Never Stop Singing: A Melody Classic Volume 2

American Girl: Melody #2

by Denise Lewis Patrick, Juliana Kolesova (Illustrator)

Melody Ellison just turned ten, and she's dreaming of new ways to make her community a better place! When her pastor issues a New Year's challenge, she decides to fix up a neighborhood playground and plant a garden. But when her friends put her in charge, Melody finds out just how hard it can be to lead. From opportunities of a lifetime in Motown, to learning what it means to not give up in the face of setbacks and adversity, Melody discovers that working together makes everyone stronger.

This second volume of Melody's classic stories tells how Melody strives to make justice, equality, and dignity grow in her community.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Middle Grade, Childrens, Juvenile, African American, Fiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2016

Reviews

[QNPoohBear]

This is a great entry in the American Girl series. It handles the Civil Rights and current events topics in an age appropriate manner, though because of the subject matter, the story reads a bit more like a young adult novel than a middle grades book. I liked Melody and her lovely, lively family. Melody's efforts to improve her community are easily relatable for kids today and show kids can accomplish anything if they work hard. This plot is similar to GOTY Lanie but is much better written and more realistic. I also liked the other ways that the characters fight injustice in their community. I was worried about the music studio plot being a little too fantastical but within the context of the story, it fits and it's only a small part of the story. I did expect the trip to Alabama to be a larger part of the story and it didn't really fit the rest of the plot though it is a good lesson on memory and the meaning of home. The one thing I didn't really like was the heavy handed gardening metaphor but I don't know if kids pick up on that sort of thing.

This series is far more realistic than Maryellen's 1950s sitcom style books and more along the lines of the old Pleasant Company books, especially Addy's stories.

[Clara]

I think the Melody books are my favorite new AG series!

[Katie]

The great AG marathon continues. Again, reading for the first time as an adult, inspired by the Dolls of Our Lives podcast.

I said that Melody's first book felt more like the story of the Ellison family through Melody's eyes. That continues here, but Melody feels more like the protagonist this time around, perhaps largely because of the leadership role she takes on in fixing up the local park.

Going in, I had the impression — book covers, doll accessories, AG's marketing, etc. — that Melody was about civil rights and Motown. What didn't come through at all, and are arguably more central to her stories, are the gardening and community organizing.

Of course, we know from Book 1 that the Motown singer angle is Dwayne's plotline. Melody gets to be involved in a really cool way in this book, but it really is just one chapter, same as the Langston Hughes signing is a chapter and the protest at Fieldston's is a chapter. I don't think Melody ever had accessories related to those plot points. Apparently she had a "block party set" for a hot minute, and some "travel essentials" that mysteriously don't include a version of the Green Book. I digress, but my point is that the actual focus of the book was a surprise to me; there was definitely a disconnect between the story and the marketing.

Here's what else stood out to me:

- The Ellison fam is still warm and supportive and lovely — a fictional family you'd want to be a part of. And now that they've been firmly introduced, it feels a little less like each member is checking a box in the 1960s Black Life curriculum.
- In particular, Mrs. Ellison's defense of Yvonne's civil rights work is #momgoals and made me tear up.
- I want to introduce Melody's sister Lila to the brilliant ladies of Hidden Figures.
- Outsized influence or not, the Motown piece was really cool.
- Melody is a true plant mom and it is an absolute travesty that her collection doesn't represent that at all.
- The journey of the Junior Block Club is really great.

The style of these books is a significant departure from older AG series, and like so many of the more recent characters, Melody seems to have no flaws? But she's very likable, the books are fun and readable, and I'd be happy to spend more time with these characters.


More Melody babble

No Ordinary Sound | Never Stop Singing

Melody: My Diary

The Lady’s Slipper

[Abra]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved reading more of Melody's story and thought it was wonderful how the author included so many positive and successful African American role models from history in the story. This book was very educational and has such a positive message for young people. Melody and her family and friends overcame many challenges and they never gave up! They have faith in God and each other during their fight for civil rights. This is definitely a story worth sharing.

[RaspberryRoses]

Another really excellent one. Although I question why the title is "never stop singing", since... it's not really *that* focused on singing?

And I do like that about it, tbh. I really like that singing is allowed to be important to Melody while also not being something she wants to pursue professionally - she loves doing it in church, and it is very meaningful to her and her family. But it's also just a hobby! As somebody who did a lot of theater as a kid and was constantly told that I should do it professionally (and never wanted to do that), I dunno. It was a neat little part of the narrative. But it does make it confusing as to why her books are so singing-branded, when they're really more about activism and community and gardening.

I think it was a bit odd to gloss over the assassination of JFK so much - but I suppose they did have a *lot* of history to pack into these books.

My only other quibble is that it feels like Melody is a bit more of a 'flat' character then other past protagonists - she doesn't really have many flaws. Which like... narratively, I wish she did. But also, it feels like oftentimes AG's idea of giving flaws to a girl is to make her do something wildly dangerous. Which just makes me stressed tbh.

[Sadie]

I thought this book was really great and scarily pertinent to today’s US. The author did a great job of humanizing these historical events. My only critique was that I was left curious if the block club’s picketing worked at their local store!

[Rachel B]

Melody's last book was so powerful that I couldn't imagine the second one could live up to my hopes...but I was not disappointed in the slightest! This book was also extremely powerful, and I loved how it showed Melody taking on a leadership role in her change making efforts, while also continuing to engage in collective action with her family and community. The lessons about uniting with others to make change (and how part of being a leader is helping each person use their own unique strengths) is such a lovely one. Her family and community are so supportive of one another, and I love to see them working together, and I love that Melody loves them all working together too.

And it was just a joy to get to spend another 150+ pages with Melody and her wonderful family. There were so many sweet moments between them, from Poppa calling New Year's Eve "Melody's Eve," to Melody sitting on Big Momma's lap and thinking either Big Momma's lap is getting smaller or she's getting bigger, to Dwayne inviting Melody to sing with him, to Yvonne encouraging Melody with the playground. I also appreciated Poppa explaining the Watch Day tradition, since I had never heard of that before. I just love all of them so much.

Also, I love that this book doesn't only focus on discrimination and prejudice, but also shows many other aspects of Black culture and incredible inspiring Black people, like Langston Hughes and all of the people Melody includes on her black history poster. It strikes an excellent balance between showing the real systemic injustices that Melody has to deal with and her and her community's reactions to it (e.g. the boycott of Fieldston's, the padlock on the playground, housing discrimination) while also giving Melody moments to garden, hang out with her friends, sing backup for Dwayne, read cool books by Black authors, and celebrate Black history.

I loved this book starting off with Melody and Yvonne talking about the Birmingham church bombing and Yvonne saying she was also scared and she was going to Birmingham the very next weekend and worried about something happening to her and her friends. I loved her then saying, "Then I remembered Mom telling me that I should always stand up to wrong. Bombing that church was wrong. Treating black people unfairly is wrong. So I decided that I had to go to Birmingham and support what I believe in, you know?" What a brave girl!!! Every real Black person in Yvonne's situation was having to make such brave decisions well beyond what they should have had to. Yvonne just wanted to help her community; she shouldn't have had to risk her life to do so.

I loved how that conversation reduced Melody's shame about her reaction to the bombing, both by showing her that even her older sister who she admires so much was also scared, and also by Yvonne turning Melody's reaction into a positive attribute, helping her see that she was strong and brave and thinking about other people and responsible and grown up. Melody's family pushing through their fear is so awe-inspiring, especially for Melody as a nine-year-old (turning ten in this book!). I'm also glad Melody was able to talk about it with her friends and feel less alone, and that church makes her feel safe now rather than scared.

This book gave me so much to reflect on with my own activism. I want to think I too would have been one of the college students who went down to Mississippi to help Black people register to vote...but maybe I wouldn't have been. Maybe I wouldn't have been as brave as Yvonne. Maybe I would have let my fear win. I think about the situations I'm in now and how much risk or danger I am willing to expose myself to in order to make a difference and help my community, and I realize that I am not always acting like Yvonne does, even though she is doing what I think is the highest moral duty. She's inspired me to reflect more on my own life and how I can be more like her.

Yvonne is such a badass for going to Mississippi, and I'm glad her parents were supportive, even though it was obviously extremely dangerous (as we see later in the book). And I love Melody being inspired by Yvonne for her own school project! This is another thing I love about these books, how one person's actions can ripple outwards and inspire others to make a difference. Similarly, I love Melody singing "We Shall Overcome" at the school assembly and both finding strength in that song and giving it to others through her voice. It was SO POWERFUL!

I loved getting to see the consequences of Melody's experience in the last book being discriminated against at Fieldston's. I loved her speaking about it to the Block Club and this leading her family and friends to start a boycott, and Melody wanting to be part of it, and her being inspired by her sister (knowing she would be proud) and her mom (her mom telling her that money speaks too). I loved Melody going to the protest and joining in singing the protest song, and I loved that Dwayne went too and that he had changed his mind about participating in activism, based on his experiences being discriminated against even touring with his Motown group. But I like that the book is still realistic about portraying the diverse views people have about protest; for example, Charles supports equal rights but doesn't want to participate in protests due to his experiences in Alabama. The book's depiction continues to feel very real and "lived in" to me.

And I loved Melody realizing the power of her own experiences to shape her actions, and of her actions to shape the world. I loved this line: "Melody realized that because of her own experience at Fieldston’s, she was connected to people she would never know: the people from the past who had been treated unfairly, just as she and Dwayne had been, and people in the future. After all, if their boycott was a success, Fieldston’s would change." And I also loved: "The next day at church, Melody’s legs were tired from walking, and her arms were tired from holding up her protest sign. But her heart felt stronger because she had been part of something she believed in." Melody is just so wonderful!

I love Melody's idea to fix the playground, and how she realizes that most people don't have enough room in their backyards for their own swings, so having a collective playground for anyone to use is important. I love her asking her friends and grownups to help, and I love that Yvonne encourages Melody to get help from a grownup rather than her feeling like she has to do it all alone. I love Miss Esther helping her develop a wish list and her whole family being so supportive. And in general I love that Melody, acts with her community, not alone like, say, Felicity.

I love Melody learning to be a leader while also accepting help from others. I liked that she made mistakes and forgot to do/bring things, but she learned from those experiences. I liked Poppa teaching her how to delegate and that she doesn't need to do everything alone, and that part of being a leader is seeing other people's skills and supporting them in contributing.

I liked Melody writing to the parks commissioner, but I was so sad on her behalf when he said there was no money to replace the swing set, and then I was ANGRY on her behalf when she found the park closed entirely. It made sense to me that Melody was blaming herself, but I was glad her mom reassured her that it wasn't her fault. I loved that Melody's response was anger at the injustice and that she used the anger to propel her actions. I also appreciated that the depiction of Melody's activism was realistic. She encountered real barriers and had to figure things out anyway, and the barriers aren’t just one mean person but structural and systemic barriers. This is a much more enjoyable type of story for me than person vs. nature (like Kirsten Saves the Day or Samantha Saves the Day) or the kind of story where everything gets resolved too neatly without any barriers (like Maritza's book).

I love that Melody's activism is always directed towards helping her community as a whole. It’s not just about her family or about an individual person like Nellie or a horse like Penny; it’s about making the whole community and world a better place. She is such a wonderful girl, and I'm sure she does amazing things as a teenager and an adult too! I love Yvonne saying Melody inspired her and is her role model because Melody was willing to try something she’d never done before. Melody inspires me too! I just love how Melody’s siblings genuinely respect her rather than seeing her as just a baby.

I literally said out loud, "SMART GIRL!" when Melody thought of how to let other people know about the park so they can write letters to the parks commissioner too. I love Melody realizing that problems sometimes need a lot of hands on deck to solve, but that she is capable of mobilizing those hands. I love that she didn't give up even when she experienced setbacks, and I love that it worked! I love her figuring out what is in her sphere of influence and using that sphere to build community support for her idea.

All of the other plot lines felt satisfactorily resolved. I loved the sweet moments between Dwayne and Melody in this book. I loved Dwayne surprising Melody on the birthday and bringing her the autographed record, and I loved him asking her to sing backup at the Motown studio and letting Val and Sharon and Lila dance. I loved that Val's family getting support from the Fair Housing Committee that helped them find a home, and I loved the scene of Melody helping Val move in. Val's feeling of not having a community was realistic and sensitively portrayed, so it was really nice to see her settle into her new home and also join Melody on the trip back to Alabama. Side note: It's wild to me how much energy black people had to expend to do basic things like shop in a store or buy a house and how there are even organizations set up to help them do those things. I can't even imagine all the things Black people could have directed their energy towards if not for racism, and all the incredible accomplishments they would have had.

I loved Poppa's story about the farm and how he passed it on to his grandchildren, and I loved Dwayne relating to it and reconciling with his father. I loved their trip to Alabama, although it was shorter than I had expected. The scene of them going to the farm and finding that most of the things Poppa remembered were gone was so poignant, but I love how Melody's mom oriented herself to the environment and was able to remember where things were.

I had forgotten about the three civil rights workers going missing in Mississippi was around this time in the summer of 1964, and my heart went out to Melody for worrying so much about Yvonne, and also to brave Yvonne for going down to Mississippi anyway. I loved Melody’s mom’s answer to whether she wants Yvonne to come home: “Even if I did, Melody, Yvonne is a strong person, and she makes her own choices now. The work she’s decided to do is very important, but the struggle for justice isn’t easy. Your sister is becoming a grown-up.”

When Yvonne was arrested in Mississippi, I literally gasped and said out loud, "OH NO!" I was so worried about her!!! I'm glad she was okay, but also, she is so incredibly brave. I was so impressed that she wanted to go back even after being arrested and hurt, and I love Melody saying, “Mommy, didn’t you say that Yvonne was old enough to make her own choices?” I loved her mom being proud of Yvonne, even if she was so worried about her. I liked that Val’s parents and Melody’s parents have a realistic conversation about protecting and sheltering their kids vs making the world better for their kids and future kids. I love Melody’s parents being so proud of her and her sister and supporting their activism, even if it might put them in danger.

Melody thinking what good is the Civil Rights Act if it can’t keep people safe is the million dollar question, and I was impressed that she was analyzing things like that - that's why Yvonne was going to Mississippi in the first place, to help the words of this law be realized. I was honestly just so touched by Yvonne's courage and to think of all the real people who made the same scary journey she did, because they were committed to making the world a better and fairer place. I'm going to reflect a lot on this in my own life and work. I want to be more like Yvonne - and like Melody!

Overall, this book was a wonderful continuation of Melody's stories. I'm sad there isn't more to read (other than I guess the choose your own adventure book). I would have read many more books about Melody and her wonderful family if the author had written them! Melody is just such a lovely girl, and in this book she grows up and shows leadership and responsibility and maturity. Five full stars (I'd give it more if I could!).

[Meghan]

As with the previous book, I wish more aspects of the 1960’s had been explored in addition to the Civil Rights Movement. JFK’s assassination occurred between the two, and I would have liked to have seen a little more on that than what we got. Sometimes the book took on such an educational tone that the story wasn’t as immersive.

[Aimee]

I feel like I was harsh on my initial criticism of this series (and the first collection). Yes, some event did seem skimmed over or like quickly mentioned that it happened in passing - but that’s very typical of many AG books. Melody’s whole story was really solid. She’s definitely in my top AG characters. So much was packed in here and I love that they addressed sooo many tough topics, while also giving Melody time to shine in her own way. The thing that really got me about her stories was the family aspect. I don’t think any AG story has made me feel as invested in a family as hers did. I loved that you didn’t only get to know Melody but everyone in her family as well. You really fall in love with the Ellisons and how strong they stand together.

[Abigail F]

A fantastic follow-up to "No Ordinary Sound." This book really delved into ways that everyone, including children, can make a difference in their community and help move the USA towards actual equality for all. All of our voices matter, and we can all find ways to brighten our communities. This book also highlighted why Civil Rights activists -- both black and white -- were so brave through the true story of Civil Rights activists Andrew Goodman, James Cheney, and Michael Schwerner. On a brighter note, I loved learning a bit more about Motown and Detroit in the 1960s! Another must-read for middle graders!

[Danielle T]

I really liked this- addressed a LOT of the things going on in 1964, but written for a middle-grade reader. It resonates a lot with today's times because unfortunately, we STILL have the same issues about discrimination against Black people in the United States. The project to restore the park shows actions that kids can take, including how to do a group project by dividing into strength, when to ask for adult help, etc.

Unfortunately, American Girl wikia doesn't have information on changes in the abridged books for either Melody novel, but I don't feel like I lost anything (and again, really appreciated having illustrations like the classic AG historical novels.)

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader)]

5 stars. Loved these books! Book one is a bit better but this was still wonderful as well. It felt less focused but that’s because it’s essentially Melody’s ‘Happy Birthday’, ‘Saves the Day’ and ‘Changes’ books rolled into one and the plot didn’t always flow as smoothly. Besides that I continue to absolutely adore Melody’s character and her family. She’s such a natural born leader and she’s one of those character’s that you just know if she were real would grow up and do amazing things in life. Definitely up there as some of my favorite books from AG.

[Kimberly Brown]

I love the way the AG books thoughtfully pick out time and locations for their characters. Melody is in Detroit for 1963-1964, and through her, we are able to process all of the major civil rights events and injustices of those years. Motown is woven in, plus lyrics for songs like Lift Every Voice and Sing and We Shall Overcome. I really feel like this book set made the civil rights movement of that era come to life, plus lots of good classroom discussion on how we can do better today.

[Emily]

I could never get into this book. It taught us stuff about the time which was nice but I just felt like the same events were happening the entire time. Nothing particularly interesting or exciting happened. It was great to see the kids give back to the community but there was just no need for all those pages to be dedicated to telling just that story. I was disappointed with the melody books :/

[Erin]

I've been impressed with the amount of historical detail crammed into these two books. Local trivia plus historical information layer on top of Melody's own story, which is fun and positive in its own right.

[Kelly]

I loved this! It seems a little scattered as it covers eight months time but all the pieces fit together well. I relate to Melody so much. She wants to make her community stronger as do I! I think this is one of the best AG books yet.

[hayden byler]

I love this book! This doll is amazing, and her story is so interesting! Even if you don’t like reading about the past, this is a story about friends, family, and making things right. I definitely recommend reading this book!

[Katie]

Melody cleans up a neighborhood park with her friends, records backup for her brother's record, visits relatives in Mississippi, and her sister gets arrested while participating in Freedom Schools in Alabama. I wish these were separate books.

[Skylar Newbury]

REVIEW TO COME

[Melody Schwarting]

Loved the community and church focus in this one, and the appropriately-leveled realism about being Black in America in the 1960s.

[Avery Denault]

I like that melody had to face a lot of hard things but still kept singing.

[HannahBeth]

I like Melody. She seems more real and so does her family. She struggles and learns. She has more than one interest.

[Melissa Brooks]

This was great sequel. I can't wait to read more bout melody

[SashayChantea]

So good ! I had no idea how well developed Melody's story is. Definitely slept on

[Elsie]

I gotta keep up to date on the recent American girl doll literature

[Ellen]

love this! definitely not as emotionally impactful as the first one but a gorgeous step by step guide for kids to take action in their communities

[Jessica Arend]

One of the best AG books I've ever read! It's up there with Addy's series!

[Kaitlyn]

5 stars

Review to come

[Annie]

4.5

[Danielle]

This volume was arguably less intense than the first, but I really enjoyed how Melody and her friends teamed up to support the community.