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American Girl: Maryellen #2
Maryellen: Taking Off
Turning ten is a big deal, and Maryellen Larkin wants to celebrate it in a very special way. Will she choose a western theme or decide on a superstar celebration, or will the event turn out to be something even Maryellen doesn't expect? And which party participant surprises her the most? Then, Dad comes home with a silver surprise and big plans for a family vacation. On the trip, what will Maryellen discover about Joan and her wedding plans? What will Maryellen decide about her own plans and "flying high?"
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 2015
13 people are currently reading
331 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Tripp
272 books442 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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April 8, 2023
The great AG marathon continues...
Like Maryellen's first book, this one is split very clearly into what could have been Happy Birthday, Saves the Day and Changes in the old pattern. Since Melody's and Nanea's series don't do that, my guess is that Tripp had these outlined, perhaps drafted, before AG solidified their decision to switch to the two book format.
Also like Maryellen's first book, it took me about a third of the book to start to get invested. The birthday section feels very paint-by-numbers. Ellie ropes her friends into putting on a show, and we hit all the required beats: Ellie writes a script and no one likes it; everyone comes up with their own acts and Ellie feels left out; Ellie loses her temper and stomps off; Dad talks her around and everything is a great success. We even have a magical "dress gets finished at the last minute by friend's mother," a plot point straight out of Felicity's Surprise (another, better Tripp effort).
And then Ellie winds up invited to ride in a parade because of course she does.
What I've left out of that description is that the show is intended to raise money for the March of Dimes because the polio vaccine has become available - a meaningful cause for Maryellen because she had polio herself. Discussions between Ellie and her classmates about the vaccine feel... very on the nose, but it's a noble effort.
The "Saves" and "Changes" sections are slightly intertwined: Tripp sets up the science contest and has Ellie spend the summer sketching things that fly, but the core of the Saves plot is a big family roadtrip, while the core of Changes is the science contest. The plots continue to lack much originality: The dog runs away during a storm and the promise of food brings him back! Ellie and friends ditch the group of older boys who wouldn't listen to them and their new group succeeds! But it's all reasonably satisfying. By this point in the book, Ellie has collected enough character growth to be making better choices. And unlike most of the plot elements, I can't think of many books about 1950s family road trips.
But the character I'm perhaps most interested in is Ellie's oldest sister, Joan, who realizes that she wants to go to college and travel (though in addition to getting married as planned, not instead of). I don't remember her standing out much in Book 1, but once it becomes clear that she's making use of the roadtrip to do some deep introspection, I started to hope that she had potential. And she does... but also, in true Maryellen fashion, Tripp gives us the most ridiculous possible solution and sells it: Replace the over-the-top wedding with a backyard wedding... in two days. The newlyweds can afford Joan's tuition... by living in the Airstream camper that the family just roadtripped in, and most of the time, they can just park it near campus for convenience! So you're living in a... parking lot? Do we have a campground or trailer park near the college? And Joan won't have access to the pill for about another five years. Married and both going to college sounds super cute until suddenly baby makes three. In an Airstream. I really don't expect AG to address any of these points, but I can't help thinking about it.
(Shoot, I'm going to wind up reading Maryellen's mysteries just to see if Joan's storyline gets pushed forward at all, ever.)
Something the book does acknowledge, though, is that the big family vacation is not much of a vacation for Mom: If anything, it's more work than staying home. Mom points it out ahead of the trip, and we see the truth of it through Maryellen's eyes. (Hats off to parents everywhere who take on the family management roles, especially away from home.) We also learn that Mom was a supervisor in an airplane factory during World War II, but quit in protest when other women were fired after the war. Ellie can be a little extra, but she's got some good role models in front of her.
Last thought in this way, way too long review: I think a lot of Ellie's extra-ness is Tripp trying to give us a girl who pushes against conformity in the conformity-pushing 1950s, which is lovely, but it often feels overly familiar because Beverly Cleary and Ramona Quimby got here first.
Like Maryellen's first book, this one is split very clearly into what could have been Happy Birthday, Saves the Day and Changes in the old pattern. Since Melody's and Nanea's series don't do that, my guess is that Tripp had these outlined, perhaps drafted, before AG solidified their decision to switch to the two book format.
Also like Maryellen's first book, it took me about a third of the book to start to get invested. The birthday section feels very paint-by-numbers. Ellie ropes her friends into putting on a show, and we hit all the required beats: Ellie writes a script and no one likes it; everyone comes up with their own acts and Ellie feels left out; Ellie loses her temper and stomps off; Dad talks her around and everything is a great success. We even have a magical "dress gets finished at the last minute by friend's mother," a plot point straight out of Felicity's Surprise (another, better Tripp effort).
And then Ellie winds up invited to ride in a parade because of course she does.
What I've left out of that description is that the show is intended to raise money for the March of Dimes because the polio vaccine has become available - a meaningful cause for Maryellen because she had polio herself. Discussions between Ellie and her classmates about the vaccine feel... very on the nose, but it's a noble effort.
The "Saves" and "Changes" sections are slightly intertwined: Tripp sets up the science contest and has Ellie spend the summer sketching things that fly, but the core of the Saves plot is a big family roadtrip, while the core of Changes is the science contest. The plots continue to lack much originality: The dog runs away during a storm and the promise of food brings him back! Ellie and friends ditch the group of older boys who wouldn't listen to them and their new group succeeds! But it's all reasonably satisfying. By this point in the book, Ellie has collected enough character growth to be making better choices. And unlike most of the plot elements, I can't think of many books about 1950s family road trips.
But the character I'm perhaps most interested in is Ellie's oldest sister, Joan, who realizes that she wants to go to college and travel (though in addition to getting married as planned, not instead of). I don't remember her standing out much in Book 1, but once it becomes clear that she's making use of the roadtrip to do some deep introspection, I started to hope that she had potential. And she does... but also, in true Maryellen fashion, Tripp gives us the most ridiculous possible solution and sells it: Replace the over-the-top wedding with a backyard wedding... in two days. The newlyweds can afford Joan's tuition... by living in the Airstream camper that the family just roadtripped in, and most of the time, they can just park it near campus for convenience! So you're living in a... parking lot? Do we have a campground or trailer park near the college? And Joan won't have access to the pill for about another five years. Married and both going to college sounds super cute until suddenly baby makes three. In an Airstream. I really don't expect AG to address any of these points, but I can't help thinking about it.
(Shoot, I'm going to wind up reading Maryellen's mysteries just to see if Joan's storyline gets pushed forward at all, ever.)
Something the book does acknowledge, though, is that the big family vacation is not much of a vacation for Mom: If anything, it's more work than staying home. Mom points it out ahead of the trip, and we see the truth of it through Maryellen's eyes. (Hats off to parents everywhere who take on the family management roles, especially away from home.) We also learn that Mom was a supervisor in an airplane factory during World War II, but quit in protest when other women were fired after the war. Ellie can be a little extra, but she's got some good role models in front of her.
Last thought in this way, way too long review: I think a lot of Ellie's extra-ness is Tripp trying to give us a girl who pushes against conformity in the conformity-pushing 1950s, which is lovely, but it often feels overly familiar because Beverly Cleary and Ramona Quimby got here first.
November 11, 2024
A few things to note:
1) The absolutely gutted and bare-bones peak into the past section does mention that Maryellen's experience is rooted in being white middle class, and notes that in the south especially segregation was a huge problem. This leads me to ask... why was this story set in Florida? And why was segregation not mentioned at all within the text?
From what I know, Melody (who was released just a year after Maryellen) has a story which focuses on the civil rights movement. So it's not like this topic wasn't in the consciousness of AG. And it's not like I'm asking for Maryellen to destroy racism forever. But in a very practical way, segregation would have been a huge part of her life. It's not as egregious as how the Felicity series handled race, it it's still disappointing.
2) I need justice for Maryellen right now. Sorry. I feel insane. HOW WAS SHE IN THE WRONG FOR HER HAPPY BIRTHDAY STORY? HOW IS THE NARRATIVE FAULTING HER HERE?
She wanted to put on a show about the polio vaccine for her birthday, to raise money for March of the Dimes. This is iconic of her. I love this for her. I'm rating this book low, but please understand I adore Maryellen herself.
And everybody else hates this play. Bad taste on their part, they just can't appreciate art and culture. And so... they just. Decide to domineer her own birthday party show and forcefully turn it into a variety show. AND THEY MAKE HER THEIR ASSISTANT FOR ALL OF THE VARIETY SHOW ACTS.
And like... it's horrifying to me. I felt so viscerally bad for this poor girl. And then when she cancels the show after everybody treating her so poorly, the narrative has the audacity to blame her? She's the one who has to apologize? Nobody else does?
It makes me want to scream. I'm so sorry. And then the kid who had been bullying her this entire time comes around to save the day. And in a different story, if Wayne had just been a kind of annoying class clown guy, this would have been a fun turn. But it just rang really sour for me.
I do not like it at all. I really don't know why this upset me so badly, but it *did*.
I'm so sorry girl. I can't even be mad that she got famous in the newspaper and on TV and the Mayor let her drive in his car for all of this. After the torment she went through, I want only the best. Is it stupid writing? Yeah. But I don't care. She deserves all this and more.
1) The absolutely gutted and bare-bones peak into the past section does mention that Maryellen's experience is rooted in being white middle class, and notes that in the south especially segregation was a huge problem. This leads me to ask... why was this story set in Florida? And why was segregation not mentioned at all within the text?
From what I know, Melody (who was released just a year after Maryellen) has a story which focuses on the civil rights movement. So it's not like this topic wasn't in the consciousness of AG. And it's not like I'm asking for Maryellen to destroy racism forever. But in a very practical way, segregation would have been a huge part of her life. It's not as egregious as how the Felicity series handled race, it it's still disappointing.
2) I need justice for Maryellen right now. Sorry. I feel insane. HOW WAS SHE IN THE WRONG FOR HER HAPPY BIRTHDAY STORY? HOW IS THE NARRATIVE FAULTING HER HERE?
She wanted to put on a show about the polio vaccine for her birthday, to raise money for March of the Dimes. This is iconic of her. I love this for her. I'm rating this book low, but please understand I adore Maryellen herself.
And everybody else hates this play. Bad taste on their part, they just can't appreciate art and culture. And so... they just. Decide to domineer her own birthday party show and forcefully turn it into a variety show. AND THEY MAKE HER THEIR ASSISTANT FOR ALL OF THE VARIETY SHOW ACTS.
And like... it's horrifying to me. I felt so viscerally bad for this poor girl. And then when she cancels the show after everybody treating her so poorly, the narrative has the audacity to blame her? She's the one who has to apologize? Nobody else does?
It makes me want to scream. I'm so sorry. And then the kid who had been bullying her this entire time comes around to save the day. And in a different story, if Wayne had just been a kind of annoying class clown guy, this would have been a fun turn. But it just rang really sour for me.
I do not like it at all. I really don't know why this upset me so badly, but it *did*.
I'm so sorry girl. I can't even be mad that she got famous in the newspaper and on TV and the Mayor let her drive in his car for all of this. After the torment she went through, I want only the best. Is it stupid writing? Yeah. But I don't care. She deserves all this and more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2015
I wrote a review for the previous book in this series, largely addressing both, but do have some comments for this one specifically: the events of the story are well-grounded in the historical context, and I found the plotline of the sister's wedding particularly interesting. Joan is eighteen, and while I was reading these books, I so reverted to the child mindset of reading American Girl that I actually forgot that I'm older than that. It was a weird realization, but it says something about the series that I could get absorbed in the story and think that way.
Joan is a well-drawn character, with more nuances that one would expect a much older sibling to get in a book like this. She's neither the super helpful, charming older sister or the grumpy one who fusses. She's both, and a bookworm, with a complexity of interests and feelings which quite surprised me, since I'm used to vague caricatures for older siblings in books like this. It was very different to read an American Girl series and primarily care about and sympathize with a "grown-up" character, but I appreciate the breadth of the story for including older concerns in with the younger child's.
Joan is a well-drawn character, with more nuances that one would expect a much older sibling to get in a book like this. She's neither the super helpful, charming older sister or the grumpy one who fusses. She's both, and a bookworm, with a complexity of interests and feelings which quite surprised me, since I'm used to vague caricatures for older siblings in books like this. It was very different to read an American Girl series and primarily care about and sympathize with a "grown-up" character, but I appreciate the breadth of the story for including older concerns in with the younger child's.
February 21, 2016
After I finished reading The One and Only, I couldn't wait to read the second Maryellen book: Taking Off. I enjoyed every page, and I felt as if I were reliving my childhood. The author, Valerie Tripp, wrote some of my favorite books as a kid, and she knows how to capture the essence of being ten years old.
Taking Off opens with Maryellen Larkin's tenth birthday, which just so happens to fall around the same time that the polio vaccine was discovered. Having been a victim of the terrifying disease, she wants everyone to get vaccinated, so no child will have to go through what she had to. To her dismay, many parents don't want their children vaccinated. To make matters worse, Maryellen wants to win a science contest, but none of her teammates take her seriously because she's a girl.
What I loved most about these books is their historical content. Valerie Tripp explains the Cold War and the space race effortlessly. She makes the story relevant to today, such as explaining the importance of vaccinating children and how, in our Kardashian world, you shouldn't have to be fake to be famous. Tripp debunks misconceptions about the 1950s, and describes life so clearly it feels as if the reader has gone back in time.
I appreciate these books for all their messages, and I'm glad I took the chance to read them.
Taking Off opens with Maryellen Larkin's tenth birthday, which just so happens to fall around the same time that the polio vaccine was discovered. Having been a victim of the terrifying disease, she wants everyone to get vaccinated, so no child will have to go through what she had to. To her dismay, many parents don't want their children vaccinated. To make matters worse, Maryellen wants to win a science contest, but none of her teammates take her seriously because she's a girl.
What I loved most about these books is their historical content. Valerie Tripp explains the Cold War and the space race effortlessly. She makes the story relevant to today, such as explaining the importance of vaccinating children and how, in our Kardashian world, you shouldn't have to be fake to be famous. Tripp debunks misconceptions about the 1950s, and describes life so clearly it feels as if the reader has gone back in time.
I appreciate these books for all their messages, and I'm glad I took the chance to read them.
January 2, 2017
Their poor Mom! But I again enjoyed this book a whole lot. Maryellen works hard and wants to do good and helps as best she can. Her friends are cute. These books do rely heavily on the glorified white middle class experience of the 50s but I appreciate that the notes after the book actually call that out!
October 12, 2021
Better than the first book, but still too good to be true. The pacing moves too fast and feels unreal like it's one of Maryellen's daydreams.
October 19, 2024
What an enjoyable read! I’m glad that like the first book Tripp kept with the classic AG central book series break down. There was clearly the last three story lines in one book. I really like how the book ended with a tie into the first book’s theme of Maryellen being an individual and navigating her differences. I went back and read the first book’s looking back section and Tripp talks about the pushed conformity in the 50s no wonder Maryellen’s books deal with this theme then!
I liked the pro-vaccine message of the first part of the book, how she made up with her friend Davy, and all the 50s references sprinkled throughout. The looking back section of the second book gives a preview to Melody’s story during the civil rights which was fun to notice.
I liked the pro-vaccine message of the first part of the book, how she made up with her friend Davy, and all the 50s references sprinkled throughout. The looking back section of the second book gives a preview to Melody’s story during the civil rights which was fun to notice.
October 22, 2022
Full series review for Maryellen:
This was…fine? The 50s is around where my interest in decades starts to take a massive dip and I think that impacts this one a bit for me. It’s not an era I really have an interest in. That being said, Maryellen is a fun protagonist to follow. I really think these stories were written with the intent to be published in the traditional six book format since we have the Meet Story, the School Story, the Holiday Story, the Birthday Story, the Misadventure Story, and the Changes Story all clearly laid out in the book. The storyline with Angela reminded me a bit of Penny From Heaven (one of my favorite childhood books) since it deals with discrimination faced by Italian-Americans following WW2 and the Christmas story admittedly hit me in the feels a bit. The second book had a strong start but it fizzled out towards the end.
This was…fine? The 50s is around where my interest in decades starts to take a massive dip and I think that impacts this one a bit for me. It’s not an era I really have an interest in. That being said, Maryellen is a fun protagonist to follow. I really think these stories were written with the intent to be published in the traditional six book format since we have the Meet Story, the School Story, the Holiday Story, the Birthday Story, the Misadventure Story, and the Changes Story all clearly laid out in the book. The storyline with Angela reminded me a bit of Penny From Heaven (one of my favorite childhood books) since it deals with discrimination faced by Italian-Americans following WW2 and the Christmas story admittedly hit me in the feels a bit. The second book had a strong start but it fizzled out towards the end.
March 14, 2018
Again, very cute and touched on issues like polio and MAD in ways a 9 year old could understand. Also laced with 1950s optimism and pop culture references that make my "old soul" smile. (Sock hop, anyone?)
April 18, 2023
Feels slightly more like an actual book than the first one, though it's still clearly three books pasted into one.
Re-read 2023: Yeah, this is still basically three books smushed together, though it's done slightly more artfully this time around. Maryellen has had some character development to make her less insufferable, but her stories just feel kind of hollow to me. The March of Dimes effort in the first third would work better if Maryellen's polio-related disability were talked about more than once per book and it actually affected her life at all. Her swerve into science halfway through likewise would have done better if it had been communicated in the first book, too. Makes it feel like it was an editorial mandate to give her a STEM connection, which feels especially contrived since her one interest in the first book, aside from getting attention, was art.
And then there's the truly wild resolution to oldest sister Joan's personal storyline. I've done plenty of complaining that we're blissfully marrying off a seventeen year old to a man old enough to be a veteran Navy diver, and Tripp's continued refusal to put an age on this character is even weirder here. But then Joan has the epiphany that she isn't ready to become a housewife the moment she graduates high school. To which the obvious solution is to... get married even earlier and go to college while living with her new husband in a camper in the school parking lot? Which is a great idea somehow? The only thing more bizarre than this notion is that everybody thinks it's a great idea, when the actual obvious solution is for Joan to postpone her wedding instead. But then Maryellen wouldn't get to wear her bridesmaid dress, and that would be terrible.
Re-read 2023: Yeah, this is still basically three books smushed together, though it's done slightly more artfully this time around. Maryellen has had some character development to make her less insufferable, but her stories just feel kind of hollow to me. The March of Dimes effort in the first third would work better if Maryellen's polio-related disability were talked about more than once per book and it actually affected her life at all. Her swerve into science halfway through likewise would have done better if it had been communicated in the first book, too. Makes it feel like it was an editorial mandate to give her a STEM connection, which feels especially contrived since her one interest in the first book, aside from getting attention, was art.
And then there's the truly wild resolution to oldest sister Joan's personal storyline. I've done plenty of complaining that we're blissfully marrying off a seventeen year old to a man old enough to be a veteran Navy diver, and Tripp's continued refusal to put an age on this character is even weirder here. But then Joan has the epiphany that she isn't ready to become a housewife the moment she graduates high school. To which the obvious solution is to... get married even earlier and go to college while living with her new husband in a camper in the school parking lot? Which is a great idea somehow? The only thing more bizarre than this notion is that everybody thinks it's a great idea, when the actual obvious solution is for Joan to postpone her wedding instead. But then Maryellen wouldn't get to wear her bridesmaid dress, and that would be terrible.
September 3, 2020
This Maryellen book was not nearly as stressful as the last one. The character has matured, and the tension tends to come from relationships instead of not understanding consequences. (Thank goodness.)
I really love how this reflects the realities of the 1950s: the development of the polio vaccine, the beginnings of the space race, and the road trip craze. It's not all white picket fences and 2.5 kids. I also love that in an era that openly encouraged conformity, Maryellen's defining characteristic is her desire to stand out and be unique.
It's a fun read, and I'm so curious about where the sixties might have taken the one and only Maryellen Larkin.
I really love how this reflects the realities of the 1950s: the development of the polio vaccine, the beginnings of the space race, and the road trip craze. It's not all white picket fences and 2.5 kids. I also love that in an era that openly encouraged conformity, Maryellen's defining characteristic is her desire to stand out and be unique.
It's a fun read, and I'm so curious about where the sixties might have taken the one and only Maryellen Larkin.
July 27, 2017
Really American Girl, really? Modernism at its finance. Maryellen stages a protest against the polio anti-vaxxers and convinces her sister that she really can have it all even after she get married. In 1955. *facepalm* These conversations would likely not have happened in 1950's USA. Also BOOOOO points for bringing up the "fact" that only white kids had happy childhoods in the 50's in the Looking Back section. Please.
March 30, 2017
This actually really impressed me! I was expecting another cute but ultimately forgettable book like the first one, but this one went from the importance of polio vaccines to encouraging girls to pursue science. And I LOVED it! I also really loved seeing Joan figure out what she wanted in life and having the courage to pursue it.
November 5, 2025
3.5/undecided 4. cute, fun, lighthearted read perfect to read before bed. Lovely 50s vibes and wholesome story! Very straightforward writing that I think could’ve had more jeuge, but that’s only always a bad thing and might have been just what I needed right now.
December 14, 2015
Really appreciated how the birthday story focused on polio.
February 17, 2025
2 stars
Maryellen’s mom and her sister Joan are much more compelling characters in the final entry of the series.
Mom shares with Maryellen more about her time as a factory supervisor during WWII. After the war, the factory looked to let go the female employees to give jobs back to the men returning, but were going to keep her mom on the job. Disagreeing with this, her mom quit. Throughout both books, we see her quiet frustration with the role she’s been relegated to as a housewife, with the family taking for granted the work that she does. Although some of these moments are played for humor, it does give an interesting look into life for women after WWII.
Joan has recently graduated high school and is preparing for her wedding. Getting married young was very commonplace for this time period, but we see Joan having second thoughts. During their roadtrip, Joan tells Maryellen that she wants to see the world and go to college, hoping her fiancé will be supportive of her dreams.
In contrast to these two very interesting subplots, we have more of Maryellen making things about herself. After raising awareness and money for polio vaccines, she gets to ride in the Memorial Day parade and have her picture in the newspaper. She also joins a science club, both with interest in the subject but also the prospect of becoming even more famous. There are some good moments here, with Maryellen sticking up for herself, but again….it’s all very self-serving. I think what will I remember more from these books is the subplots involving her mom and sister more so than anything our main character does. They are written in a way that is both compelling and with care and I’m finding myself more curious about what the future has in hold for them than Maryellen.
Maryellen’s mom and her sister Joan are much more compelling characters in the final entry of the series.
Mom shares with Maryellen more about her time as a factory supervisor during WWII. After the war, the factory looked to let go the female employees to give jobs back to the men returning, but were going to keep her mom on the job. Disagreeing with this, her mom quit. Throughout both books, we see her quiet frustration with the role she’s been relegated to as a housewife, with the family taking for granted the work that she does. Although some of these moments are played for humor, it does give an interesting look into life for women after WWII.
Joan has recently graduated high school and is preparing for her wedding. Getting married young was very commonplace for this time period, but we see Joan having second thoughts. During their roadtrip, Joan tells Maryellen that she wants to see the world and go to college, hoping her fiancé will be supportive of her dreams.
In contrast to these two very interesting subplots, we have more of Maryellen making things about herself. After raising awareness and money for polio vaccines, she gets to ride in the Memorial Day parade and have her picture in the newspaper. She also joins a science club, both with interest in the subject but also the prospect of becoming even more famous. There are some good moments here, with Maryellen sticking up for herself, but again….it’s all very self-serving. I think what will I remember more from these books is the subplots involving her mom and sister more so than anything our main character does. They are written in a way that is both compelling and with care and I’m finding myself more curious about what the future has in hold for them than Maryellen.
January 4, 2026
Solid kids lit that talks about the benefits of vaccines like the Polio vaccine, women in STEM and working together with your friends to solve issues
I love the Polio shot play and the March of Dimes mention, it’s such a great way to tease out this historical moment. But I also appreciate it’s not just a pat, be brought awareness to this issue and there will never be any problems again. You really get the stakes and frustration Maryellen feels when her friends are talking about not getting the polio vaccine because it’s gross of their parents don’t trust vaccines. It gives the opportunity for Maryellen to talk about the chronic issues from her Polio infection in a informed way and underscores why she thinks the polio vaccine is such an acutely important innovation to protect her peers health
I was kind of losing interest in the 3 week cross country vacation and Joan wedding. It’s pretty clear that Tripp outlined two books in the classic AG 70 page form and then just got glued them together. And I think the March of Dimes talent show and Rocket building competition feel like much stronger plot points than the middle of this book, even tho I enjoy Joan talking about her issues with getting married right out of high school and how she and Jerry are going to live out of a trailer in Daytona Beach, FL so they can both afford to go to college
I love the Polio shot play and the March of Dimes mention, it’s such a great way to tease out this historical moment. But I also appreciate it’s not just a pat, be brought awareness to this issue and there will never be any problems again. You really get the stakes and frustration Maryellen feels when her friends are talking about not getting the polio vaccine because it’s gross of their parents don’t trust vaccines. It gives the opportunity for Maryellen to talk about the chronic issues from her Polio infection in a informed way and underscores why she thinks the polio vaccine is such an acutely important innovation to protect her peers health
I was kind of losing interest in the 3 week cross country vacation and Joan wedding. It’s pretty clear that Tripp outlined two books in the classic AG 70 page form and then just got glued them together. And I think the March of Dimes talent show and Rocket building competition feel like much stronger plot points than the middle of this book, even tho I enjoy Joan talking about her issues with getting married right out of high school and how she and Jerry are going to live out of a trailer in Daytona Beach, FL so they can both afford to go to college
June 9, 2020
My daughter and I read this together as part of our homeschool because we were recently learning about this period in history. I felt like I learned a lot myself from this book! I had no idea that this American Girl character was a polio survivor. The scene in the book when the polio vaccine is announced at Maryellen's school was really emotional for me, especially considering the pandemic we are currently in. In the book, the kids cheer and the teachers weep and hug each other. My daughter and I both commented how it will likely be the same when a Covid-19 vaccine is developed! I also liked how this book tackled the rampant sexism of the 1950s. Maryellen's older sister Joan wrestles with societies expectations for her if she marries her fiance Jerry. She can't cook, she's a bookworm, and she dreams of traveling. Can she have those things and Jerry too? Maryellen herself experiences sexist attitudes when she joins the science club at school. However, both are handled in an age appropriate and empowering way.
I am always highly impressed with the messages for my daughter found in the American Girl books, and this one is no exception.
I am always highly impressed with the messages for my daughter found in the American Girl books, and this one is no exception.
November 9, 2023
I was pleasantly surprised when my son wanted to read more Maryellen books after we got one of the Maryellen mystery books (because it had a cool sunken treasure aspect and he likes mysteries). He liked these, too. I haven't become acquainted with the American Girls who have joined the collection since my childhood in the '80s and I really enjoyed meeting Maryellen. These books were fun for me given that my parents were children in the '50s and I recognized so much from stories about their childhood in these Maryellen books. Tripp weaves in period details with skill and the characters feel vibrant and relatable. I've always loved a heroine who tries hard but is imperfect and Maryellen's earnest desire to be seen as an individual, not just a younger sister, is so heartfelt even when it takes her off-track. I was somewhat annoyed to find that this is an abridgement from the Beforever stories, though these felt full and rich as I read them. I'm going to try to read the Beforever version soon as there are Christmas and winter chapters and it will be nice to spend some time with Maryellen and her family and friends again around the holidays.
August 24, 2020
Ten pages in: hell yeah, American Girl takes on anti-vaxxers, woo~ As the end of the book notes, polio has been eradicated in the United States since 1980, so it's fitting to place the historical discovery of a vaccine and efforts to get every child vaccinated in the series to remind people why don't have children in iron lungs any more.
Maryellen's family also goes on a crosscountry trip to Yellowstone National Park and plans her 18 year old sister Joan's wedding. The Looking Back section does note that these adventures are very much more of what an upper-middle class white family would've encountered in the 1950s, and has a couple paragraphs on segregation. I do feel like it could've been a more interesting story had we had a character encounter that? Maryellen gets to deal with the boys club and the space race in trying to build a flying machine, though.
Maryellen's family also goes on a crosscountry trip to Yellowstone National Park and plans her 18 year old sister Joan's wedding. The Looking Back section does note that these adventures are very much more of what an upper-middle class white family would've encountered in the 1950s, and has a couple paragraphs on segregation. I do feel like it could've been a more interesting story had we had a character encounter that? Maryellen gets to deal with the boys club and the space race in trying to build a flying machine, though.
December 20, 2023
Not a big fan of the Beforever format, especially without any pictures. So much is described that I want to see, like Maryellen's bridesmaid dress.
This book is clearly three books smashed together...
1. A Happy Birthday book (in which Maryellen hosts a variety show as a fundraiser for the March of Dimes, to raise awareness for the polio vaccine).
2. A Saves the Day book (in which Maryellen finds the family dog who runs away during fireworks on their family roadtrip)
3. A Changes book (in which Maryellen's sister gets married, and Maryellen enters a science contest with her friends to create a flying machine).
This book is clearly three books smashed together...
1. A Happy Birthday book (in which Maryellen hosts a variety show as a fundraiser for the March of Dimes, to raise awareness for the polio vaccine).
2. A Saves the Day book (in which Maryellen finds the family dog who runs away during fireworks on their family roadtrip)
3. A Changes book (in which Maryellen's sister gets married, and Maryellen enters a science contest with her friends to create a flying machine).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2017
On Maryellen Larkin’s tenth birthday she puts on a show to raise money for polio vaccinations and because she is the youngest March Of Dimes fundraiser in Dayton Beach she gets to ride with the Mayor in the Memorial Day Parade. Her dad buys an Airstream Travel Trailer so the family can take a cross-country vacation, travelling to the Alamo and Yellowstone Park among other places. At the end of the summer Maryellen is a bridesmaid in her sister’s wedding and she also comes up with some great ideas to help win a contest for her Science Club.
February 10, 2020
This story isn't the caliber I had come to expect from AG, even though it's by Valerie Tripp. It's very simple and a bit choppy. Maryellen is nice, but also a little plain. Her family is too perfect. I wish they went into more about actual issues/history of the time like marriage and family roles, Florida, or race relations.
May 21, 2021
I really enjoyed this Maryellen book. I think the character grew throughout it and compared to the previous one. Of course she still has her flaws that fit with a ten year old child. She does learn to get song with her siblings and her friends, to let go of a little bit do the control when it comes to her ideas, but also to speak up when she is being overlooked.
January 10, 2024
I have never read any of these books so I didnt know what to expect. I just didnt enjoy this book. I dont know if it is how it was written or if it was the story in general, but I had to drag myself through it.
December 14, 2024
I like the second half of the stories better. Feels like Maryellen found her voice. They touched the very tip on some hot button issues like women’s role in the home but it’s American Girl so don’t expect them to go too in-depth. Loved that they made her interested in STEM.
May 16, 2025
4 stars. I ended up really liking these! Maryellen is so incredibly likable and smart. This was basically her ‘Happy Birthday’, ‘Saves the Day’ and ‘Changes’ books rolled into one which made the flow of everything feel a bit wonky but I still enjoyed it.
July 23, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It was a really great glimpse into what it was like as a family in the 1950s.
May 24, 2018
I think it it silly that Maryellen Larkin got to ride in a convertible with the mayor of Daytona Beach Florida.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2018
Once again pleasantly surprised at the nuance and perspective in these books, and how delightful they are to read with my kids. They’re legit good!
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