Courtney: Friendship Superhero

American Girl: Courtney #2

by Kellen Hertz, Kelley McMorris (Illustrator), Blake Morrow (Illustrator)

Courtney’s suited up for an epic adventure—just like Crystal Starshooter, the video game hero she invented. Crystal is brave and bold and doesn’t back down. Courtney tries to be the same in real life. When Courtney meets Isaac Wells at the arcade, they form an epic friendship. Isaac has awesome ideas to add to Crystal Starshooter’s game world, and he gets along great with Sarah and Kip, Courtney’s two best friends. When Isaac needs help fighting a real battle called HIV, Courtney is quick to support him. But doing so puts her friendship with Sarah at risk. Being brave and bold is complicated. What would a superhero do? The second book in Courtney’s stories is richly illustrated in full color and includes a peek into Courtney’s world in 1986.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Childrens, Middle Grade, Fiction, Friendship, Juvenile

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 16, 2021

About the author

Kellen was raised by New Yorkers in Fresno, California, a combination which resulted in an overactive imagination and a yearning for bagels. She decided to become a writer at age 10, after reading L. Frank Baum’s “Wizard of Oz” series, since the job of Princess of Oz was already taken. At 12, her unfinished first novel was tragically lost in a sea of library books on the floor of her room, forcing her to seek other employment. She’s worked as a screenwriter, television producer, bookseller and a congressional staffer, which is exactly as boring as it sounds. She loves vintage maps, strange names, strong coffee, and words and all the flavors they come in. Most of all, she loves her family. She lives with her husband and son in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, since the premise involves HIV. Parents typically choose American Girl as a safe, wholesome option for their children, and wouldn't expect an American Girl chapter book to teach their eight-year-old girls about sexually transmitted diseases. However, despite my initial concerns, the author handles the topic at an age-appropriate level, and it's a great book overall.

The story focuses on Courtney's new friendship with a boy she meets at the arcade. As they get to know each other, and as she incorporates him into her friend group, she learns that he gets sick a lot. Over time, she ends up learning that he had contracted HIV through a blood transfusion. He deals with persecution in the local community because of people's ignorance and fear about this disease, and Courtney helps stand up for him, learning about HIV and educating other people so that they will understand that this boy isn't contagious, and so that they will see him as a person instead of a threat.

The book is very emotionally intense, but it is authentic and realistic, portraying the challenging emotions that Courtney would feel in this situation. However, this isn't too serious or dark for the intended audience. The story also includes lighthearted and fun moments as Courtney enjoys life with her family and friends, and there is a fun subplot about her discovering a Pleasant Company catalog and wanting a Molly doll, which she receives from her dad for Christmas.

Other reviewers view this as egregious product placement, and I can see why, but I absolutely loved it. Molly was my favorite American Girl when I was growing up, and I loved reading the descriptions of the doll, and of Courtney's enthusiasm for Molly's story. Also, I cracked up laughing over the way that Courtney's mom responded to the doll's price point. I never would have expected an American Girl character to exclaim over how expensive American Girl dolls are, but it was so relatable!

The photo-illustrated historical note shares great information, and continues to skirt the sexually transmitted aspect of HIV/AIDS. One paragraph says, "Because many of the earliest patients were gay men, a lot of people wrongly saw AIDS as a gay disease. But AIDS impacted all kinds of people..." This is the only reference to LGBT issues, and it still does not mention anything about sexual transmission. The historical note mostly focuses on the true story of Ryan White, the child whose experiences inspired this story, and the character of Courtney's friend.

Parents will definitely want be aware of the topic that this book covers, and some may want to wait until their children are older before letting them read this book, but this does not involve sexual content or sexual references. This is a historically relevant, moving story about friendship and family, and about the importance of having empathy and not ostracizing other people. I enjoyed it, think that it fits well within the American Girl world, and am glad that the author handled the topic with such sensitivity and care.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The great AG marathon continues. Here's what stood out to me about this one:

- The bulk of the plot concerns Courtney's new friend Isaac, who has contracted HIV through a contaminated blood transfusion. I knew about that going in, but I didn't realize that it isn't just included, it's the main plot. There's a massive freak-out that sweeps up both Tina and Sarah, and more than anything, the key of this book is a lesson in how to deal with a personal connection to a controversial subject, including how to be a good ally/friend: Using your voice to share reliable information and amplify the voices that matter; keeping friendships alive, even through tough times; disengaging when you need a break for self care.

- As is typical for AG, it's a friend who is directly affected, not our main character (see also: Julie's friend who is deaf, Nanea's friend who faces prejudice for being Japanese, Maryellen's friend who faces prejudice for being Italian, Rebecca's cousin/uncle in the garment factory, Samantha learning from Nellie's experience, Molly learning from Emily's experience, Addy watching Sarah leave school).

- I was surprised in Book 1 when Courtney was nervous about speaking up, but it's more clearly reinforced here: Not her thing. Which of course means that situations come up where she has to do it. That's life, kid.

- There are lots of Crystal Starshooter daydreams and details woven throughout, including sidekick characters that correspond to her friends, which is really fun. I love that this character and world Courtney created have become an imaginary game for the whole friend group. And I love the "let's turn enemies into friends" call-back to Book 1.

- The scene where Courtney first discovers a Pleasant Company catalog feels over-engineered. (Be cool, book, be cool!) But I found the scene a couple of pages later where she and Sarah are looking through it at lunch pretty delightful, especially when it ends with a sketch of a hunk of cheese in a sunbonnet. (Sarah is totally getting a Kirsten now that Courtney has her Molly.)

More Courtney babble:
Courtney Changes the Games

[Katie Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I was expecting: Courtney learns to Code since donating to Girls Who Code and Coding, not just Gaming, is a big part of her brand.

What I got: a look at privileged allyship that eventually gives the marginalized person a voice.

This is a perennial problem with a huge chunk of AG. Ivy isn't the main character; Julie is. Neither Kira nor her parents are queer; her aunts who live halfway around the world are. Chrissa isn't Indian, but her best friend Sonali is (or at least Sonali's Mom is). Valerie Tripp isn't Latina, and Janet Shaw isn't a Nez Perce. There are definitely exceptions (Nanea, Melody, Joss, etc.); however, addressing hard issues from a distance will not create the far-reaching effects that Meet Addy's tobacco worm imagery does. (I.e. reading that moment when I was 8 is the genesis of my using my privileged allyship to ask for this). It is not enough for a white, privileged person to confront an issue. Let people write their own experiences for their own children. Then let me buy it (for me and my hypothetical children).

This was well written and does a good job of showing that allyship is not a no-cost endeavor. However, Mattel's approach is white and weaksauce. I wish they'd take a page out of Crystal Starshooter's book and be brave enough to do kind things like this better.

The Molly stuff totally made me cry though.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read. I’m an adult who typically reads nothing but Stephen King, but I’m also a doll collector and therefore have to read American Girl’s stories about their new 80’s doll.
This book was pretty great. Courtney is a great friend and her real-life struggles and experiences are so important for other young readers to read about.

[Abrie Constein · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book. What a story!

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Courtney's second and, I think, final book largely focuses on new friend Isaac. Isaac has HIV, and his story is very heavily based on Ryan White's, to the point that I believe his illustrations were based on photos of White. Hertz pulls surprisingly few punches when showing the level of hate that a child diagnosed with HIV might face in the mid 80s, and the bullying is relentless, vicious, and comes from every corner. Even Courtney's best friend participates, to an extent. The adults are a realistic combination of supportive, intentionally uninvolved, and hateful. It's kind of a tough read, but it probably should be. It was definitely a bold move for American Girls to tackle the AIDS crisis, and I think it largely paid off.

Talking about the series as a whole, I feel like the 80s setting was handled well, and doesn't shy away from two major and difficult events of the time period. Courtney is an appealing character, her family is loving and supportive, and her prickly relationship with her stepsister is handled well. But even though I really liked this series, and I really liked Courtney, I can't help but feel like this was a major missed opportunity for American Girl historical characters. Courtney is the sixth historical character with blonde hair. There are six BIPOC historical characters. This would have been a perfect time to introduce the first Asian American historical character, instead of yet another blonde girl.

[Lucy Wong · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am extremely disappointed :(
We went to the American girl doll store and I read the description of this book about their doll from the 80's and it said it was gonna be about HIV and I was like OH MY GOD GAY REPRESENTATION IN AN AMERICAN GIRL DOLL BOOK THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF LIFE
I burned through the book because it was easy to read and also it was a generally good book for the American girl franchise but there was NO MENTION OF GAY PEOPLE ANYWHERE IN THE STORY!!!
THE BOOK WAS LITERALLY CENTERED AROUND THE DISCRIMINATION TOWARDS PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS AND THE AUTHOR JUST FORGOT TO MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT QUEER PEOPLE ???!!!!?,?!??!!
I'm very very disappointed.
I read Ivy and Bean to make me feel better and it worked.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short, nice American Girl book in their historical fiction series. The time is the 1980's when the HIV threat is the current issue. Since most kids today would probably not be familiar with that illness, this might require a talk bringing them up to speed as to why the boy was viewed as such a pariah. The big message of this book is being strong and brave enough to stand with your friends. If you or a young reader in your life is into this series, I think this is a book for you.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.

[RaspberryRoses · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a lot more focused then her first - at the expense of just... randomly dropping plotlines from the first in order to focus in on HIV. And to be clear, I am very glad they tackled HIV and that they gave an unflinching and empathetic depiction. But it's weird that her mom's mayoral campaign - which we spent so much of the first book discussing - is just lost off screen, without any real fanfare.

Aside from the kind of glaring lack of context about how gay men were impacted by HIV within the story - it's mentioned in the peak into the past, but not the book itself - I think the book handled the topic pretty well.

I had no patience for the Sarah friendship failure plotline.

And like... listen. Yes it's product placement. But I don't hate the idea of a 1986 historical including the girl getting her own American Girl Doll. Like, it was a huge cultural thing then! I do think it makes sense! But it's weird to be sandwiched in-between the whole "immense bullying and protests surrounding the fact she's friends with Isaac" plotline. Like. It was whiplash. I did love the detail of Sarah liking Kirsten's block of cheese, though.

[Meghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciated the pro science "facts, not fear" and "stand up for your friends" messages, but the execution did not feel like a story targeted for late elementary. Admittedly, medical history is my wheelhouse so I came into it with a more critical eye. Like the previous book I could have done without Crystal Starshooter, and this time felt like the Pleasant Company aspect was a bit too much like a product placement.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Courtney is looking forward to summer. After experiencing the high from participating in Hands Across America she decides she will do awesome things that summer that help others. Going to the arcade after Hands Across America she meets Isaac who is super good with video games. Hoping to see him again, she continues going to the arcade with her friends but Isaac does not show again. She does meet him when school reopens and they are in the same class. She learns more about him and discovers why his family moved to California. She learns what he went through and becomes an activist to teach people about others like Isaac.

I enjoyed this book very much. I could not put it down. It puts a face onto Isaac's illness and how others treated him without knowing much about his disease. I liked how Courtney had his back though it was hard. She learned to navigate how to choose right over easy. I also liked how Kip, another friend, also stood by her and Isaac.

I appreciated the section at the back of the book that talks about what was happening in the 1980's when this book takes place. I lived through all of it and remember it. This was a good read.

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good read.

[Megan Laplante · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good. I grew up with the American Girl series. I got Molly in 1992 when I was 9! This was definitely one of the better stories. I'd love to see more Courtney books .

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I’m actually shocked they were brave enough to tell a story about Courtney having a friend with HIV. They told the story very well and were great at explaining things in a way that a 9/10 year old would understand.

Minus points because they had a weird substory about Courtney wanting an American Girl doll - which at first I thought was cute because this was then they came out - but it seemed so far removed from the rest of the story and like a hard sell of their product. Also, Courtney was obsessed with video games and did not at all seem like the kind of girl who wanted a doll.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to a 7 yo and the suggested age range is 8-12. There are definitely some who would say this was too mature a subject matter for a 7yo especially one finishing up 1st grade. But like that Mr. Belvedere episode came out it 1986, and I definitely saw it at a relatively young child, though who knows exactly how old I was. It definitely is a strong memory.

Anyway, we read it and it was kind of crazy to explain to my daughter the HIV/AIDs hysteria of the 80s early 90s, and how antiviral therapies have changed a death sentence into a chronic disease…. Hopefully we can keep healthcare research and science going over the next few years because the 20th century sure was an amazing century for healthcare advancement!

[Victoria Mound · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading it with my 7 year old! American Girl and the author particularly does a great job of describing moments in history in an educational and less scary way for our children.

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

this had no right being such a good story!! i couldn’t put it down!!

[Helen McElwain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that it talked about HIV and being kind of bullied (Isaac). I liked Courtney even more in this book because she was being a really good friend to Isaac and wasn't afraid of his illness. I learned a lot about HIV and had some questions because I'm only 9, but my parent answered them. It's fun to learn about the 80s.
(It's a little scary and sad, but recommended for 7+)

[Altynay Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great!! I’m a collector, and took particular interest in this book as I’m developing a literature based homeschool curriculum on LGBT history!!! This book definitely will have a place in it.

[Eva B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full series review for Courtney:
I've never really cared about 80s nostalgia. I wasn't alive then. It doesn't matter to me. I thought the first Courtney book was a solid introduction, if pretty by-the-books, but the second book blew me away. I did not expect the book to dive so much into medical misinformation and harassment based on medical issues. I've seen a bit of controversy around the second book's handling of HIV/AIDS and it's...hmm. My thoughts pretty much boil down to this: while I do wish that the book had mentioned queer people in any sort of way in the text of the book as opposed to the "glimpse into the past" section at the back, I also...was not really expecting them to at all. It was never a risk I believed they would take, and what discussion they did include about HIV and AIDS (centering on the experience of hemophiliacs like Isaac) was informative and the overarching story about sticking to your friends and correcting misinformation feels even more relevant nowadays given the whole pandemic thing. Courtney's determination to stand up for Isaac even in the face of harassment gains her my respect.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the first book in the Courtney series, this was really sweet. I really liked Courtney's friendship with Isaac and everything she did for him. I felt terrible for her when she got treated so poorly by her peers just because she was friends with someone with HIV, though I also can't blame the public for being so scared.

It's kinda funny, in I guess a sad/ironic way, how history seems to repeat itself, 'cause all of the talk about HIV being such a mysterious disease reminded me a lot of the situation we had with COVID back in 2020. Both diseases resulted in a lot of misinformation going around with everyone feeling super scared and paranoid. And resulted in many people targeting those who they felt were a threat, which, especially with COVID, often didn't even include people who were actually sick! I wonder if, in a way, that'll actually help those kids reading this book better understand what was going on and development a stronger sense of sympathy for Isaac and Courtney.

I have seen some older AG fans complain about the fact that it's often always one of the girls' friends who's dealing with whatever ailment is relevant to the time period rather than the girl herself. Which is honestly pretty understandable. I think the brand may have tried to counteract those complaints with Maryellen, who I know suffers (or suffered, past tense? I'm not sure, I haven't read her books yet) from polio, but circled back on the issue with Courtney. I kinda don't know how I personally feel about it. I think it might be more interesting to read a book from the perspective of the disease sufferer than through an outsider's, but I didn't really mind it here. Though I guess I did feel more of an interest in Isaac than Courtney in this book. Like she almost seemed kinda boring by comparison. But I can't really complain, she's a sweet character with a cute look and probably sells pretty well for AG, given that she hasn't been retired yet.

I do wish, though, that AG would go back to the 6-book series for their historical girls. Two just isn't enough! At least Courtney's books are longer than the historical girl books used to be, but I still feel like her story is so unfinished. I don't mind if the formula of the 6 books gets shaken up a bit, but I just want more time with these girls, exploring their respective time periods. Give me more Courtney books, please!

(And maybe write an Isaac spin-off, while you're at it. I wanna know his story, from his perspective! And hope he lives a long, happy life, though given the historical context at the end of the book, I know that's probably not the case. 😭)

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

They got the 80s so right. And in so many ways. Very meaningful messages expressed in the book. While still being fun and reminiscent of the 80s for someone who was that age when the book’s events happened.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really pleasantly surprised by AG willing to do such a deep dive into the cultural elements surrounding AIDS in the 80s and I applaud them for it. The plotline was based on Ryan White's experience which is discussed at the end of the book. Unfortunately this type of thing (being vague to avoid spoilers) did happen to kids, and I felt it was handled really well for the age of the characters. The level of product placement was especially high here but I could excuse it based on the rest of the book!

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sealed my love of the Courtney Moore character, as well as my acceptance of her into the historical AG pantheon.

There is a new kid in class this year, who Courtney bonds with over a love of arcade games. Quickly Courtney realizes that her new pal Isaac isn't well. He confides in Courtney that he is HIV positive, the result of a bad blood transfusion.

Somehow, word gets out about Isaac having HIV. Parents protest him attending school with their children, and Courtney gets a close look at hate and discrimination. But! She decides to head to the library, arm herself with facts, and fight the rampant misinformation being spread about her friend, even though she has a fear of speaking up.

Never in a million years did I think the AG brand would touch a topic like HIV, but they manage to do a solid job at introducing the topic to readers who may have never heard of the disease, as well as the importance of standing up for others, in under 120 pages. It obviously isn't going to be able to cover every aspect of the illness, but for the age demographic this is intended for, I think its more than adequate.

...also the meta-aspect of Courtney receiving her own AG Molly doll for Christmas is kind of hilarious.

[Clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really great story about speaking up and the dangers of misinformation. The in-story American Girl advertising felt kind of heavy-handed, but it was cool to see from a history perspective.

CW: bullying, prejudice against people with HIV

[Diane Hassler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of a young girl who finds out her new friend has aid's. Her realization that misinformation causes fear and her goal to educate people with the facts.

[Danielle T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised to find Courtney's second book centers around the AIDS pandemic and how reactive people were (which reminds me of current disinfo around the COVID-19 pandemic). Courtney's new friend Aaron is a hemophiliac who got an infected blood transfusion, mirroring the real life case of Ryan White, and the descriptions of angry people protesting him being at school and in public places reminded me that the real people who did similar are today's grandparents, alive and well (and potentially still narrow minded). AIDS is addressed at an age-appropriate level for middle grade, and this would be a good introduction to the concept of why we should be kind to people with chronic illness instead of treating them like pariahs.

I kinda wish Kip had more to do here, and kind of wondered at Courtney apparently being the only friend to go visit Aaron in person when he was at home. From his surname, I'm guessing Kip is of Japanese descent, and his relatives likely experienced outward discrimination from WWII onwards (or contemporarily, given Vincent Chin's murder by racist autoworkers in 1982) so he absolutely could've been another friend empathizing with Aaron's experiences.

The product placement was cute but I thought it was funny that Courtney's dad just... gives her a Christmas present months early because her books ditched the classic school year format in favor of being from January through fall of 1986. I do agree with Sarah though- I was fascinated by Kirsten's lunch pail in the catalog! (growing up, I got the catalog to look through but like Courtney's mom, my parents thought the dolls were too expensive).

In terms of impactful education about a decade, I liked the Courtney books more than MaryEllen even if I still find it horrifying to tag 1986 as historical fiction. Courtney's books show the impacts of divorce more strongly than Julie's (again, it really was a missed opportunity to center Ivy as a main historical character but that's my forever AG soapbox).

Dreading the inevitable '90s which will be siiiiiiiiick (rise of Saturday morning cartoons? I dunno mattel, tell me what you're going to zoom in on)

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Courtney: Friendship Superhero earns three stars.

-The plot is much more focused on a single issue this time, which readers may or may not prefer. The book goes into more depth than I expected about HIV, though the subplot about the mayoral race from the last book is abruptly dropped.
-The "facts, not fear" message is a valuable one, though note that while Courtney tells her class many ways that HIV does NOT spread, she never actually tells them how it can be spread...
-...because this book about HIV glaringly avoids any mention of queer people (except for one easy-to-miss line in the historical-info backmatter)!! That cost the book a star all on its own--shame on AG for pandering to the Christian-homophobe fraction of their audience and in doing so telling a much less complete history.
-This also feels a little like, maybe, not Courtney's story to tell? I was glad, at least, that the characters decide Isaac should be the one to tell his own story via video instead of Courtney speaking at the assembly on his behalf. But the front cover image doesn't seem like a great choice. Couldn't it show Isaac along with Courtney, or at least not depict Courtney as some kind of lone magical savior?
-My thoughts on the illustration styles and Crystal from the first book remain the same here.
-The brand-name-dropping continues, but feels extra awkward when Pleasant Company shows up. At least Courtney's mom comments on how expensive the dolls are, haha!

[Amie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was almost better than the first. The friendships were handled realistically. If readers pick this one up first there's enough of a recap they won't be lost, and the book could stand on its own.

I drew parallels between the discrimination Isaac and Courtney faced and the segregation ending 20 years earlier. I think the way the teachers and administration handled everything was honest, if at times flawed.

I also like that Courtney's sister Tina is afraid of Isaac. Seeing Tina's perspective gives Courtney compassion for those who are afraid and uninformed.

I think they made Isaac a boy to reflect Ryan White and his friendships, but I do kinda wish he was a girl. Not sure why, but I do. I like that he had hemophilia and obtained HIV through a transfusion.

The Looking Back section is renamed, and I don't like it. But it is fairly lengthy and similar in detail to the original books.

I love that Courtney draws parallels between herself and Molly, and that she reads Meet Molly.

[Corey · Rating 1 out of 5]

What every historical American Girl story should be: a huge doll ad with a fictionalized story about a real kid with AIDS in the middle of it.

I thought it was very odd that the first book was brand heavy until i realized it's definitely a buildup to be like "Oh! What a weird coincidence! We also started in the 80s, specifically 1986! How!! Fun!!"

The whole story with Isaac is brought on just in this book and it really fucking sucks. I liked the character enough, but once it's shown he has HIV, the whole book devolves.

This books is really a big AG ad for Molly with Courtney amd her friend being bullied for being near and having HIV/AIDS. They should have waited as this seems in super poor taste.