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American Girl: Josefina #1
Meet Josefina: An American Girl
Josefina Montoya is growing up on her family's rancho near Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1824. Ever since Mamá died a year before, Josefina and her three sisters have been struggling to carry on without her. One bright autumn day, happy news arrives--their beloved grandfather is returning home after a long trading trip. Josefina knows that he will bring exciting stories and wonderful treasures from his journey, just as he always does. But this time he brings something more--a great surprise that Josefina and her sisters never even dreamed of!
85 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
34 people are currently reading
1470 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Tripp
273 books439 followersValerie Tripp is a children's book author, best known for her work with the American Girl series.
She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York with three sisters and one brother. A member of the first co-educated class at Yale University, Tripp also has a M.Ed. from Harvard. Since 1985 she has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her husband teaches history at Montgomery College.
Right out of college, Tripp started writing songs, stories, and nonfiction for The Superkids Reading Program, working with Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl. For that series, Tripp wrote all the books about Felicity, Josefina, Kit, Molly, and Maryellen and many of the books about Samantha. She also wrote the "Best Friends" character stories to date, plays, mysteries, and short stories about all her characters.. Film dramatizations of the lives of Samantha, Felicity, Molly, and Kit have been based on her stories. Currently, Tripp is writing a STEM series for National Geographic and adapting Greek Myths for Starry Forest Publishing. A frequent speaker at schools and libraries, Tripp has also spoken at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, The New York Historical Society, and Williamsburg.
She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York with three sisters and one brother. A member of the first co-educated class at Yale University, Tripp also has a M.Ed. from Harvard. Since 1985 she has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her husband teaches history at Montgomery College.
Right out of college, Tripp started writing songs, stories, and nonfiction for The Superkids Reading Program, working with Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl. For that series, Tripp wrote all the books about Felicity, Josefina, Kit, Molly, and Maryellen and many of the books about Samantha. She also wrote the "Best Friends" character stories to date, plays, mysteries, and short stories about all her characters.. Film dramatizations of the lives of Samantha, Felicity, Molly, and Kit have been based on her stories. Currently, Tripp is writing a STEM series for National Geographic and adapting Greek Myths for Starry Forest Publishing. A frequent speaker at schools and libraries, Tripp has also spoken at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, The New York Historical Society, and Williamsburg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
April 20, 2015
I miss when American Girl was just as much about the books and the girls in them as it was about the dolls and the toys that go with them.
Josefina is unique among the girls I read about when I was younger in that A) she has multiple siblings, B) She has one parent and C) she is not of European heritage. As my history lessons were very European-centric, it would have been good to have more viewpoints.
Between learning how to deal with her mother's death, and finding her own courage, Josefina has a wonderful character arc in the first book in her series. I loved this book as much as I loved the series when I was a child, and I can only hope that American Girl can get back to their roots one day.
Josefina is unique among the girls I read about when I was younger in that A) she has multiple siblings, B) She has one parent and C) she is not of European heritage. As my history lessons were very European-centric, it would have been good to have more viewpoints.
Between learning how to deal with her mother's death, and finding her own courage, Josefina has a wonderful character arc in the first book in her series. I loved this book as much as I loved the series when I was a child, and I can only hope that American Girl can get back to their roots one day.
January 12, 2016
I loved reading American Girls books when I was a kid. I picked this one up yesterday, since it fulfills the category "a book that takes place in the state you live," and I wasn't disappointed. I was a little apprehensive that the American Girls franchise books wouldn't hold up to the test of time and adulthood, but this was good!
I enjoy how the American Girls books are well-written and educational, but appropriate and appealing to juvenile readers. They're optimistic, but they don't seem overly sanitized, or too much like "white-washed" social studies chapters. I'm impressed by how the American Girls books deal with serious themes (a parent's loss in this volume) gracefully.
I enjoyed that Josephina is one of several sisters, and that her story is family-driven. The author manages to make the story "feel" genuine, even if the length and target age group probably make this difficult.
I enjoy how the American Girls books are well-written and educational, but appropriate and appealing to juvenile readers. They're optimistic, but they don't seem overly sanitized, or too much like "white-washed" social studies chapters. I'm impressed by how the American Girls books deal with serious themes (a parent's loss in this volume) gracefully.
I enjoyed that Josephina is one of several sisters, and that her story is family-driven. The author manages to make the story "feel" genuine, even if the length and target age group probably make this difficult.
March 4, 2025
"Blessed are the peacemakers," said Tia Dolores softly, "for they will be called the children of God."
What a great story!
Firstly, I was not expecting the faith content. There were only about three instances but they were each powerful, lovely, and added in the most natural way.
Secondly, Josefina is such a wonderful young girl. She's kind, considerate, and a lot of fun.
She's also hurting after the loss of her Mom. When she lashes out, it was completely understandable in my eyes (and it wasn't aimed at a human).
I thoroughly enjoyed this book one of the series.
What a great story!
Firstly, I was not expecting the faith content. There were only about three instances but they were each powerful, lovely, and added in the most natural way.
Secondly, Josefina is such a wonderful young girl. She's kind, considerate, and a lot of fun.
She's also hurting after the loss of her Mom. When she lashes out, it was completely understandable in my eyes (and it wasn't aimed at a human).
I thoroughly enjoyed this book one of the series.
February 21, 2022
my biggest flex is that I always loved Josefina the most ❤️
September 15, 2024
The great AG marathon continues. Reading this as an adult, here's what stands out:
By the time Josefina came out in 1997, I was 13 - too old for dolls, at least in theory. But I admired her in the catalog, and if I'd been a little younger, she might have been the first doll instead of Samantha.
Which is why I eventually sought out her books at the library, which I didn't do for any of the other later AG characters. Even so, I didn't get around to it until 2013. I liked them, though I don't remember them very clearly.
Here's what stuck out this time through:
- Josefina is a gentle soul, shy and nervous about trying new things (RELATABLE)
- She's also the family peacemaker, regularly trying to smooth over differences between her older sisters. An old soul, but she also likes being silly with people she knows well.
- Watching her forget to be scared of Florecita when she gets angry is delightful. You tell that goat, Josefina!
- It's quickly apparent that part of the arc for this series will be the family coming to terms with the death of Josefina's mother. Even though she's been gone roughly a year already, we see the sisters and their father still grappling with her loss.
- We see a lot of Ana, but almost never see her two little boys - and they must be very little boys. We aren't told her age, but the other sisters are 15, 12 and 9, so likely she's only about 20 herself, give or take. Makes me curious about childcare norms for a woman of her position, and also whether it would have been common for her husband to join her father's household. (Maybe since there are no Montoya sons, she and her husband will eventually inherit the rancho?)
- I keep trying to map the March sisters onto the Montoya sisters and I need to stop and let them be themselves. (At first glance, Ana and Francisca look like Meg and Jo, but Francisca and Clara are definitely not Jo and Beth, and Josefina is definitely not Amy.)
- I love to see sibling group dynamics. Ana trying to fill their mother's place makes sense. Francisca and Clara bickering makes sense. Ana looking to Josefina, younger by roughly ten years, to commiserate about the middle sisters bickering is an interesting oldest-youngest bond that makes me wonder what Ana's relationship with Francisca or Clara is like when those two are alone. I want to see all the permutations!
- Along the same lines, the sisters' negotiations about who should suggest that Tia Dolores should stay and how is also a great moment for watching the personalities interact.
- Although the Montoya sisters clearly work hard, we learn that their household includes various servants and field workers as well. But - somewhat in contrast to the house tour we get in Meet Samantha - we don't get a clear picture of what the labor situation is here (and lest we forget, author Valerie Tripp also gave us Felicity "What slaves?" Merriman). Are these people all paid by the Montoya family? Are some of them enslaved or indentured? Historically, some, maybe many of them are Native, or of mixed Native and Spanish descent (and we'll meet someone like this in the next book). I don't think it's ever discussed in much detail, but the history of Spanish treatment of Native peoples is just as awful as any other colonial power. One way traces of it show up here is the sisters' discussion of shading their faces (like Mamá would have wanted) to keep from getting too tanned or rough. European colorism is definitely at work here.
- I love Tía Dolores and I wish Mary and Allison hadn't committed so completely to the "Tía Dolores did it" bit. She's such a rich character and they reduced her to a true crime punchline. She deserves better.
More Josefina babble
Meet Josefina | Josefina Learns a Lesson | Josefina’s Surprise | Happy Birthday, Josefina | Josefina Saves the Day | Changes for Josefina
A Reward for Josefina | Again, Josefina! | Josefina’s Song | Just Josefina | Thanks to Josefina | Josefina’s Short Story Collection
Secrets in the Hills | The Glowing Hearts
By the time Josefina came out in 1997, I was 13 - too old for dolls, at least in theory. But I admired her in the catalog, and if I'd been a little younger, she might have been the first doll instead of Samantha.
Which is why I eventually sought out her books at the library, which I didn't do for any of the other later AG characters. Even so, I didn't get around to it until 2013. I liked them, though I don't remember them very clearly.
Here's what stuck out this time through:
- Josefina is a gentle soul, shy and nervous about trying new things (RELATABLE)
- She's also the family peacemaker, regularly trying to smooth over differences between her older sisters. An old soul, but she also likes being silly with people she knows well.
- Watching her forget to be scared of Florecita when she gets angry is delightful. You tell that goat, Josefina!
- It's quickly apparent that part of the arc for this series will be the family coming to terms with the death of Josefina's mother. Even though she's been gone roughly a year already, we see the sisters and their father still grappling with her loss.
- We see a lot of Ana, but almost never see her two little boys - and they must be very little boys. We aren't told her age, but the other sisters are 15, 12 and 9, so likely she's only about 20 herself, give or take. Makes me curious about childcare norms for a woman of her position, and also whether it would have been common for her husband to join her father's household. (Maybe since there are no Montoya sons, she and her husband will eventually inherit the rancho?)
- I keep trying to map the March sisters onto the Montoya sisters and I need to stop and let them be themselves. (At first glance, Ana and Francisca look like Meg and Jo, but Francisca and Clara are definitely not Jo and Beth, and Josefina is definitely not Amy.)
- I love to see sibling group dynamics. Ana trying to fill their mother's place makes sense. Francisca and Clara bickering makes sense. Ana looking to Josefina, younger by roughly ten years, to commiserate about the middle sisters bickering is an interesting oldest-youngest bond that makes me wonder what Ana's relationship with Francisca or Clara is like when those two are alone. I want to see all the permutations!
- Along the same lines, the sisters' negotiations about who should suggest that Tia Dolores should stay and how is also a great moment for watching the personalities interact.
- Although the Montoya sisters clearly work hard, we learn that their household includes various servants and field workers as well. But - somewhat in contrast to the house tour we get in Meet Samantha - we don't get a clear picture of what the labor situation is here (and lest we forget, author Valerie Tripp also gave us Felicity "What slaves?" Merriman). Are these people all paid by the Montoya family? Are some of them enslaved or indentured? Historically, some, maybe many of them are Native, or of mixed Native and Spanish descent (and we'll meet someone like this in the next book). I don't think it's ever discussed in much detail, but the history of Spanish treatment of Native peoples is just as awful as any other colonial power. One way traces of it show up here is the sisters' discussion of shading their faces (like Mamá would have wanted) to keep from getting too tanned or rough. European colorism is definitely at work here.
- I love Tía Dolores and I wish Mary and Allison hadn't committed so completely to the "Tía Dolores did it" bit. She's such a rich character and they reduced her to a true crime punchline. She deserves better.
More Josefina babble
Meet Josefina | Josefina Learns a Lesson | Josefina’s Surprise | Happy Birthday, Josefina | Josefina Saves the Day | Changes for Josefina
A Reward for Josefina | Again, Josefina! | Josefina’s Song | Just Josefina | Thanks to Josefina | Josefina’s Short Story Collection
Secrets in the Hills | The Glowing Hearts
February 8, 2021
I forgot how beautiful the illustrations are in these books! Of course, it would be interesting to read the series if it was rewritten as #ownvoices, but it's still fun to revisit.
November 11, 2019
2.5 stars
I grew up reading the early American Girl books: Molly, Kirsten,and Samantha, then Felicity and Addy.
While I did enjoy the story, it seemed a bit idealistic and slightly modern at times.
Josefina was a sweet girl and I did like how she tried to help her sisters get along even though they were older than she was.
There was some sibling bickering, and mentions of catholic alters and prayers at someone’s grave.
Altogether it was a fun, light read, but not one I think I’ll want to read again very soon.
I grew up reading the early American Girl books: Molly, Kirsten,and Samantha, then Felicity and Addy.
While I did enjoy the story, it seemed a bit idealistic and slightly modern at times.
Josefina was a sweet girl and I did like how she tried to help her sisters get along even though they were older than she was.
There was some sibling bickering, and mentions of catholic alters and prayers at someone’s grave.
Altogether it was a fun, light read, but not one I think I’ll want to read again very soon.
May 18, 2020
I remembered almost nothing about this book, but since it is very slow-moving and not much happens, I can see why this never made much of an impression. However, Josefina's sisters are very colorful characters, and just like I had thought, they take a greater role in the story than some of the other American Girls' siblings do. This is a nice, simple family slice-of-life story set in 1820s New Mexico, even though it isn't much more than that.
The historical note is fairly forthright about reality of colonization and the impact of the Mexican-American War on this area. However, it doesn't fully address the implications of how privileged Josefina was as the descendant of Spanish colonizers, or cover the convoluted history of New Mexico's early relationship with the United States. Given the complications of introducing these topics to a chapter-book-reading audience, I can see why the author simplified things so much, but I also feel validated in why I was so confused about aspects of Josefina's world and didn't learn as much history from her books as I did from others.
The historical note is fairly forthright about reality of colonization and the impact of the Mexican-American War on this area. However, it doesn't fully address the implications of how privileged Josefina was as the descendant of Spanish colonizers, or cover the convoluted history of New Mexico's early relationship with the United States. Given the complications of introducing these topics to a chapter-book-reading audience, I can see why the author simplified things so much, but I also feel validated in why I was so confused about aspects of Josefina's world and didn't learn as much history from her books as I did from others.
March 2, 2025
This was my first Josefina reread since childhood and Meet Josefina lived up to all my nostalgic memories! Reading it was like a warm hug, connecting young me to adult me. I didn’t think I remembered much about Josefina’s story world, but it all came flooding back as I read—almost like revisiting an old favorite spot that hasn’t changed a bit. I even remembered asking my mom if we could buy soft tortillas from the grocery store and have a meal like Josefina (we did and I’m pretty sure that’s where my lifelong love of quesadillas began).
I admire Josefina’s gentle, kind spirit. She taught young me it’s okay to be soft and that bravery doesn’t have to be big and bold. Sometimes, bravery can be as simple as facing your fears and coming out on the other side a bit stronger for the experience.
I admire Josefina’s gentle, kind spirit. She taught young me it’s okay to be soft and that bravery doesn’t have to be big and bold. Sometimes, bravery can be as simple as facing your fears and coming out on the other side a bit stronger for the experience.
February 13, 2020
I’m starting the American Girls podcast, so I’m rereading my AG books before I listen to the episodes.
I was really a bit too old when Josefina was introduced. I know I read the few books I had, but didn’t really remember anything.
This was a sweet book and a nice introduction for kids about life in New Mexico in the early 1800s. Josefina is so sweet and I liked watching her grow over the course of the story.
I was really a bit too old when Josefina was introduced. I know I read the few books I had, but didn’t really remember anything.
This was a sweet book and a nice introduction for kids about life in New Mexico in the early 1800s. Josefina is so sweet and I liked watching her grow over the course of the story.
July 7, 2020
I really enjoyed the arc of this story. I can see that some readers would find it less stimulating than other American Girl books, but my Mother spent her girlhood in Mexico and I have a major love of gardens so this story was extra sweet to me.
January 21, 2022
Josefina’s story was one of my favorite series when I was a young girl, and just recently I got to introduce my next-younger sister to her story, as well! What a fun book! Not quite as gripping as I remember it being from when I was 7 and 8, granted, but still an intriguing peek into a piece of history I know little about. I always loved the way Josefina dressed; the illustrations, at least in the older books, were full-color paintings of beautifully dressed women and girls. The story is somewhat simple but has a charm all its own—partly due to the setting, I think. Josefina loves her family and enjoys working with them, and that’s enough for her. A great read-aloud. Glad I get to share the experience of these books with my sister.
November 18, 2024
Ohhh Josefina, what a delight you were to read <3 I do think the 1st 3 books in her series are much better then the 2nd 3, but I still had fun throughout.
I loved her personality, and it firmly felt shown and not told. And I loved the emphasis on family relationships. All 3 of her sisters felt fully realized to me. Although I still think it's weird that like, we barely see Ana's husband or sons. It does feel like they forget she's a married woman half the time.
And the exploration of grief.... augh. it was very poignant and extremely good.
Unfortunately, it is another example of Hey American Girl Do We Want To Discuss How This Family Gets Their Labor? Not as bad as Felicity, but it still felt pretty obvious that some discussion was missing.
I loved her personality, and it firmly felt shown and not told. And I loved the emphasis on family relationships. All 3 of her sisters felt fully realized to me. Although I still think it's weird that like, we barely see Ana's husband or sons. It does feel like they forget she's a married woman half the time.
And the exploration of grief.... augh. it was very poignant and extremely good.
Unfortunately, it is another example of Hey American Girl Do We Want To Discuss How This Family Gets Their Labor? Not as bad as Felicity, but it still felt pretty obvious that some discussion was missing.
January 11, 2022
This was a reading challenge book, a prompt that asked me to pick a book from my childhood. Josefina was my favorite American girl as a kid, and I still remembered the beautiful illustrations from when I read it as an eight-year-old. Rereading as an adult, I can see why I resonated with her specifically. Josefina was very much an empath, wanting to be the peacemaker (which, I very much felt like I had to be in my household). Shy toward strangers but lively around those she knew well (also me). Tended flowers and liked nature.
So glad I read this. It was full of nostalgia and a lot of culture! A fun read and one I hope to pass down to my children 😊
So glad I read this. It was full of nostalgia and a lot of culture! A fun read and one I hope to pass down to my children 😊
April 27, 2024
This was an easy read, pretty good
I want to be abuelito in his little caravan traveling around Mexico
I like Josefina because she’s really nice and not bratty.
I feel that my Spanish fluency has gone up because they said gracias three times in this book.
I want to be abuelito in his little caravan traveling around Mexico
I like Josefina because she’s really nice and not bratty.
I feel that my Spanish fluency has gone up because they said gracias three times in this book.
December 20, 2011
sorry, y'all. i think the josefina books are kind of boring. i think she's a really pretty doll with a really cute collection. but her stories are set in 1824 & she is a nine-year-old girl growing up on her father's rancho in new mexico with her three older sisters. they don't really have a lot of interaction with the outside world. joesfina doesn't know how to read or write & most of her time is taken up by tasks & chores on the rancho. it doesn't make for the most exciting reading.
i also feel weird about josefina being part of the historical american doll line, considering that the area where she lived was colonized by the united states in a war, & then barred from statehood for another hundred years because of racism. it's not a pretty story (although it is touched on in the "looking back" section in the back of the book). also not addressed is the fact that josefina's family is descended from spanish settlers (read: colonists) who stole the land away from the indigenous people already living on it. the fact that josefina has an indian friend that she saves from a rattlesnake doesn't really change that, & it's not addressed in any of her books.
plotline: josefina's mother died a year ago & everyone is still bumming hard. josefina's grandfather takes an annual trade trip down the camina real to mexico city every year & brings back all kinds of fancy & useful stuff that people in new mexico need. josefina's sisters are feverishly awaiting his arrival so they can see what he's brought back for them this time.
turns out he brought back their aunt dolores, josefina's mother's younger sister. josefina has never met her before because she moved to mexico city to care for a sick relative before josefina was born. but all the sisters love having dolores around. she helps them find smarter ways to do their chores, & she plays her piano for them (even though it fell into a ravine on the trip up from mexico city--how did it not get smashed)? eventually josefina hatches a plan to get dolores to stay on the rancho with them. she accepts. there's not really much more to the book. there's a bit about how the randho has a goat that josefina is scared of, & the goat eats the special bouquet josefina has picked for dolores & it makes josefina so angry that she confronts the goat & single-handedly drags it back to its pen. but mostly...kind of a snore.
i also feel weird about josefina being part of the historical american doll line, considering that the area where she lived was colonized by the united states in a war, & then barred from statehood for another hundred years because of racism. it's not a pretty story (although it is touched on in the "looking back" section in the back of the book). also not addressed is the fact that josefina's family is descended from spanish settlers (read: colonists) who stole the land away from the indigenous people already living on it. the fact that josefina has an indian friend that she saves from a rattlesnake doesn't really change that, & it's not addressed in any of her books.
plotline: josefina's mother died a year ago & everyone is still bumming hard. josefina's grandfather takes an annual trade trip down the camina real to mexico city every year & brings back all kinds of fancy & useful stuff that people in new mexico need. josefina's sisters are feverishly awaiting his arrival so they can see what he's brought back for them this time.
turns out he brought back their aunt dolores, josefina's mother's younger sister. josefina has never met her before because she moved to mexico city to care for a sick relative before josefina was born. but all the sisters love having dolores around. she helps them find smarter ways to do their chores, & she plays her piano for them (even though it fell into a ravine on the trip up from mexico city--how did it not get smashed)? eventually josefina hatches a plan to get dolores to stay on the rancho with them. she accepts. there's not really much more to the book. there's a bit about how the randho has a goat that josefina is scared of, & the goat eats the special bouquet josefina has picked for dolores & it makes josefina so angry that she confronts the goat & single-handedly drags it back to its pen. but mostly...kind of a snore.
February 20, 2025
I am continuing my revisit of the American Girls series while I listen to the Dolls of Our Lives (formerly American Girls) podcast. I actually read Josefina's books as a tween, but they didn't leave much of an impression on me. I'm excited to read them all again!
Some thoughts on this book:
- I was surprised by how little actually happened in this story! It was an extremely short book, and didn't really feel like a self-contained story. I'm curious if this book was more of just a set up for the rest of the books, and if the stories will pick up more as the series goes on.
- Josefina possibly has my favorite "world" in the American Girl line. Her illustrations are so beautiful and vibrant. In this book I was particularly intrigued by the structure of Josefina's house, and how it is basically built like a fortress. I wonder how often would a rancho like theirs could expect to be attacked?
- I really thought it was interesting that Josefina and her family had never heard music from a piano before Tia Delores plays her piano for them. It's the little things like that I find so interesting about history and really puts into perspective even the little things that make our lives different from the lives of people in the 1800s.
Overall I enjoyed this one, but my feelings on Josefina remain much the same so far as they did when I first read this series as a tween. I think that Josefina's world has - to use one of my favorite Anne Shirley quotes - a lot of scope for the imagination, and I find myself wanting to learn more about her home, her environment, and her family, but this story itself seemed a little bit lacking in substance. I'm hoping that will improve as the series goes on!
Some thoughts on this book:
- I was surprised by how little actually happened in this story! It was an extremely short book, and didn't really feel like a self-contained story. I'm curious if this book was more of just a set up for the rest of the books, and if the stories will pick up more as the series goes on.
- Josefina possibly has my favorite "world" in the American Girl line. Her illustrations are so beautiful and vibrant. In this book I was particularly intrigued by the structure of Josefina's house, and how it is basically built like a fortress. I wonder how often would a rancho like theirs could expect to be attacked?
- I really thought it was interesting that Josefina and her family had never heard music from a piano before Tia Delores plays her piano for them. It's the little things like that I find so interesting about history and really puts into perspective even the little things that make our lives different from the lives of people in the 1800s.
Overall I enjoyed this one, but my feelings on Josefina remain much the same so far as they did when I first read this series as a tween. I think that Josefina's world has - to use one of my favorite Anne Shirley quotes - a lot of scope for the imagination, and I find myself wanting to learn more about her home, her environment, and her family, but this story itself seemed a little bit lacking in substance. I'm hoping that will improve as the series goes on!
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December 10, 2019Finally--an American girl who isn't a horse girl!
February 19, 2021
I read this book for the podcast I’m currently listening to called “American Girls” by Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney.
Wow, what can I say about “Meet Josefina: An American Girl”? Well, let’s see... First off, I would like to say that I know NOTHING of the Josefina book series because it was one I never read as a child. I don’t know why I never did because I did find Josefina much more interesting compared to others (like Kirsten and Molly), but I think I just never got around to picking it up within my school library probably because I was constantly re - reading Samantha’s and Kit’s American Girl books (I know, I’m the worst). When I opened this tonight, I really didn’t know what to expect at all. However, what I found was to be something absolutely enchanting and something I wish I had read in my youth. Meet Josefina Montoya. She’s the youngest sister in her family (four of them total, including her), her father owns a ranch that he works tirelessly at, and the entire family is dealing with the recent death of Mamá, Papá’s wife and Josefina’s (and her sisters’) mother. In this particular book, Josefina and her siblings meet their mother’s sister, Tía Dolores, who has moved back to New Mexico after living in Mexico City for the past ten years. When Tía Dolores comes to town, Josefina and her siblings are absolutely captivated by her presence and... SPOILER: They ask Papá to considering asking Tía Dolores to stay with them for a while and she obviously accepts. At the end of the book, Tía Dolores leaves to see her mother for the first time in years, but promises to be back for the Montoya girls to teach them all the stuff they need to know in life that their mother sadly couldn’t finish doing.
In comparison to the last American Girls series I just read (“Felicity: An American Girl”), I found Josefina’s first book to be refreshing compared to the first book I very much remember reading in the Felicity series. Felicity is everything that Josefina is not. Where Felicity is disobedient to everything her parents say, Josefina is respectful. Where Felicity is upset over the responsibilities she has to do for her family, Josefina is humble and grateful for the chance to help her family in anyway and constantly works hard for them. Where Felicity acts selfishly, like, I don’t know, STEALING ANOTHER PERSON’S HORSE (I will admit again that yes, it was being abused by Jiggy Nye... BUT STILL), Josefina is doing the exact opposite. She’s trying to be thoughtful for Tía Dolores and attempts to pick her some flowers, but then gets in a fight with a goat that her family owns and her plan falls apart... Literally, that’s all that basically happens to Josefina in this book! She is trying to do something kind, but then the goat eats her gesture and she has to put the goat back in the pen that it lives in. That’s it! If that was Felicity, Felicity would have been upset over the goat being locked up and freed it most likely (seeing that is what happened in her book series with Penny)! She probably would have scolded Josefina too for saying that she hated the goat even though Josefina is completely in the right for saying something like that because the goat not only wrecks the gift she was going to give her aunt, but destroys one of the last things that existed from her dead mother... Her garden. If I was Josefina, I’d do the same thing! I know it’s probably not fair to compare two girls in completely different situations together, but I just can’t help it. When you look at how Felicity acted compared to Josefina in this first book, you see a major difference and I encourage parents to have their children read this series over the Felicity one because the lessons from Felicity get lost in how badly she goes about doing things. While Felicity is very caring (especially about animals), it really doesn’t amount to squat if she’s unwilling to listen to any other person older and wiser than her because she’s convinced she knows it all at the age of nine (whether it be about animals or, even other things, like her life). With Josefina’s story, you could see how much she cared about the people around her through her actions that didn’t later become redundant like Felicity’s did. It does no good to care about something if you are going about it the wrong way and literally do something like stealing it from someone else’s property. Not only that, but I thought the topics in Josefina’s story were much more important to focus on then the one’s in Felicity’s first book. In Felicity’s, it feels like a bad PETA commercial (which is saying something because most things that PETA already does are pretty bad), but, in Josefina’s, you’re really talking/exploring trauma when it comes to losing someone you love and how to handle grief in the best way you can (with what you got). I respected the latter message so much more than I did with Felicity’s because I felt like it was really talking about something that children should know about and think as deeply as they possibly can on the subject. Death happens at any age. I knew kids in early elementary school that had already lost a parent, that were younger than Josefina, which is why I think it’s important to be looking and reading into subjects like this... So you know how to deal with it (even if it’s still very little). I appreciated what Valerie Tripp was doing much more in this book compared to what she was writing about in Felicity’s series, where some storylines just felt silly or ridiculous and not really what children should be looking up to. However, just like in Felicity, Josefina does has concerning relationships with servants and indigenous people. Despite this being accurate to the time, I think Valerie Tripp should have a stance on these things, not glossing over them, and making her point clear to children that it’s not okay that certain things occur in our nation’s history even if it is our nation’s history. Although I do not know the full scale of these relationships based off just reading first book, I know Valerie Tripp and I assume that they are going to be ones I disagree with as, just like with Felicity, we (meaning people as a whole) should NEVER OWN OTHER PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE DIFFERENT FROM US. The relationship with Josefina and her country is a much more complicated one compared to Felicity because despite America taking over her land in the Mexican - American War (which is obviously wrong), Josefina and her ancestors have taken over the land of indigenous people that were already there when they settled from Spain to Mexico. Just like in the Felicity series, I encourage parents to talk to their children about the problematic things our countries have done in the past (to have control over as much land and people and power as possible; in a race to be the “best and biggest nation”) and to explain to their children why we shouldn’t try to think/be this way because this attitude can (and does) continue to grow even today when we look at our politics in 2020.
Furthermore, in unrelated, but more light - hearted opinions on this book, I really liked the “Little Women” vibes this book was serving (FOUR SISTERS THAT ARE ALL JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT ENOUGH) and another difference from Felicity that I am experiencing is, unlike what happens in the first Felicity book (or what feels implied), romantic entanglements. In the Felicity series, you are confused on if Benjamin and Felicity should or shouldn’t be together (is American Girl wanting us to want them together??????) and is that even morally okay (NO because Ben is MUCH OLDER than Felicity even if it is like 1773!!!), but that’s also something that’s actually completely gone from the Josefina series thus far. Instead though, since their is no romantic entanglements being questioned, I have found myself one and have stumbled into totally semi - appropriately shipping Tía Dolores with Josefina’s Papá, which might be frowned upon... But, also, maybe not because I can also totally see that happening in the 1800s??? Unlike the Felicity series, where I think American Girl is subtly wanting your brain to connect Ben and Felicity together, I’m almost positive that this is not what they imagined the brain to do with Tía Dolores and Papá, WHICH IS WHY I AM HERE FOR IT EVEN MORE!!! Does anyone else agree with this ship? Is it canon? It’s not TOTALLY wrong because THEY ARE ONLY RELATED BY MARRIAGE, OKAY???? I KNOW DIVORCED AND WIDOWED PEOPLE THAT GET WITH THEIR PARTER’S SIBLING???? DOES IT REALLY MAKE IT *THAT* WRONG????
The last thing I wanted to add really quickly is that I also think it’s very interesting how far Josefina’s story takes place from the Mexican - American War. I really thought that would be something we’d see in Josefina’s story, but I’m assuming it’s not going to happen since it occurs 25 years later and American Girl really does not get that distance into the girl’s future timeline (like Felicity started in 1773 and ended in 1776 or 1777). Now knowing that won’t be something we will be seeing in her storyline, I’m even more curious as to what is in store for wonderful Josefina!!! What will be the book’s central theme? What will Josefina be learning from and how will she be growing as the books continue??? I cannot wait to find out.
Wow, what can I say about “Meet Josefina: An American Girl”? Well, let’s see... First off, I would like to say that I know NOTHING of the Josefina book series because it was one I never read as a child. I don’t know why I never did because I did find Josefina much more interesting compared to others (like Kirsten and Molly), but I think I just never got around to picking it up within my school library probably because I was constantly re - reading Samantha’s and Kit’s American Girl books (I know, I’m the worst). When I opened this tonight, I really didn’t know what to expect at all. However, what I found was to be something absolutely enchanting and something I wish I had read in my youth. Meet Josefina Montoya. She’s the youngest sister in her family (four of them total, including her), her father owns a ranch that he works tirelessly at, and the entire family is dealing with the recent death of Mamá, Papá’s wife and Josefina’s (and her sisters’) mother. In this particular book, Josefina and her siblings meet their mother’s sister, Tía Dolores, who has moved back to New Mexico after living in Mexico City for the past ten years. When Tía Dolores comes to town, Josefina and her siblings are absolutely captivated by her presence and... SPOILER: They ask Papá to considering asking Tía Dolores to stay with them for a while and she obviously accepts. At the end of the book, Tía Dolores leaves to see her mother for the first time in years, but promises to be back for the Montoya girls to teach them all the stuff they need to know in life that their mother sadly couldn’t finish doing.
In comparison to the last American Girls series I just read (“Felicity: An American Girl”), I found Josefina’s first book to be refreshing compared to the first book I very much remember reading in the Felicity series. Felicity is everything that Josefina is not. Where Felicity is disobedient to everything her parents say, Josefina is respectful. Where Felicity is upset over the responsibilities she has to do for her family, Josefina is humble and grateful for the chance to help her family in anyway and constantly works hard for them. Where Felicity acts selfishly, like, I don’t know, STEALING ANOTHER PERSON’S HORSE (I will admit again that yes, it was being abused by Jiggy Nye... BUT STILL), Josefina is doing the exact opposite. She’s trying to be thoughtful for Tía Dolores and attempts to pick her some flowers, but then gets in a fight with a goat that her family owns and her plan falls apart... Literally, that’s all that basically happens to Josefina in this book! She is trying to do something kind, but then the goat eats her gesture and she has to put the goat back in the pen that it lives in. That’s it! If that was Felicity, Felicity would have been upset over the goat being locked up and freed it most likely (seeing that is what happened in her book series with Penny)! She probably would have scolded Josefina too for saying that she hated the goat even though Josefina is completely in the right for saying something like that because the goat not only wrecks the gift she was going to give her aunt, but destroys one of the last things that existed from her dead mother... Her garden. If I was Josefina, I’d do the same thing! I know it’s probably not fair to compare two girls in completely different situations together, but I just can’t help it. When you look at how Felicity acted compared to Josefina in this first book, you see a major difference and I encourage parents to have their children read this series over the Felicity one because the lessons from Felicity get lost in how badly she goes about doing things. While Felicity is very caring (especially about animals), it really doesn’t amount to squat if she’s unwilling to listen to any other person older and wiser than her because she’s convinced she knows it all at the age of nine (whether it be about animals or, even other things, like her life). With Josefina’s story, you could see how much she cared about the people around her through her actions that didn’t later become redundant like Felicity’s did. It does no good to care about something if you are going about it the wrong way and literally do something like stealing it from someone else’s property. Not only that, but I thought the topics in Josefina’s story were much more important to focus on then the one’s in Felicity’s first book. In Felicity’s, it feels like a bad PETA commercial (which is saying something because most things that PETA already does are pretty bad), but, in Josefina’s, you’re really talking/exploring trauma when it comes to losing someone you love and how to handle grief in the best way you can (with what you got). I respected the latter message so much more than I did with Felicity’s because I felt like it was really talking about something that children should know about and think as deeply as they possibly can on the subject. Death happens at any age. I knew kids in early elementary school that had already lost a parent, that were younger than Josefina, which is why I think it’s important to be looking and reading into subjects like this... So you know how to deal with it (even if it’s still very little). I appreciated what Valerie Tripp was doing much more in this book compared to what she was writing about in Felicity’s series, where some storylines just felt silly or ridiculous and not really what children should be looking up to. However, just like in Felicity, Josefina does has concerning relationships with servants and indigenous people. Despite this being accurate to the time, I think Valerie Tripp should have a stance on these things, not glossing over them, and making her point clear to children that it’s not okay that certain things occur in our nation’s history even if it is our nation’s history. Although I do not know the full scale of these relationships based off just reading first book, I know Valerie Tripp and I assume that they are going to be ones I disagree with as, just like with Felicity, we (meaning people as a whole) should NEVER OWN OTHER PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE DIFFERENT FROM US. The relationship with Josefina and her country is a much more complicated one compared to Felicity because despite America taking over her land in the Mexican - American War (which is obviously wrong), Josefina and her ancestors have taken over the land of indigenous people that were already there when they settled from Spain to Mexico. Just like in the Felicity series, I encourage parents to talk to their children about the problematic things our countries have done in the past (to have control over as much land and people and power as possible; in a race to be the “best and biggest nation”) and to explain to their children why we shouldn’t try to think/be this way because this attitude can (and does) continue to grow even today when we look at our politics in 2020.
Furthermore, in unrelated, but more light - hearted opinions on this book, I really liked the “Little Women” vibes this book was serving (FOUR SISTERS THAT ARE ALL JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT ENOUGH) and another difference from Felicity that I am experiencing is, unlike what happens in the first Felicity book (or what feels implied), romantic entanglements. In the Felicity series, you are confused on if Benjamin and Felicity should or shouldn’t be together (is American Girl wanting us to want them together??????) and is that even morally okay (NO because Ben is MUCH OLDER than Felicity even if it is like 1773!!!), but that’s also something that’s actually completely gone from the Josefina series thus far. Instead though, since their is no romantic entanglements being questioned, I have found myself one and have stumbled into totally semi - appropriately shipping Tía Dolores with Josefina’s Papá, which might be frowned upon... But, also, maybe not because I can also totally see that happening in the 1800s??? Unlike the Felicity series, where I think American Girl is subtly wanting your brain to connect Ben and Felicity together, I’m almost positive that this is not what they imagined the brain to do with Tía Dolores and Papá, WHICH IS WHY I AM HERE FOR IT EVEN MORE!!! Does anyone else agree with this ship? Is it canon? It’s not TOTALLY wrong because THEY ARE ONLY RELATED BY MARRIAGE, OKAY???? I KNOW DIVORCED AND WIDOWED PEOPLE THAT GET WITH THEIR PARTER’S SIBLING???? DOES IT REALLY MAKE IT *THAT* WRONG????
The last thing I wanted to add really quickly is that I also think it’s very interesting how far Josefina’s story takes place from the Mexican - American War. I really thought that would be something we’d see in Josefina’s story, but I’m assuming it’s not going to happen since it occurs 25 years later and American Girl really does not get that distance into the girl’s future timeline (like Felicity started in 1773 and ended in 1776 or 1777). Now knowing that won’t be something we will be seeing in her storyline, I’m even more curious as to what is in store for wonderful Josefina!!! What will be the book’s central theme? What will Josefina be learning from and how will she be growing as the books continue??? I cannot wait to find out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 1, 2024This book reads different than I remember from my childhood. It almost feels like Valerie Tripp phoned this book in.
The writing in this book made Josefina's voice appear much younger than the other girls' books do. This is just book one, but I hope Josefina's character is given more depth and dimension. Right now the story and family dynamic feels like a children's picture book and less like a historical middle grade read.
The writing in this book made Josefina's voice appear much younger than the other girls' books do. This is just book one, but I hope Josefina's character is given more depth and dimension. Right now the story and family dynamic feels like a children's picture book and less like a historical middle grade read.
June 30, 2021
I really liked this one. I like these illustrations better than the last series (Felicity). For whatever reason, I liked Valerie Tripp's storytelling better in "Meet Josefina" than I did in the entire Felicity series.
I always liked the reading about the relationship between Josefina and her aunt, mainly because I have a special relationship with my own niece (thankfully, she did not lose her mother like Josefina). I also like the realistic portrayal of Francisca and Clara. They argue as much as my two sisters did when we were kids. I was Josefina, the "peacemaker".
It's interesting to reread these series after 10-12 years. All are quite good and I'd recommend them for young girls. Oh, the historical tidbits at the end are always interesting, too.
I always liked the reading about the relationship between Josefina and her aunt, mainly because I have a special relationship with my own niece (thankfully, she did not lose her mother like Josefina). I also like the realistic portrayal of Francisca and Clara. They argue as much as my two sisters did when we were kids. I was Josefina, the "peacemaker".
It's interesting to reread these series after 10-12 years. All are quite good and I'd recommend them for young girls. Oh, the historical tidbits at the end are always interesting, too.
September 30, 2025
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. My daughter played with and read this series when she was younger but I never did. This was a nice little read and a nice intro into Hispanic culture in the early 1800s without it being too over the top of the cultural diversity! It is just a story of a girl happy that her grandfather returned. Yes they may speak a different language but the work is the same as others of that time!
August 9, 2018
Wonderful reread! I still adore these books, they are so charming.
January 1, 2025
Josefina’s grief weighs heavy throughout the entirety of this book making it a very hard read. However, the world building and likability of Josefina’s character still make the story enjoyable.
November 25, 2025
mi poquita
December 13, 2025
I read all the American Girl "Meet" books.
Kids should read them both boys and girls.
There is history in all of them.
Kids should read them both boys and girls.
There is history in all of them.
July 17, 2022
The original Santa Fe girl. ✨
February 2, 2008
This is the first American Girl book that I have read, and I can see why so many young girls love them. Josefina is a 9-year-old girl who lives in New Mexico, before it became the United States. Full of rich culture, and history of that time period.
June 23, 2020
Harper age 8:I was kind of sad because Josefina mom is dead.I like this book because there was some
spanish in the book like gracias.This was the best book ever.I would give it 100000000000000000 stars if i could!
spanish in the book like gracias.This was the best book ever.I would give it 100000000000000000 stars if i could!
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