her a tomboy. She ends up losing her friendship with her best friend. On top of that, she's already got it rough because her parents are divorced. This has meant moving across town for starters. As if that wasn't enough, the girls in school whisper behind her back and she's completely embarrassed by the business her mother started to support them, even though the other kids unexpectedly find it cool.
What I like best about this book is how well you can almost feel the changes going on in the country. It's right in the middle of women gaining more acceptance. As Julie's mom pointed out, it was only 40 years prior that women were finally granted the right to vote. Now women are starting to fight to gain their independence from men to the point where they can be self-sufficient creatures. Divorce, while still not common and highly looked down on is becoming more prevalent. Women are starting to not only be able to accept the same jobs as men with better pay than their previous jobs afforded, but they're also able to run their own businesses. It's one of the first periods in history where a woman truly doesn't need a man in her life to be successful. It's obviously not easy on Julie's whole family, but you get to see a role model of a strong, independent, and self-sufficient woman for the first time in possibly the whole American Girl's series, at least the series I've read so far.
The American Girl books aren't just about creating interesting characters from history. They're also about teaching girls not to settle for less than the best. They teach girls that they truly can be anything they want to be, and to fight against the oppression women have faced through the ages. All of these girls are strong willed, daring, and have beliefs that they stand for. Sure, Julie's struggle to be treated equally as a boy may not sound as impressive as dealing with child labor laws, being a run-away slave, or refusing tea in support of the Boston Tea Party, but she stood up for something she believed in, and this time period was the first time in history where a woman was able to make such a bold move. Once again I'm impressed with the American Girl series and their ability to show girls that whatever their goals are, they can find a way to make it happen. They just have to work hard enough.
This book clearly illustrates that things were different in the 1970s than when even I was growing up. Just looking at some of what was going on then, it's understandable how a child might take some part of American history out of it. They touch upon the Vietnam War. They talk about women's rights. Title 9 was still a pretty big and new thing. As much as I hear parents outraged that Julie didn't just demand to play because it was federal law to allow her, that's not exactly how things worked. From my own research there were a lot of girls that wanted to play and weren't allowed to because the schools didn't really care about Title 9. Unless a complaint was made or someone made a fuss, it often got ignored. In today's level of equality that's something hard to understand. It helps for girls to know exactly how hard of a fight women had to gain equality so they appreciate the rights they've been granted.
Not only is Julie's story about a period of history, but it's also just like all the other American Girl stories. Julie has a huge challenge in her life, even if it is something we take for granted in modern America. She has to fight to overcome that challenge in the face of everyone looking down on her. Playing basketball on the boys' team means going against a coach who doesn't want her to play. It means her father's disapproval. The girls in school call her a tomboy. She ends up losing her friendship with her best friend. On top of that, she's already got it rough because her parents are divorced. This has meant moving across town for starters. As if that wasn't enough, the girls in school whisper behind her back and she's completely embarrassed by the business her mother started to support them, even though the other kids unexpectedly find it cool.
What I like best about this book is how well you can almost feel the changes going on in the country. It's right in the middle of women gaining more acceptance. As Julie's mom pointed out, it was only 40 years prior that women were finally granted the right to vote. Now women are starting to fight to gain their independence from men to the point where they can be self-sufficient creatures. Divorce, while still not common and highly looked down on is becoming more prevalent. Women are starting to not only be able to accept the same jobs as men with better pay than their previous jobs afforded, but they're also able to run their own businesses. It's one of the first periods in history where a woman truly doesn't need a man in her life to be successful. It's obviously not easy on Julie's whole family, but you get to see a role model of a strong, independent, and self-sufficient woman for the first time in possibly the whole American Girl's series, at least the series I've read so far.
The American Girl books aren't just about creating interesting characters from history. They're also about teaching girls not to settle for less than the best. They teach girls that they truly can be anything they want to be, and to fight against the oppression women have faced through the ages. All of these girls are strong willed, daring, and have beliefs that they stand for. Sure, Julie's struggle to be treated equally as a boy may not sound as impressive as dealing with child labor laws, being a run-away slave, or refusing tea in support of the Boston Tea Party, but she stood up for something she believed in, and this time period was the first time in history where a woman was able to make such a bold move. Once again I'm impressed with the American Girl series and their ability to show girls that whatever their goals are, they can find a way to make it happen. They just have to work hard enough.
January 8, 2024
julie is so fun!! grass roots organizing queen! also, ivy is so cute, love their friendship. excited to read the rest again, i remember so little about these ones from when i was a kid!
December 15, 2011
julie is one of the newer historical american girls. i believe she was introduced in 2007. the fact that she is historical is a source of some controversy, as her era in 1974. yeah. five years before i was born. it's weird. the idea of little girls in the year 2011 going out & buying a 70s-style doll with a long side braid & a tacky turtleneck & then outfitting her with a lava lamp, an awful rug shaped like a foot, & a basketball set straight out of the harlem globetrotters' locker room is pretty horrifying.
plus, her story isn't that great. while other historical characters are preparing for the revolutionary war or escaping from slavery, julie is bummed out because her parents are getting divorced. apparently julie's dad is a bit of a stick in the mud. he is portrayed as conservative, supportive of nixon, & an airline pilot. julie's mom is more influenced by the hippies: she wears her hair long, she is friends with a grizzled activist veteran in the neighborhood, & she runs a junk shop called gladrags. it's all a little embarrassing.
granted, in 1974, it was a bit unusual to have divorced parents--more unusual than it is today, anyway. but because divorce is so prevalent now, julie's story really pales in comparison to the woes of some of the other characters.
her B-plot is that she likes to play basketball, & her new school offers a basketball team for older kids (fourth, fifth, & sixth graders). julie decides to sign up, but when she stops by the coach's office to do so, he tells her to get lost because no girl is going to be playing on his team. all i could imagine during his scenes was biff from "back to the future". his name is even coach manley. i mean...really?
at first julie is cowed & disappointed, but then she remembers reading something in the newspaper (nine-year-olds read newspapers?) about a new piece of legislation that mandates that girls be allowed to play on boys' teams if their schools don't offer teams specifically for girls. she brings this to coach manley's attention, but he blows her off. again...really? i mean, maybe this is historically accurate but it's really difficult for me to imagine someone engaging in such a blatant act of illegal discrimination. rather than point this out or get an adult to do so, julie takes a page from the book of the activist veteran & writes up a petition. she gets 150 signatures from folks in the neighborhood that support julie's right to play on the boys' team. but when she presents it to the coach, he throws it away. so julie digs through the trash after school, recovers it, & presents it to the principal.
the principal, rather than saying something like, "it is crucial for us to be in compliance with federal law in order to maintain our funding, so yes, you can play on the team & the coach will be severely reprimanded if not fired for this act of egregious discrimination," instead says, "i like basketball too. & i like your moxie, kid. you've got a spot on the team!" it really seemed like he just said yes because he was impressed with julie's determination, as evidenced by the petition, & not because IT'S THE FUCKING LAW. WTF, book? this was weird. a person should not have to earn the right to have the law apply to them.
plus, her story isn't that great. while other historical characters are preparing for the revolutionary war or escaping from slavery, julie is bummed out because her parents are getting divorced. apparently julie's dad is a bit of a stick in the mud. he is portrayed as conservative, supportive of nixon, & an airline pilot. julie's mom is more influenced by the hippies: she wears her hair long, she is friends with a grizzled activist veteran in the neighborhood, & she runs a junk shop called gladrags. it's all a little embarrassing.
granted, in 1974, it was a bit unusual to have divorced parents--more unusual than it is today, anyway. but because divorce is so prevalent now, julie's story really pales in comparison to the woes of some of the other characters.
her B-plot is that she likes to play basketball, & her new school offers a basketball team for older kids (fourth, fifth, & sixth graders). julie decides to sign up, but when she stops by the coach's office to do so, he tells her to get lost because no girl is going to be playing on his team. all i could imagine during his scenes was biff from "back to the future". his name is even coach manley. i mean...really?
at first julie is cowed & disappointed, but then she remembers reading something in the newspaper (nine-year-olds read newspapers?) about a new piece of legislation that mandates that girls be allowed to play on boys' teams if their schools don't offer teams specifically for girls. she brings this to coach manley's attention, but he blows her off. again...really? i mean, maybe this is historically accurate but it's really difficult for me to imagine someone engaging in such a blatant act of illegal discrimination. rather than point this out or get an adult to do so, julie takes a page from the book of the activist veteran & writes up a petition. she gets 150 signatures from folks in the neighborhood that support julie's right to play on the boys' team. but when she presents it to the coach, he throws it away. so julie digs through the trash after school, recovers it, & presents it to the principal.
the principal, rather than saying something like, "it is crucial for us to be in compliance with federal law in order to maintain our funding, so yes, you can play on the team & the coach will be severely reprimanded if not fired for this act of egregious discrimination," instead says, "i like basketball too. & i like your moxie, kid. you've got a spot on the team!" it really seemed like he just said yes because he was impressed with julie's determination, as evidenced by the petition, & not because IT'S THE FUCKING LAW. WTF, book? this was weird. a person should not have to earn the right to have the law apply to them.
January 4, 2024
I adored this introduction into Julie’s world. I’ve always been a huge fan of Julie, but haven’t ever gotten around to reading her stories until now. I love how we’re introduced to such a strong, independent young woman as she fights for girls’ right to play sports. I especially enjoyed her petition to “Let Girls Play Too!” which reminded me of my own petition I started in elementary school! This book also introduces Title IX to young readers, which I thought was awesome.
June 5, 2008
While nothing earth-shattering happens here, the ups and downs of Julie's life will resonate as important to girls her age and her triumph in joining the basketball team is no small feat. The Julie series is the first of the American girl series to feature divorced parents and it has the most recent setting. In fact, other than some details like mood rings and the historical events mentioned (Vietnam, Title IX), the story doesn't feel like historical fiction at all. The book is clearly the start of a series and girls will want to read on to find out how Julie actually fares on her basketball team.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2021
I love that my 8 year old threw this book down in disgust. “I’m not reading one more word of this - she is so rude to her mother. “
We must pay attention what we feed the minds of our children. And I am so thankful that even in-spite of our love for most AG series, this was not one we wanted to travel down.
We must pay attention what we feed the minds of our children. And I am so thankful that even in-spite of our love for most AG series, this was not one we wanted to travel down.
January 22, 2024
I remember this story well because Julie only further fueled my love of basketball as a preteen :) I love all of the seventies references! I also love Julie's sister Tracy, she seems so great and I love her relationship with Julie--the scene where she took her to get cupcakes to study the state capitals <3
September 6, 2023
I'll do a proper review when I finish the whole series, but I liked this one more than I had expected to. I was worried that McDonald would take a heavy hand with the 70s slang and trend, but she was actually pretty restrained.
ETA 11/5/12: After reading the rest of the series, plus Ivy's tie-in, I'm still pretty impressed. By the third book, I felt pretty confident in saying that the timeframe (mid-70s) was chosen so they could show a family navigating divorce. Here's the sad thing: the main storyline of the first book is Julie's attempts to play basketball with the boys. What's sad about that? The fact that it could have been written word for word the same in a contemporary book. The same goes for a lot of the plot developments, actually. In general, Julie's fairly likeable, and so is her family.
Re-read 2023: Reading this book again, a lot of odd things started to jump out at me. The resolution of the basketball plot feels sudden. It's kind of weird to have a left leaning character quote Nixon in 1974. And why did Julie's parents get divorced? There's no discussion about what the marriage or divorce was like, at all. The only hints that we get in this book are that Julie's older sister doesn't seem to care about seeing their dad, that their dad flakes out on an important event for Julie, and that he's not at all supportive when she tells him she wants to play basketball. It also feels weird that the father with weekend visits who is constantly away on business (he's a commercial pilot) got to keep the house in the divorce, but maybe that would have been more normal in the 70s?
ETA 11/5/12: After reading the rest of the series, plus Ivy's tie-in, I'm still pretty impressed. By the third book, I felt pretty confident in saying that the timeframe (mid-70s) was chosen so they could show a family navigating divorce. Here's the sad thing: the main storyline of the first book is Julie's attempts to play basketball with the boys. What's sad about that? The fact that it could have been written word for word the same in a contemporary book. The same goes for a lot of the plot developments, actually. In general, Julie's fairly likeable, and so is her family.
Re-read 2023: Reading this book again, a lot of odd things started to jump out at me. The resolution of the basketball plot feels sudden. It's kind of weird to have a left leaning character quote Nixon in 1974. And why did Julie's parents get divorced? There's no discussion about what the marriage or divorce was like, at all. The only hints that we get in this book are that Julie's older sister doesn't seem to care about seeing their dad, that their dad flakes out on an important event for Julie, and that he's not at all supportive when she tells him she wants to play basketball. It also feels weird that the father with weekend visits who is constantly away on business (he's a commercial pilot) got to keep the house in the divorce, but maybe that would have been more normal in the 70s?
August 14, 2020
I liked this much better yesterday than I did in 2007, but even though I enjoyed recognizing different period details that I didn't have an appreciation for back then, this is still only a two-star book for me. It educates children about Title IX and overcoming sexism, but the pacing is off, and it frustrates me that the author never explains why Julie's parents divorced, since this is so central to her emotional arc.
Mr. and Mrs. Albright's split has a huge effect on their children, and Julie struggles with the sense of stigma that this brings in her new school, but there is never any explanation of what their home life was like before, or why the parents separated. Were the parents fighting all the time? Did someone cheat? Did the mom just want to start over and have a new life without her husband? It's all up to the reader's speculation.
Since divorce is an earth-shattering event for any child and was especially difficult to navigate back then, it's strange that Julie never processes anything related to why the divorce happened, or what events led to this rupture in her family. She is a nice kid and a likable character, but this aspect of the story makes it hard for me to suspend disbelief, and because this book's near-history setting, mostly ordinary events, and uneven pacing don't offer much more, I still think that this book is merely okay.
Mr. and Mrs. Albright's split has a huge effect on their children, and Julie struggles with the sense of stigma that this brings in her new school, but there is never any explanation of what their home life was like before, or why the parents separated. Were the parents fighting all the time? Did someone cheat? Did the mom just want to start over and have a new life without her husband? It's all up to the reader's speculation.
Since divorce is an earth-shattering event for any child and was especially difficult to navigate back then, it's strange that Julie never processes anything related to why the divorce happened, or what events led to this rupture in her family. She is a nice kid and a likable character, but this aspect of the story makes it hard for me to suspend disbelief, and because this book's near-history setting, mostly ordinary events, and uneven pacing don't offer much more, I still think that this book is merely okay.
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January 1, 2023I needed to reach my goal ok
April 25, 2015
This rating is for Meet Julie as well as the rest of the Julie books.
Man, I don't know if it was the choice of decade or the choice of author or what, but this particular set of American Girls books was terrible. And that's not just me viewing my reading of older books in the franchise through nostalgic lenses. I read the Josefina books for the first time a few years ago for my master's paper, and those were great.
Julie is a 9-year-old girl living in San Francisco in 1975 (despite the cover saying "1974," the books really cover 1975-1976) and trying to deal with her parents' divorce. Divorce was much more taboo in the 70s than it is now and it still affects kids in a big way emotionally today, so I can sort of understand the big focus on the divorce aspect.
The problem is that none of the big defining issues of the 1970s are really something you can cover in six 96-page paperbacks. Watergate? Vietnam? The Cold War? None of that is anything that can really be covered in the simple, accessible, child-friendly way that the other American Girls characters' themes could. The Molly series did a good job covering World War II in a way a kid could understand it; the Kirsten series covered immigration struggles and pioneer life pretty well; the Addy series was excellent at covering slavery and emancipation... but this just fell flat.
Here is my summary of each Julie book.
Meet Julie: Julie is sad because she has to move when her parents get divorced, and she has to start a new school. Her sister Tracy won't talk to their dad - this and the fact that Mom moves out implies that Dad was the catalyst for the divorce. She rallies to join the basketball team at school and succeeds.
Julie Tells Her Story: Julie is still struggling with her parents' divorce in relation to a "The Worst Thing That Ever Happened To Me" assignment at school, because she has to read it aloud and worries her new friends will judge her for having divorced parents. She interviews her family and a lot of boring stuff happens, and in the end she reads her assignment aloud and Julie succeeds.
Happy New Year Julie: Julie is worried about Christmas because Tracy still won't talk to their dad and doesn't want anything to do with him. She celebrates Chinese New Year with her best friend Ivy and considers it a "new beginning" in her attitude about her parents' divorce. She succeeds in getting Tracy and Dad to make up.
Julie and the Eagles: Julie finds a baby bald eagle in the park that fell out of its nest and takes it to a conservation center. When she learns about the effect of deforestation on bald eagles, she holds a fundraiser to help them and saves the day.
Julie's Journey: Julie rides in a covered wagon train for the bicentennial, clashes with her cousin, fights with Tracy, and in the end gets to give some kind of document to the president. Boring, I skimmed this one.
Changes for Julie: Julie runs for president and is elected against all odds. Some "disabled kids are just like us!" stuff is included through Julie's relationship with deaf girl Joy, who is ostracized by the rest of the school. Somehow Julie is now fluent in sign language?
Man, I don't know if it was the choice of decade or the choice of author or what, but this particular set of American Girls books was terrible. And that's not just me viewing my reading of older books in the franchise through nostalgic lenses. I read the Josefina books for the first time a few years ago for my master's paper, and those were great.
Julie is a 9-year-old girl living in San Francisco in 1975 (despite the cover saying "1974," the books really cover 1975-1976) and trying to deal with her parents' divorce. Divorce was much more taboo in the 70s than it is now and it still affects kids in a big way emotionally today, so I can sort of understand the big focus on the divorce aspect.
The problem is that none of the big defining issues of the 1970s are really something you can cover in six 96-page paperbacks. Watergate? Vietnam? The Cold War? None of that is anything that can really be covered in the simple, accessible, child-friendly way that the other American Girls characters' themes could. The Molly series did a good job covering World War II in a way a kid could understand it; the Kirsten series covered immigration struggles and pioneer life pretty well; the Addy series was excellent at covering slavery and emancipation... but this just fell flat.
Here is my summary of each Julie book.
Meet Julie: Julie is sad because she has to move when her parents get divorced, and she has to start a new school. Her sister Tracy won't talk to their dad - this and the fact that Mom moves out implies that Dad was the catalyst for the divorce. She rallies to join the basketball team at school and succeeds.
Julie Tells Her Story: Julie is still struggling with her parents' divorce in relation to a "The Worst Thing That Ever Happened To Me" assignment at school, because she has to read it aloud and worries her new friends will judge her for having divorced parents. She interviews her family and a lot of boring stuff happens, and in the end she reads her assignment aloud and Julie succeeds.
Happy New Year Julie: Julie is worried about Christmas because Tracy still won't talk to their dad and doesn't want anything to do with him. She celebrates Chinese New Year with her best friend Ivy and considers it a "new beginning" in her attitude about her parents' divorce. She succeeds in getting Tracy and Dad to make up.
Julie and the Eagles: Julie finds a baby bald eagle in the park that fell out of its nest and takes it to a conservation center. When she learns about the effect of deforestation on bald eagles, she holds a fundraiser to help them and saves the day.
Julie's Journey: Julie rides in a covered wagon train for the bicentennial, clashes with her cousin, fights with Tracy, and in the end gets to give some kind of document to the president. Boring, I skimmed this one.
Changes for Julie: Julie runs for president and is elected against all odds. Some "disabled kids are just like us!" stuff is included through Julie's relationship with deaf girl Joy, who is ostracized by the rest of the school. Somehow Julie is now fluent in sign language?
August 12, 2023
Shortest book I’ve ever read, but overall not a bad Book
October 22, 2007
The new addition to the series. Is anyone surprised that yet another "American Girl" is white and has blonde hair? Apparently, after 1864 (when the Addy character's story takes place) America is only populated by white people.
Aside from that rant on the series as a whole (which I actually loved as a child) I wasn't too stirred by this one. It was written by the author of the Judy Moody books, and I like those. I think Judy's funny. I don't think Julie's funny, I think she's kind of boring and a 70s stereotype. But stereotyping seems to be the whole point of this series. And getting people to buy fake food for their dolls.
Aside from that rant on the series as a whole (which I actually loved as a child) I wasn't too stirred by this one. It was written by the author of the Judy Moody books, and I like those. I think Judy's funny. I don't think Julie's funny, I think she's kind of boring and a 70s stereotype. But stereotyping seems to be the whole point of this series. And getting people to buy fake food for their dolls.
August 3, 2015
I was skeptical of this book at first; did we really need another blond in the American girls canon to not relate to? But then I realized Julie, as the 1974 girl, is the one who can really tackle the complexities of divorce in a time period where everything seemed to be breaking apart (fun Watergate reference!). Julie's best friend Ivy, a Chinese-American, seems like a more interesting character choice (there is no Asian American historical girl), but in the simplicity of the AG world, I guess another white chick with problems will have to do.
March 31, 2012
I definitely didn't like this American Girl. The others deal with slavery, death, moving 6000mi to never return to their homeland, etc. she deals with a divorce.which i get is hard, but seriously. or if they want a character with a divorce, i would be interested what a divorce would be like in the 1800's or something. not the 70s, which is hardly historical, if at all
March 31, 2016
Definitely not in the same realm as the other American Girl books. 1974 wasn't so long ago, but the story could have been better than giving her a lava lamp and having her fight for equality against the boys. Hard to justify this as a piece of historical fiction.
April 6, 2018
Meet Julie is about a girl named
Julie. Her parents just got divorced
and she has to move away from her
dad her pet bunny and her best friend Ivy.
But later in the story it gets better and
Julie finds a new friend named Tj.
She also trys out for the basketball team
Overall it is a really good book and
Julie has a really fun personality and
I think that it is overall a really good book.
Julie. Her parents just got divorced
and she has to move away from her
dad her pet bunny and her best friend Ivy.
But later in the story it gets better and
Julie finds a new friend named Tj.
She also trys out for the basketball team
Overall it is a really good book and
Julie has a really fun personality and
I think that it is overall a really good book.
January 23, 2024
I first read the American Girl Julie books when I was about 12 and absolutely loved them! The Julie books along with the Samantha books were my favorite American Girl characters as a kid!
I actually just reread this book. I still found it to be a fun one!
I actually just reread this book. I still found it to be a fun one!
April 24, 2025
Julie is such a little feminist! She wants to play basketball and according to the newly passed Title IX law she should be allowed to at her federally funded school! Excited to see what her and Ivy get up to next!
August 27, 2025
It's a little on-the-nose that Julie goes up against Coach Manley, but I do appreciate how this takes place right after Title IX (which is unfortunately still relevant) was put into place and shows the stereotypical attitudes of the time.
January 8, 2020
I liked how she was able to change and play on the boys basketball team. I also liked how her friend signed a petition for friendship.
April 28, 2025
This needed more Ivy.
February 11, 2024
The great AG marathon continues. Again, reading for the first time as an adult.
Seventies styles don't have that much appeal to me personally, and the Julie doll has never really grabbed me, but you know what? Friends, I am really charmed by Julie. She seems like the kind of person who's easy to get along with and is good company for just about anything.
I'm equally charmed by Ivy. This friendship is really something special, and both girls seem to know it. I love the way they each have their own interests, but they also enjoy doing the other one's thing, just so they can do something together - Julie does gymnastics with Ivy, though it's clear Ivy's serious about it and Julie just does it to go along. Ivy's snit over the petition clearly stems from being tired and frustrated, not from any real grudge against basketball, so her apology "petition" strikes such a perfect note. They each care about things the other cares about, simply because the other one cares about it.
As a reader less than 20 years younger than Julie, here's what stands out:
- A few elements are clearly designed to be history lessons: Title IX coming into play, being the first girl in a sports setting, divorce still being somewhat taboo. Plus, in the background, veterans struggling after the Vietnam War.
- Lots of details are carefully chosen to reflect Julie's time and place. In some ways, this feels very familiar, not because it reflects my life, but because things I read as a kid would have been written around this time.
- The people feel real - they're not cardboard caricatures, except maybe for Coach Manley. (And wow, that name is a little too on-the-nose.)
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
Seventies styles don't have that much appeal to me personally, and the Julie doll has never really grabbed me, but you know what? Friends, I am really charmed by Julie. She seems like the kind of person who's easy to get along with and is good company for just about anything.
I'm equally charmed by Ivy. This friendship is really something special, and both girls seem to know it. I love the way they each have their own interests, but they also enjoy doing the other one's thing, just so they can do something together - Julie does gymnastics with Ivy, though it's clear Ivy's serious about it and Julie just does it to go along. Ivy's snit over the petition clearly stems from being tired and frustrated, not from any real grudge against basketball, so her apology "petition" strikes such a perfect note. They each care about things the other cares about, simply because the other one cares about it.
As a reader less than 20 years younger than Julie, here's what stands out:
- A few elements are clearly designed to be history lessons: Title IX coming into play, being the first girl in a sports setting, divorce still being somewhat taboo. Plus, in the background, veterans struggling after the Vietnam War.
- Lots of details are carefully chosen to reflect Julie's time and place. In some ways, this feels very familiar, not because it reflects my life, but because things I read as a kid would have been written around this time.
- The people feel real - they're not cardboard caricatures, except maybe for Coach Manley. (And wow, that name is a little too on-the-nose.)
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
August 19, 2016
Julie is the American Girl from the 1970's. She likely is just about the age I was back then. Which is a rather freaky thought, that a historical fiction character is my age! Since I wasn't athletic, I was not really conscious of Title Nine, but I would hear about it more and more in my teen years. Title Nine was the section that mandated boys and girls be treated the same way in sports, then I think in other fields. Julie made use of Title Nine to try and get on the basketball team. Will she succeed? Will she succeed and lose her best friend, Ivy? Read and find out!
Read
June 19, 2016I'm a long-time fan of the American Girl series, despite my age, but I didn't feel like I was stepping very far back into history with this one. It's set in 1974 and I was born just 8 years later, so obviously it wasn't a huge leap for me. Julie herself is interesting, though, as are her family and friends. I think she will make a good role model for girls. Overall, it's a nice series so far and a more familiar world than any described in previous American Girl books.
November 20, 2007
As a blonde children's librarian named Julie, I felt obligated to read at least the first in the new "Julie" American Girl series...so I read the first two. The books are cute and serve their purpose well. I can't say I'm itching to read the rest of the "Julie" books, but alas, I'm not 9 anymore either!
October 20, 2015
This book really gives me the feel of living in San Francisco in the 1970's. Julie is truly a very interesting girl, she loves mysteries, dogs, and her hamster Nutmeg.When she finds out she has to move into a small apartment above her moms store Glad Rags she is thrilled to solve more mysteries in her new home.
December 31, 2017
I felt like there were maybe too many 1970's references, which distracted from the flow of the story a little.
September 7, 2020
Man the 70’s were a horrible time to be alive. Glad I wasn’t alive back then. 🤔
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