Time for School! (American Girl)

by Lauren Diaz Morgan, Lauren Gallegos (Illustrator)

Go to school with Courtney™, Kirsten™, Addy™, and other American Girl® characters in this all-new Little Golden Book. Whether celebrating a first day of school, graduation, or the school days in between, this Little Golden Book makes a timeless gift for children ages 2 to 5 and collectors of all ages.


This Little Golden Book stars Samantha™, Felicity™, Rebecca™, and other favorite American Girl characters as they learn school lessons in their own exciting times. It features full-color illustrations and a diverse group of spirited characters from a variety of historical settings that are always engaging.
 
Introduced in 1986, American Girl's flagship line of historical characters features 18-inch dolls, books, and accessories that give girls a dramatic understanding of the role women and girls played in shaping our country.
 
Little Golden Books enjoy nearly 100% consumer recognition. They feature beloved classics, hot licenses, and new original stories . . . the classics of tomorrow.
 
Look out for these other great
  • Happy Birthday! (American Girl) 9780593381854
  • Make a Difference! (American Girl) 9780593431672
  • Happy Holidays! (American Girl) 9780593381946

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens

24 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"School has changed a lot over the years, but it has always been a great place to make friends and try new things. How have American girls of the past learned their lessons?"

This Little Golden Book takes the reader on a whirlwind adventure through history as we learn about schools across the centuries.

Each American Girl gets a two-page spread where we learn what time they are from, what they'd learn, and then a sentence about something that happened in their book.

"Long ago in Colonial America, girls did not study the same things as boys in school. Girls, like Felicity, were taught skills such as stitchery, dancing, and how to serve tea."

The American Girls included in this book are: Felicity, Kirsten, Addy, Samantha, Rebecca, Nanea, Molly, Melody, Julie, and Courtney.

At the time of writing this review, I've only read Kirsten, Addy, Samantha, and Molly's stories in their entirety, so I can't really evaluate the other stories for accuracy.

That being said, for the girls that I am familiar with, I would say that the connections to the original stories are solid, if a bit neglectful on some of the details.

For example, in Addy's two-page spread, it mentions that

During the Civil War, Addy was able to attend school for the first time. ... Since Momma had never learned to read or write, Addy taught her at home. She used dough to make letters."

I really liked that the photo showed L O V E spelled out in the dough (just like in the book). This might be a bit minor, but I'm not the biggest fan of the 'During the Civil War' - Addy was able to attend school for the first time because she and her Momma escaped from slavery. That was the only reason she could attend school and I'm a bit bummed that the story dropped that part of her past.

Another (even more minor) thing was that, Samantha's section focused entirely on how the headmistress would lead Samantha and her friends in exercises each day and shows Samantha and her friends smiling when readers of the OG novels KNOW Samantha and her friends complained a LOT about having to do those exercises.

It isn't the biggest deal that the authors manipulated or changed a few facts here and there for the picture book, but if you are curious, those are some of the things I noticed.

I guess, at the end of the day, this book does do a rather good job of showcasing different aspects of school for girls over the decades.

The pictures were really well-done. I thought the girls were shown in such cute styles and the art was adorable.

More Reviews of American Girl Children's Books

Step Into Reading
Freedom for Addy - ★★★☆☆
Molly's Christmas Surprise - ★★★☆☆
Samantha Helps a Friend - ★★★☆☆

Little Golden Books
Grandmas are the Best! - ★★★★☆
Happy Birthday! - ★★★★☆
Happy Holidays! - ★★★★★
Making a Difference - ★★★☆☆
Time for School! - ★★★★☆

[Megan Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artwork is cute and does cover different time periods across American schools. It is very “rose covered glasses” and doesn’t cover the lack of education girls had for many decades.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a very brief look at what school was like for several of the "American Girl" characters. I cringed a little bit when I realized just how much was glossed over here - there's a lot of uncomfortable aspects each of these girls went through in school. But then, for this audience the goal is keeping things hopeful and bright I suppose.

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute mini peek into the differences in what school was like for some of the American Girl characters. The art is adorable, though I will never think of Felicity as someone with curly hair.

[Sarah C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book about school life throughout the years!