Meet Rebecca

American Girl: Rebecca #1

by Jacqueline Dembar Greene, Robert Hunt (Illustrator), Jennifer Hirsch (Editor)

Rebecca Rubin longs to be the center of attention, but it's not easy in a family of five children! When mysterious cousin Max, the actor, tells her the secret to pleasing an audience, Rebecca can hardly wait to try it out. Then she learns that her young cousin Ana and her family are in danger--they must escape Russia and come to America. Rebecca decides to raise money for their passage by putting on a show right in her New York City neighborhood-until her disapproving grandmother steps in. Unexpectedly, Rebecca finds another way to earn money. But she knows that for her plan to work, she'll have to keep it a secret.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Historical, Fiction, Middle Grade, Jewish, Chapter Books

78 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Ms. Greene is an American author of more than 30 books and stories for young readers. In addition to her American Girl series, some of her notable books of fiction include: Out of Many Waters, a historical novel about the first Jewish settlement in America.

Reviews

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this first a number of years ago. I reread it to see if my niece would enjoy it. Answer: Yes. This was a simple, but fun story about a family of Russian Jews who had immigrated to America. It takes place in 1914 when things were growing more difficult for the Jews in Russia. It is not a long story, and only the first in the series, but I enjoyed it.

[Kate Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been ages since I've read an American Girl book, so I was excited to finally read this one about Rebecca. The Yiddish and traditions sprinkled throughout as well as Rebecca's resourcefulness and imagination were fun to read.

I can't wait to pick up more books in this series! 🤍

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This'll be a review for Rebecca's whole series, which I'm giving a 3.5, rounded up because I ended up really liking her as a character.

Rebecca's series is set in 1914 and stars a young Jewish girl, daughter of Russian immigrants. So there are overarching themes of cultural and generational differences throughout, and probably the most coherent storyline to cover all six books in an American Girl's series that I've read. (Rebecca wants to be an actress, her family wouldn't approve, etc.) There are weightier issues, like unions in the sixth book and the still sadly relevant issue of how to deal with a culture that assumes Christianity is the norm. And there's Coney Island and making silent movies, so Rebecca has a very exciting time of it. She's a great character.

Re-read 2022: Coming back to Rebecca to follow along with the American Girls podcast. Rebecca is a fun character, spunky and resourceful in a realistic way. Her central conflict in this book (should I use the money I made for myself or for family? and how do I tell my family that I made money when they might not like it?) makes sense for her age and her family. In this particular book, I liked how being Jewish is simply the default for herself, her family, and most of the people she interacts with.

Whole series review, 2022: I really like Rebecca as a character, and I like how her family and home life are thoroughly steeped in Jewish culture. She has some fun and interesting set pieces in her books: Coney Island, an early movie studio, a strike. But there's a huge element of wish fulfillment in her stories, and especially with very tidy endings that strain disbelief. Am I being an overly critical adult in my reading? Maybe so.

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca was really brave in this story and thought of other people a lot. She learned that it's not all about her, she has to help other people too. Spoiler alert: her jokes are really funny, but that comes later in the book!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't see any of the problems I saw people mentioning about it, in reviews. Perhaps they'll come in future books?
The emotions, troubles, and solutions were well done. I feel like the author did a good job of showing the hard parts of immigrating to America, but also the good things, and why some desired to leave their old country.
The historical note at the end was good! Again, highlighting the why, and the harder and good things about coming to America.
I enjoyed it a lot!

There were things I didn't like, but it didn't detract from the whole.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely adored the American Girl books growing up, so with some time to kill in Barnes & Noble yesterday, I decided to pick up one of the ones that had come out in the time since I was the target audience.

Rebecca Rubin is a Russian-Jewish girl in New York City in 1914. And while I'm pleased they've tackled this era of immigrant families in turn of the century New York and also Jewish families, there was just too much exposition on the culture and traditions. I felt like instead of telling the story, everything needed to stop and be explained. Furthermore, there isn't a whole lot of story besides. Rebecca wants to be an actor like her cousin, but mostly she just wants people to stop thinking of her as little. Most of the book was focused on Rebecca's whining about one thing or another. Even when she sold her linens to pay for her (starving) cousin's way to America, she whinged about how angry her family would be with her. She's just not as likable a character as I come to expect from these books, and the storytelling lagged.

I did want to check to make sure this wasn't just my adult self rejecting something I would have enjoyed when I was nine. So I picked up Meet Kirsten: An American Girl, which was my favorite growing up for lots of reasons, least of all the fact that she had my last name and so that was the doll I ended up with. But Meet Kirsten held up to my standards. Without being explicit or as dark as things probably really were, it still gave a solid feeling of immigrating to the United States, with both real tragedy and joy. It's a story, and teaches you about another culture without being a Social Studies lesson.

For the Jewish aspect, some books I would recommend instead would include All-of-a-Kind Family, about a large Jewish family in turn-of-the-century New York City, that includes a lot about Jewish culture and holidays without beating you over the head with it. Or a great book about Russian-Jewish immigrants at the time would be Letters from Rifka, although it would be for a slightly older child.

Read my full review and comparisons to other books at my blog: http://shorteasywordsreviews.blogspot...

[Carolynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most of the American Girls series, Meet Rebecca features a spunky heroine who tries to honor her culture and still make her own way in life, this one a young Jewish immigrant in 1914. Spoiler Alert: In this book, Rebecca's interest in acting and motion pictures causes conflict with her more traditional grandparents. But whether she should spend the money she earns on her own pair of candlesticks or on helping her cousin's family never seems like a real question.
As usual, the book (Lexile measure 720L) is appropriate for middle grades and is enhanced with period photographs and a historical note. Readers interested in Meet Rebecca may also enjoy Dreams in the Golden Country: The Diary of Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish Immigrant Girl, New York City, 1903 by Kathryn Lasky, part of the Dear America series. Zipporah is also a Jewish immigrant and an aspiring actress. I think a more satisfying series of American Girl books, set a little later in the twentieth century during the Great Depression, are the Kit books, by Valerie Tripp.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story about a Jewish family in 1914, working to bring their Russian family over before war begins. (That sounds much darker than the story actually is!) I look forward to the next installment about the cousins coming to America.

[Renn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I count this as a pretty solid debut for Rebecca.

[D.T. Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a lot of American Girl books growing up, but since the Rebecca set is more recent, it wasn't around at the time I was reading AG. I recently found this book at a thrift store, so I went ahead and read it.

I love how AG combines historical and sometimes cultural information into their books in an interesting way.

[Harlyn Rengel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have this book and the doll I love Rebeca

[Maya Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read these books no less than 5000 times and yet they never get old! Classic literature!

[Monica Gleason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has me wishing I read the series as a kid! Probably would’ve enjoyed history a lot more lol

[Shayla Salazar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet children’s book and I like that it doesn’t shy away from the difficulties of the time period.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The great AG marathon continues as Katie catches up on the last 20 years of American Girl.

Before reading this one, I wondered if I would find Rebecca to be a drama queen, or obnoxiously outgoing. I knew she was an aspiring actress, and the most recent cover art leans into that idea pretty hard.

And yes, she has dramatic flair. But I like her a lot, and in fact I found myself identifying with her a lot more than I expected, remembering when I wanted to try acting as a kid.

But more than that, I loved her inner voice as she struggles between what she wants for herself and what she can do to help the family. I loved her clever solution. I loved her whole family, who are lovingly depicted. I can't wait to find the rest of her books so I can spend some more time with all of them.

[Erin Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that different levels of religious observance within immigrant families was portrayed realistically. Rebecca's struggle with spending the money on herself or helping her cousin was very age appropriate. Loved the family's reaction to her money making scheme.

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but sweet reread. This is a cute story about helping others and how important small businesses were and are today

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebecca was the first doll released after I aged out of American Girl as a kid, so she’s the first character whose story I’m going into without having even a passing familiarity with. That being said, I enjoyed this first book and am looking forward to getting to know Rebecca more. My only complaint is so far Rebecca feels a little derivative of previous American Girls? She has basically the exact same family structure as Molly: older sister(s) in high school, 12 year old older brother, 5 year old younger brother. And she has a really similar personality to Molly too: attention-seeking middle child with a flair for the dramatic and an interest in movies and show business. And then the very early 20th century New York setting feels a little derivative of Samantha, as does the family member who really “gets” her being her maternal uncle who their older family member(s) disapprove of for his nontraditional lifestyle. But this was only the first book, hopefully Rebecca will set herself apart from her predecessors more in the rest of the series.

[RaspberryRoses]

despite being a certified American Girl kid (obsessed with the dolls and the magazine), i never actually read the books. and there's a bunch at my library, so i figured i'd pick some up.

i picked this one at random - i never had a Rebecca doll as a kid - but i'm really glad i started with it. Rebecca's circumstances are very similar to that of my own family - Russian Jews who immigrated to New York in the 1910s. it kind of makes me emotional - like. maybe my own ancestors had similar moments in a similar place with a similar background.

the story itself was fun enough. it felt really choppy in some paces, but like. it only had 5 chapters to tell its story. of course its gonna be choppy.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing our read alouds of historic American Girls as we move through our American History. I enjoyed this and my kiddos did too, it’s an easy glimpse at life as a Jewish immigrant in New York right before the US enters WWI. As always, fairly light “problems” with equally easy solutions but overall, a good read for the age 6-10 crowd.

[Katelyn Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good first story to a promising series...

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

don’t mind me, just pretending i grew up in a nice big new york jewish family ;-;

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't originally planning to reread the Rebecca books, but once I realized how many were gone from the library system, I realized that I needed to seize my chance. My Great American Girl Reread of 2020 expanded in scope, and I'm glad that it did, because I am enjoying this series more than I originally did in 2009.

As I remembered, this book involves Rebecca's concern about Russian relatives who needed to immigrate immediately and needed financial support to do so. However, even though this aspect of the plot has pathos and urgency, other parts of the book seem shallow in comparison, such as the high priority that Rebecca places on being seen as mature within her family. Certainly, it's a realistic aspect of childhood, but she seems petulant at times, and deceives her family by selling parts of her trousseau without discussing it with anyone.

It's her work, so in that sense, she has the right to sell it. However, she knew that her parents and grandparents would disapprove, and a great deal of this story revolves around her deception, her feelings of guilt over it, and her anxiety about breaking the rules. It all ends happily, but I remember finding this frustrating when I originally read the series, and even though I no longer feel the same sense of vicarious stress about book characters hiding things from the families, it's still not my preference for a story like this.

The historical note is very informative about the time period and common realities for Eastern European immigrants. It is also direct and honest about the challenges that Jews faced in Europe at that time, and especially in Russia, where Jewish boys and men faced army conscription and terrible conditions and treatment. I learned a lot when I originally read this book, and now that I know tremendously more about the time period, it was interesting to return to the story with a different level of understanding.

This is still one of my least favorite American Girl series, but I'm glad that it tackles anti-Semitism, Jewish cultural traditions, and World War One, since those are rare topics for juvenile books to address. However, if I were recommending a series about the Jewish immigrant experience, I would highlight Sidney Taylor's All-of-a-Kind Family and its sequels over this series any day. I think that part of why I never liked this series much is because I was always comparing it to those childhood favorites, but the Rebecca books are still worthwhile, and I am glad that I am reading it again.

[Bree · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review is from the point of view of a mother. I'm reading the Rebecca series to decide when they will be appropriate for my daughter.

I was excited to read the Rebecca books because the time period and immigrant story are favorites of mine. Although I am intrigued by Rebecca the character, I struggled through the book. The space taken to explain Jewish traditions was helpful, but broke up the flow of the story.

The conflict, that Rebecca was sneaking around doing something she though her parents would disapprove of, wasn't handled as well as it could have been. Although there were hints that her grandparents are more old-country, and that there were certain expectations for a daughter vs. a son, I don't think a modern audience got a full understanding of the strict culture Rebecca was being raised in. The emphasis on traditions was pleasant, but skirted past a strict orthodox Jewish upbringing in the early 20th century.

As if there weren't enough plot points going on, there were a few too many side issues rolled in (sibling rivalry, Rebecca's desire to be treated more as an adult). I suspect these were thrown in to give the series more flow, but it made the first book cumbersome.

On a good note, I think the parts where Rebecca struggled to decide how to spend her money - for herself or family, rang very true to her age, and is something a modern audience would understand.

While I haven't rated any one particular book of Rebecca's very high, I think the stories as a whole are timeless and relevant to the target audience - they deal with teasing, accepting someone who is different, judging others, celebrating your heritage/faith/traditions, and I think Rebecca grows throughout the series. I like the emphasis on Rebecca's emotions as she grapples with issues - this is a well-rounded series, and even exceeds some of the earlier AG historical series.

[Susan]

The book had a dashed-off quality about it that disappointed me. Among the most disorienting anomalies was the way the grandmother fried fish on Friday (Christians fry it on Friday; Jews traditionally boil it and serve it cold) and then they obviously never served it, because the soup, which is eaten after the fish, was already served even before any of the blessings, which would have led to its cooling and congealing. Anyone who has every fried fish knows that it needs to be served right away, which makes it a bad menu choice for a Friday night sabbath dinner.

Yet this was an extraordinarily pious family, as evident from the prohibition of theater attendance and the oddly reactionary name choices. An immigrant Jewish family in the early 20th century that named its older children Victor, Sadie, and Sophie would normally go on to give its younger children such names as Mamie and Isadore, but instead these Rubins bucked the trend with Biblical throwbacks. Anything so incongruous cries out for an explanation. Unless the explanation is sheer carelessness.

Actually, the basic premise that a daughter of the family would light the sabbath candles (instead of the mother!) struck me as pretty bizarre. For that matter, I find it difficult to believe that a nine-year-old Jewish American girl a century ago would yearn so passionately to possess her very own pair of candlesticks.

I agree with the people who recommend the All of a Kind Family books instead, even though they are so dated.

[Laura]

Listening to American Girls Pod inspired me to read some of the books I had missed during my own childhood. I distinctly remember my neighbor mentioning there was no Jewish American Girl and my mother encouraging her (and the rest of our Girl Scout troop) to write our own AG stories. Rebecca came out six years after we graduated high school and probably a decade after this conversation took place. My neighbor was one woke 12 year old noticing the misrepresentation and absence of certain Americans.

I'm very glad Rebecca exists in literature and as part of AG cannon if for no other reason that to sprinkle in Yiddish words with my children. I thought it interesting Rebecca enters into an American business mindset by selling off doilies and such from her trousseau. This enterprise was successful as one of the characters mentions it being difficult to find handmade goods like these. I suspect this sets up some later books about factory work and manufactured goods. In this era of a return to simple/slow/intentional living, I think Rebecca fits right in. Interesting exchanges about work balance in America. Should they work on the Sabbath? What are the appearances (and social norms) of working/performing and asking to be paid for that labor? But I do hope that the entire series doesn't focus too much on business and occupations. I don't want to see the Jewish experience solely through the lens of economic industry.

[Tracy Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca is the daughter of Jewish immigrants living in New York. Rebecca wanted to light the Sabbath candlesticks, like her big sisters. Rebecca looks for ways to raise money to buy her own candlesticks. After meeting her cousin Max, the actor, she decides to put on a show. When that doesn't work, she finds another way. Rebecca is also upset that her cousin Ana and Ana's family are in danger in Russia. They need money to come to New York. How will Rebecca help Ana? Meet Rebecca is the start of an American Girl series set in New York in 1914. This is another excellent series helping girls learn what life was like in other times in history. Jacqueline Dembar Greene does a fantastic job bring a young jewish girls' life in 1914 to life.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing reading along with the American Girls Podcast - Rebecca is a delight. Especially after the MG & C, whose books were focused largely on the Yellow Fever.

[Hannah]

Title: Meet Rebecca
Author: Jacqueline Dembar Greene
Illustrator: Robert Hunt
Genre: Historical Fiction
Theme(s): Immigration, culture, Jewish religion
Opening line/sentence:
"Rebecca Rubin tugged at her wooden
doll until the top and bottom pulled
apart to reveal a smaller doll nesting
inside."
Brief Book Summary:
In this book of the American Girl series, the main character, Rebecca, explores and explains life in 19th century New York City. As the reader is drawn into her emotional experiences, they can learn the harsh realities of being an immigrants, as well as the difficulties of working as a middle-class American during America's multi-cultural evolution.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Susan Benson -- Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter
American Girl's Rebecca series of six books was published in connection with the introduction of the new Rebecca doll, described as a lively girl with dramatic flair growing up in New York City in 1914. Each of the books in the series follows an identical format: a repeated foreword about Jewish immigrant families of the era; an introduction to Rebecca's Jewish family; the main story; a section entitled Looking Back, which elaborates on a theme from the story and introduces the reader to an aspect of Jewish life in 1914; a glossary; and a sneak peek at the next book in the series. The stories are nicely illustrated with vintage photos and color drawings of the action and specific items as they occur in the story. In Meet Rebecca, the title character comes up with a clever way to raise money to bring her Russian cousins to America, and we learn about immigrant life in New York City. In Rebecca and Ana, Rebecca helps her cousin adjust to her new life, and we learn about school days in 1914. In Candlelight for Rebecca, Rebecca makes choices about Christmas decorations, and we learn about Hanukah in 1914. In Rebecca and the Movies, she celebrates her 10th birthday with a visit to a movie studio, during Passover, and we learn about the Jewish roots of the film business. In Rebecca to the Rescue, she demonstrates her bravery when the Ferris wheel breaks down at her brother s bar mitzvah celebration at Coney Island, and we learn about seaside resorts in 1914. In Changes for Rebecca, our heroine visits the garment factory where her relatives toil, later accompanying workers in a labor demonstration, and we learn about strikes, unions, picket lines, and other ways workers fought for their rights. Throughout the series, Rebecca is spunky, caring, compassionate, and resourceful. Secondary characters such as Bubbie and Cousin Max are also well developed. In her easy-to-read style, the author gently handles the tensions between the old world (speaking Yiddish, keeping Passover, traditional family values) and the new (trying new things, doing what you love, working on Shabbat). One perhaps false note is the motto, The best we can do in this life is follow our hearts --not exactly a Jewish message. The stories are full of history lessons (sugar-coated and with occasionally unlikely adventures), very much in the tradition of Sydney Taylor's classic All of a Kind Family books, as we get to know and love a Jewish girl with real emotions and authentic experiences. Even without the doll, these books will be treasured.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Candice Ransom -- Children's Literature
The year is 1914; the setting is New York's East Side. Rebecca Rubin longs for the spotlight, a position that is hard to attain in a family with five children. Her fourteen-year-old twin sisters always light the candles on Shabbos. Victor is nearly thirteen and studying for his Bar Mitzvah. Benny is the youngest and the pet, and Beckie? She wants to go on the stage like her Uncle Max, but no one will take her dreams seriously. The first of six titles in a new American Girl series, Meet Rebecca is peopled with stiff characters and filler dialogue designed to dump information on the reader. True to the American Girl format, the book opens with a double-spread of the characters and concludes with a lengthy section about Jewish immigrants, their culture, and the difficulties they faced, and a glossary of Yiddish terms. A teaser chapter from the next book entices the reader to continue the series. Fans of American Girl dolls and books will enjoy the latest offering. Readers who prefer their historical fiction not watered down will turn to better books.
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
In accordance with Benson's review, I think this title to be a perfect introduction to historical fiction for a young reader. Because the story involves a detailed plot with much character development and reference, the factual evidence and incorporation is not overwhelming. At the same time, though, the historical information is easy to differentiate from fictional plot. Moreover, the concluding pages, which summarize the historical setting of the book, provide a guide to the reader in furthering understanding of the nonfiction aspects of the book. Finally, because the characters develop to be typical roles of the historical environment, readers have opportunity to make text-to-self connections with the characters in the piece.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
Typical of all of the American Girl series, this book includes a glossary with unfamiliar terms, an introduction chapter detailing the historical setting, and a concluding section incorporating world events of this time period. Moreover, the pictures interspersed throughout the piece add a supplemental learning experience for the reader -- as they understand the historical evidence on another dimension. Moreover, the simple, conversational and informal text of the pieces proves to be a simple reading experience, and would not be intimidating to new readers. However, the length of the piece represents a higher level of reading, so those that would be targeted for this book may be bored by the easy text.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
To incorporate historical fiction in a classroom, students could use this piece to as a reference to understand the components of historical fact versus fiction. For example, how characters are fiction pieces while the setting, events, or environment are nonfiction examples. To further demonstrate understanding, students could create their own historical fiction pieces, identifying a well-known historical event and creating a storyline around the happening -- within the piece, students could incorporate real-life events, researching the lifestyle or culture of the time, while also using fiction plots and characters.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up I loved my American Girl doll, it’s one of the few things I remember really begging my parents for. I had Samantha. Now my littles are older, the catalogue appears and is brimming with new dolls and accessories. My daughter’s favorite is Rebecca – I think mainly because she comes in a purple dress and she and I share a name. Before I committed to buying a doll, I wanted to read her story.

Meet Rebecca is her introductory book and the beginning her series. If you’re not familiar with American Girl, the historical dolls all represent a different period of time and their stories reflect different historical events. Felicity’s stories were in Colonial Williamsburg and dealt with the Revolutionary War, Molly’s father was fighting in World War II… Rebecca’s story begins in 1914, her family is Russian Jewish immigrants. Her grandparents follow strict Jewish customs, but Rebecca’s father is forced to work on the Sabbath to make money. The family is also trying to earn more money to buy tickets to the US for family still in Russia. There are subplots of Rebecca being jealous of her older sisters and wanting to be an actress.

The book is too advanced with not enough pictures for a four-year-old, but I was invested and finished it. I like that these books explain complex historical events in easy terms, and they still have a “looking back” section that gives more insight on what was happening at that time. I love the girl power messaging throughout and giving Rebecca some autonomy from her family in making decisions.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am not ashamed to say, I’d read more.