Kailey

by Amy Goldman Koss

Whether she's spying on tide-pool creatures or splash-crashing through waves on her boogie board, there's no place ten-year-old Kailey loves more than the ocean. She and her best friend Tess feel totally lucky when they find out a resort-mall-movie multi-plex is "Coming Soon!" to their beach. TWELVE movie theaters. Cool shops. A snack bar. Maybe even bathrooms! Then Kailey learns the whole developers plan to haul away the rocky tide pools to make a smooth, sandy beach for tourists. Messing with a whole tide pool universe, and all the creatures who live there, is just plain NOT OKAY. Kailey's got a great idea, but she's never tried anything like it before. If she can believe in herself and make it work, there might be hope for the tide pools yet.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Contemporary, Juvenile, Chapter Books, Kids

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tess and I are both crazy about bodyboarding and snorkeling, but Tess doesn't love snooping around tide pools as much as I do."

Tess and Kailey are SO ready for summer - Kailey loves to spend every waking moment surfing the waves, swimming in the ocean, and (most of all) gazing at the beautiful tide pools.

"Each pocket in the rocks is like a tiny water world of its own, a perfect mini aquarium."

But then one day, the girls arrive on the beach to see a sign advertising developments happening in the area. Tess is so excited - movie theaters, malls, and a resort! What a cool thing to happen to their town!!

But Kailey is a little less sure. The picture of the development shows a pristine sandy beachfront - not the rocky, pebbly shore dotted with tide pools and sea critters.

Soon she realizes that everyone in town knew about this development and fought it every step of the way.

Yes, I remembered being dragged along to meetings with my parents, but I'd always hung out in the back of the room waiting for the cookies and juice to be served. ... "I didn't know those meetings were about saving the beach!"

There's no way to stop the development...but maybe (just maybe), Kailey can find a way to save her tide pools.

I admit it, I was impressed by this one.

I've read quite a few of the historical American Girl books and I initially wasn't too sure about the Girl of the Year - I thought that these books were likely to be gimmicky or less polished than the historical ones...but I'm two for two so far.

I really liked Kailey as a main character. I liked how the author made her feel so realistic - after all, what kid hasn't tuned out at meetings or car ride discussions, only to find out that their parents actually were talking about something VERY important after all?

I also appreciated her character growth and development - you could see her first fumbling attempts to save the tide pools turn into confident strides as she talked to the "big man" about what a disaster the resort was going to wreak on the environment.

One thing that impressed me was that the book didn't shy away from people's reactions - anywhere from strong support to Kailey's cause to one woman telling Kailey's dad that he should be ashamed for sending his daughter out to do his dirty work. The added realism really helped ground the story for me.

I do think things wrapped up really quickly at the end, and a bit too perfect, but overall, it was a really nice book!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading American Girl books with my Kaylie. Though I have very little time to read my own books, she's at an age where we both enjoy chapter books. This particular one features a surfer girl who wants to save her favorite tide pools from a large resort that will soon be built on her beach. We were at the MN Zoo yesterday and stumbled upon the tide pool exhibit in the dolphin building. How cool is it that she had all this new background knowledge and then got to see one first-hand?

[jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

kailey is an environmental activist queen!

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for teachers when teaching about tide pools! Of course you can’t beat an American Girl book.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kailey: fun to revisit an American Girl story from the early aughts! Kailey's an enjoyable narrator (I maintain that the earlier GOTY books tended to have much more distinctive and humorous narrative voices), and while the story's resolution is probably not very realistic, it certainly could inspire kids to make a stand for the environment. I appreciated how the book acknowledges some of the complicated social issues that are involved in the "environment vs. construction" debate (we see Kailey's parents grappling interestingly with finances), though it misses some nuances (Tess's injury seems like an attempt to discuss the safety/disability-accessibility implications of beach construction, but this topic ends up feeling brushed over). Some side characters, including Tess's moody sister and some local shopkeepers who seem to be non-native-English-speakers, feel underdeveloped. The full-color illustrations are of course a nice addition, showing off important aspects of the setting. Overall, despite some plot oversimplifications, most of this activism-themed book from 2003 still feels relevant, and it can work regardless of the reader's level of familiarity with the larger AG canon.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will accompany one of the American Girl dolls that I purchased. It was a cute story but not very realistic. The coastal commission would never allow what’s left of the California coast to be destroyed or modified.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had this American Girl doll when I was 11. She had shiny hair with two little braids in the front and a little blue cotton sundress with purple flowers on the hem. Her hemp sandals never stayed on her feet. She also had a dog, which does not appear in the book? So that's odd. I sold her in a garage sale when I was 18 and regret it now that I am older and have four brand new American Girl dolls I love and adore.

Don't give up your childhood, kids. Cherish it for as long as you want.

I do like this book a lot, though. It does have a bit of a super-upbeat Pollyanna ending, but the story is sweet, and it has an actual plot with stakes. Kailey is a good character and I loved the setting. Her relationship with her parents is awesome. Her BFF was sort of the worst, but hey, weren't they all when we were 10?

This was definitely the era of Girl of the Year books that had complex and interesting characters rather than cut-outs of the same tropes (Horse Girl, Gymnastics Girl, Dance Girl, etc.). I hope we get at least a few more before AG gives up.

[Jessica Arend · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Little Seal]

This was a fun past from the blast that I might have read when I was 10, as I got Kailey in 2003 (for I am assuming because she was born the year I was and located in Southern California).

[Holly Trowbridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty lame for American Girl stories. So many storylines but I got through it. I am extremely biased when it comes to AG hence the 4 stars.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started off a little slow for me, but got more fun and descriptive as it went on! Loved all the summer beach vibes! 🐚☀️🏝️✨

[Shani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out ok. Not the best written, but it was meant to be told by a 10 year old. And I really could see that voice. The story also was good. Not everything went according to plan, the kids didn't know everything, and stuff had to be figured out as they went along. It was realistic, and I liked that, even if it didn't seem smooth to read. Honestly, for the most part, it was good.

But then, the last chapter came. The ending.

It felt rushed, a bit forced. And not really believable. I can't see how thing would or could work out like that. It didn't seem right, and like it was just slapped on there in a hurry. I wish the book could have been longer, and things could have been allowed to unfold in a natural, realistic way.

[Eva B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending was too neat--even in an AG book, I can only suspend my disbelief so far. But overlooking that, this was a solid read and a good introduction to environmentalism in a different way than Lanie's books. While Lanie's books focus more on at-home environmentalism, Kailey's is about doing your part to fight back against corporations and pollution. It was a bit cringe-inducing at times with the "kidspeak" (way too many words were written in all-caps) but still overall a good read.

[Amanda Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kailey also has a well written story, focused on saving her local beach.

[Xyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars for this one. I really liked it, it was well written, it was a quick read, and the illustrations were well done.

Kailey was the second Girl of the Year commissioned by American Girl. Her story is one from the southern California beach scene. Young Kailey and her friends love spending time at the beach; Kailey particularly takes pleasure in visiting the tide pools. Their cove and tide pools are endangered by a developer so they do their best to correct the situation.

This one, like other American Girl stories finishes in a nice neat package. Very much the bright side of life. I'm not sure big developers would be so affected by the pleas of the people.

As this is one of the early books, you can see how the style and story constructs have changed over the years allowing authors to more fully develop the characters and stories into two short chapter books instead of being restricted to one. The illustrations have matured as well.

I really enjoyed visiting the beach with Kailey, riding the waves with her, watching the tide pool creatures, feeling the sun on my face, remembering the experience of digging my toes into the sand. Wonderful escape story for a cold winter day. :)

I would have liked more illustrations of the tied pool and its creatures. So check out the gallery here: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/201...

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kailey is ten and she loves to swim in the ocean, but she is especially fascinated by the life in the various tide pools on the beach, watching the various kinds of animals and keeping a record of which ones she sees.

Her interests, though, are about to be destroyed by construction of a theater complex and other shops that will result in the destruction of all the tide pools and the remaking of the beach. Her friend, Tess, looks forward to this, but the more Kailey considers it the less she likes the idea.

Finally, she decides she needs to do something to try and stop the structures from being built, but the townspeople have already tried to stop it and, as usual, their interests are overridden. There's even a personal interest, as her father could get a job doing lots of paintings for the company and earning a lot, but he is ready to turn them down, not wanting the tide pools destroyed either.

It's a good story in that it does show what a small group of people can accomplish when they try to set themselves against moneyed interests, and in this it's trying to present a very positive approach. Unfortunately, the approach is a little convenient as, in real life, when it comes to people vs. greedy corporations and the environment, the corporations almost always win.

[Buffy the Bookslayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

So there’s this endless, regressive, REDUCTIVE (Madonna Ciccone voice) discourse around “real” reading. Are AUDIOBOOKS real books?! Comic books?! NOVELLAS?!!! Holy hell, how did novellas get roped into this. Anyway, it’s time to have that same pejorative discussion about…. American Girl character books! Should they count? Yeah, actually. These gals are going through it and we get to be inspired by their resilience in face of unnervingly high-stakes obstacles in a perfect little digestible package. Kailey is eating Greta Thunberg up in her fight for the tide pools. Stood on business on that beach for houuuurs and I don’t think sunscreen was mentioned even ONCE. So that’s that on that.

I did write this just to convince myself not to remove it and thus affect my annual reading stats 🤫 But I’ve convinced myself!!

(How come they never made Kailey a cute mermaid Halloween costume? I know there were a skadillion other ones… but I feel that that was a missed opportunity in the American Girl Canon).

[Tawnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grades: 3 to 6 Genre: Realistic Fiction
Kailey loves to go body boarding on the beach near her home. Not only does she love the ocean she also enjoys walking through the tide pools near the rocks on the beach. One day when at the beach she sees a sign for a new resort that is going to be built right on the beach. At first she is excited, but then she learns that this resort plans to remove all the rocks and therefore get rid of the tide pools as well. Kailey then starts a campaign to save the tide pools with her friends. This modern American Girl novel is definitely for young girls. The somewhat realistic acrylic paintings add to the story, as the reader can see the tide pools and creatures that live there that Kailey loves and is striving to save.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this look into the life of an American Girl. Kailey loves the surf and the sand, but the tide pools at the beach are by far her favorite. When those tide pools are threatened, she comes up with a creative plan to save them.

I loved learning more about the ocean, but the characters were what made this story a treasure. The story is realistic in the reaction to the protest. It's hard work to build interest in a cause. I love how things snowballed at the end.

Stories like this inspire activism. As someone who looks for ways to save the world, this book put a smile on my face and hit my 'definitely recommended' shelf. :)

[Ezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an American Girl book I read a number of times as a child, and I was glad to find that reading it again as an adult was an enjoyable experience, almost felt like speaking with an old friend, remembering jokes and aspects of the story as they played out. I feel it’s still a pretty solid middle-grade read, even if the ending is a little contrived and unrealistic.

[Amelia Mapstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

My grandma bought me this book, and the doll. She thought that Kailey was like me. But when I read this amazing little book, she seemed a little different.
Read along with a parent or friend with this book, and you will find a true lesson to be told, and some good hearty laughs, too!

[Mustang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book! It was about a girl named Kailey who is trying to save the tide-pool creatures. She wants to save them because their homes are being destroyed.At the end her mission is accomplished.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kailey is a California girl who sets out to save the tide pools she loves from a developer. It was okay, but I didn't find the story that engaging. To be fair, I'm a little old for their demographic.

[Kiri Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a babysitter, I was curious about the direction the more recent AG things had gone. Can't speak for all the new doll stories, but this one was predictably PC. (Which was to be expected based in the summary... ). Not a bad little book about fighting for what is right, though.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned About tides.

[Katelyn Carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sportschicrx]

can u tell i liked American Girl books??

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun Book!

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like all the fact in it....

--Sierra

[Ioana · Rating 5 out of 5]

TIS BOOK WAS A FUN AND FUNNY BOOK . IT WAS MY FAVORIT BOOK . IT WAS FUN.