Samantha's Story Collection

American Girl: Samantha #1-6

by Susan S. Adler, Maxine Rose Schur, Valerie Tripp

Boxed in an attractive slipcase, this set features all six Samantha Parkington stories. Readers love these stories of this privileged Victorian girl who befriends a servant girl.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Fiction, Historical, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Chapter Books

365 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1988

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of the six original Samantha books - really love the storyline along with the historical sections that provide additional context for the various events, activities and traditions for that era.

Meet Samantha: An American Girl - ★★★★☆

"The leaves of the quiet old oak tree suddenly rustled and dropped a squirming bundle of arms and legs. Samantha Parkington tumbled out of the tree."

In this story, we meet our protagonist. A nine-year-old girl living in 1904 with her Grandmary after her parents died. Samantha meets a new friend (Nellie) and her grandmother's seamstress (Jessie) goes missing. She's about to learn some really difficult truths about the world.

I was really impressed by this one - it delved RIGHT into the social implications and devastating effects of child labor and segregation. I remember marveling at how the author handled such hard topics but also keeping the story upbeat and enjoyable to read. I kept thinking to myself, "Is this really the company that sells the fancy dolls? They didn't have to go so hard but gosh dang, they did."

Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story - ★★★★★

"I can't do it, Samantha," Nellie sobbed. "I'm too old to start school."

Nellie and her family now have a stable place to live, solid jobs and best of all, Nellie and her sisters can finally go back to school. Only...Nellie soon learns that she's so very far behind the rest of her classmates. It's devastating and Samantha wants to help. She will find a way to keep Nellie in school (and hopefully Samantha will also have time to win her school's essay contest).

In the first book, we touched briefly on what it was like for Nellie to be working at such a young age but in this one we really delve into the consequences and troubles that the children experienced. I was blown away by the way Samantha handled this information and her growth as a person. These books...why are they so good???

Samantha's Surprise: A Christmas Story - ★★★★☆

"The maid went straight to the windows and began tearing off Samantha's snowflakes."

Samantha is initially so excited about Christmas - the handmade decorations, the gingerbread houses, making presents for family members...And when she finds out that her uncle's beau is joining them, she cannot wait. Only...she quickly realizes that this means lots of changes for her, and she's not sure how to handle them.

This one reels back a little and focuses on the home. I liked the relatable-ness of this story - families grow and change throughout the years, meaning some traditions stay while others go. I also appreciated Samantha feeling torn over presents - she does really want the beautiful doll in the toy store but she also acknowledges the desire to not be selfish (and she had given her first doll to Nellie, who had no doll of her own).

Happy Birthday Samantha!: A Springtime Story - ★★★★☆

"Samantha felt fluttery with excitement as she stood in front of the house..."

Samantha Parkington's birthday party was supposed to be a wonderful day for her but then her awful neighbor (Eddie) plays a mean prank on her. Cornelia and Uncle Gard offer to let her join them in New York for an adventure. During the trip, Samantha learns an important lesson about the woman's suffragist movement.

We are back on track with breaking down important historical events and framing them in a child friendly way. I appreciated how this story delved into the significance of the suffragist movement and even acknowledged the pushback from older women of the time. I also thought the introduction of Agnes and Agatha (Cornelia's twin sisters) was well-done and I like how each story is building upon the last.

Samantha Saves the Day: A Summer Story - ★★★★☆

"With a cheerful blast of its whistle, the little steamboat chugged across Goose Lake toward Samantha."

Samantha and her family have spent every summer at Piney Point (Grandmary's mountain top home) and this year, she gets to spend the summer with Aunt Cornelia, Agnes and Agatha. While exploring the attic, Samantha and the twins discover a sketchbook belonging to her mother. Samantha is conflicted - the island pictures in the sketchbook are beautiful but visiting the island is dangerous. Should she go? Or should she stay where it is safe?

This story focused on love and loss...and OKAY. I admit it. I teared up at this one. There's something so poignant about a young girl who just wants to find memories of her deceased parents. It really got to me. I know Samantha is a little rich girl who really has been given just about anything she's ever wanted...but the authors do such an amazing job of fleshing out her character.

Changes for Samantha: A Winter Story - ★★★★★

"Oh poor Nellie!" Samantha whispered. "Poor Bridget and Jenny."

Samantha has moved to New York to live with Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia - she's going to miss her friends and Grandmary but she's excited for a new adventure. Things aren't going so well for her friend, Nellie. Nellie's parents both passed from the flu, leaving orphaned Nellie to take care of her two younger sisters. They are moving to New York as well but as more time passes, the more Samantha begins to worry about Nellie. She should be in New York by now but there's no word. How can Samantha find her friend in a city as big as New York?

Well...this one was a bit dark. The level of depth brought to the characters and the seriousness of their situations blew my mind. I was anxious as I read this story - hoping for Samantha to find her best friend and when she did? Oh gosh, the anxiety doubled as we found out their fate.

Overall thoughts on the series

I know I keep saying this - but these books went so much harder than they needed to to sell a few dolls. The amount of heart and soul put into these books is truly wild.

I do feel that on a whole the themes are a little bit lacking - the first two books seem to be about how if you have privilege, you should use it to help others. Then we transition to change can be good for the Christmas story, back to speaking your mind for your rights for the birthday and then how to move past grief for the Summer story...and finally circle back to using your privilege to help others for the final book.

That being said, I appreciated how all of the books built upon one another - the lessons Samantha learns helps her understand what to do in future books. The growth she experiences carries over. That doesn't always happen for children's books. There were a few moments that didn't quite line up (i.e. Nellie was missing for a few books) but in the end, I do feel like it was well done.

Overall, this series is so incredibly good. I would highly recommend it.

More reviews in the Samantha-verse

Main Series:
Meet Samantha - ★★★★☆
Samantha Learns a Lesson - ★★★★★
Samantha's Surprise - ★★★★☆
Happy Birthday, Samantha - ★★★★☆
Samantha Saves the Day - ★★★★★
Changes for Samantha - ★★★★☆
Samantha's Boxed Set - ★★★★☆

Adult Book:
Samantha: The Next Chapter - ★★★★★

Best Friend Book:
Nellie's Promise - ★★★★★

Short Stories:
Samantha's Winter Party - ★★★★★
Samantha Saves the Wedding - ★★★★☆
Samantha and the Missing Pearls - ★★★★☆
Samantha's Blue Bicycle - ★★★★★
Samantha's Special Talent - ★★★☆☆
Samantha's Short Story Collection - ★★★★☆

Mystery Books (My Order):
The Curse of Ravenscourt - ★★★★★
The Stolen Sapphire - ★★★★☆
Clue in the Castle Tower - ★★★★☆
Danger in Paris - ★★★☆☆
The Cry of the Loon - ★★★★☆

Beforever (Re-Release of Main Series in mid 2010s):
Manners & Mischief - ★★☆☆☆
Lost and Found - ★★★☆☆

Abridged Version (Re-Release of Main Series in 2020s):
Samantha: The Gift - ★★☆☆☆
Samantha: Lost and Found - ★★★★☆

Samantha's Historical and Activity Books:
Samantha's Cookbook - ★★★★★
Samantha's Cooking Studio - ★★★★★
Samantha's Craft Book - ★★★★★
Samantha's Friendship Fun - ★★★☆☆
Samantha's Ocean Liner Adventure - ★★★★★
Samantha's Theater Kit - ★★★★☆
Samantha's Valentine Crafts - ★★☆☆☆
Samantha's Wedding Memories - ★★☆☆☆
Samantha's World: A Girl's-eye View of the Turn of the Century - ★★★★★
The Titanic (American Girl: Real Stories From My Time) - ★★★☆☆
Welcome to Samantha's World · 1904 - ★★★★★

Additional Historical and Activity Books featuring Samantha:
American Girl Cross-stitch - ★★☆☆☆
The American Girls Cookbook - ★★★★★
The American Girls Party Book - ★★★★★
An American Girl: How a Billion-Dollar Doll and It's Unlikely Founder Changed Girlhood Forever - ★★★★☆
Everything I Need to Know I Learned From American Girl - ★★★☆☆
The Making of American Girl - ★★★★★
Minute Mysteries - ★★★★☆
Minute Mysteries 2 - ★★★★☆
The Official American Girl Cookbook - ★★★★☆

Beginner Reader & Picture Books:
Happy Birthday! (Little Golden Book) - ★★★★☆
Happy Holidays! (Little Golden Book) - ★★★★★
Making a Difference (Little Golden Book) - ★★★☆☆
My First American Girl Boxed Set - ★★★★☆
Samantha Helps a Friend (Step Into Reading) - ★★★☆☆
Time for School! (Little Golden Book) - ★★★★☆

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full (mini-)review now posted!

I loved the American Girls series so much when I was a little girl. These books helped me experience life in America through a little girl’s eyes through multiple decades. These books have been reprinted and renamed the BeForever series, but I was fortunate enough to find some of my favorites in these lovely collection editions. This collection, Samantha’s story, was my very favorite as a child. I already bought my niece the collection for when she’s old enough to read it. She’s only eight months old right now, so that’s going to be a while!

Samantha is a city girl in 1904 America. Through her story, we see how the country is changing through the Industrial Revolution and the women’s suffrage movement. We see what life was like for a privileged little girl on the cusp of her tenth birthday. Though she’s privileged, Samantha is far from selfish. She does her best to help others and to put herself in their shoes. She’s a lovely girl, and one whose caring inspires the best in others. She’s a great role model for young girls, and is a great way for girls to learn about an important era in our nation’s past.

While Samantha is my favorite, there are American girls from many decades and ethnic backgrounds. If you have a daughter or a niece that’s interested in history, these are fantastic books to give them. They’re good stories filled with good information in a way that’s easy to both remember and enjoy.

[Ashley Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read these books since I was probably ten or twelve. I'm not even sure where my original set disappeared to. But we watched a PBS doc on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in turn-of-the-century New York a few weeks ago, and I couldn't help but remember Samantha's best friend Nellie. So I bought another used set, then completely forgot I'd bought it, and thus surprised myself today when it came in the mail.

So what else was there to do? I promptly settled down and read through all six books again. Happy Valentine's Day indeed :) (book six ends with Valentine's Day, heehee)

The only thing that peeves me (and it's EXTREMELY nitpicky, only because I'm me) is that this isn't quite the set I used to have. The illustrations are slightly different/updated, with color illustrations where I'm pretty sure they used to be black and white; I suspect it's a later edition.

Otherwise, they are the same exact stories I loved and read countless times when I was a child, and I'm so glad to have them back. The issues Samantha is confronted with in 1904 (women's rights, child labor, and classism being at the forefront) remain relevant over a hundred years later. I adore Cornelia, Gardner, Jessie, and even Grandmary; even though they only inhabit a few pages per book, these characters truly come alive.

[Alice4170 🌙 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐

[Elsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legendary

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved these books as a young girl. Samantha was my first and favorite American Girl doll. I have since passed her to my oldest daughter and the book set. Enjoyed this book set and read it multiple times :)

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small part of my heart will always love American Girl. Samantha was probably one of my favorites, and I started crying when I heard they retired her. I hate the doll they replaced her with on principle. The Samantha books are also set in an area of I find fascinating: the early 1900s. During this time, the world was changing. Cars were starting to be seen on the streets, electricity was in homes, and women started to fight for their right to vote. Samantha is caught between a clash of tradition and new ideas. Her Grandmary wants her to be be a proper young lady while her Aunt Cornelia wants her to speak her mind. She struggles to find a solid middle ground. What I've always admired about the character of Samantha is her kindness. She befriends Nellie without worrying about the other girl's social background and even teaches her how to read. Samantha even risks breaking the law to get Nellie and her sisters out of the orphanage. Susan S. Adler has created a good role model for any young girls, and I plan to hand down these books to my daughter one day.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love American Girl. The whole enterprise is to make girls relate and care about history. Ask any history teacher and they will spend hours telling you how important that is.

[Elaina Osteen Beatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sort of wanted to be Samantha in 3rd/4th grade. Of course, I had the doll and her school desk. She was the jam.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the American Girl books as a child and adored them. I still own quite a few of the books and two box sets, so I should probably do a re-read.

[Layla Rafimayeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know i read this 10 times each in elementary school. I love my girl Samantha and Grandmary and Agnes and Agatha down. really nostalgic and i remember samantha making xmas gifts for her relatives and friends from scratch. So nice

[Staci · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were some of my favorite books when I was little. I read them with my youngest (5) this summer, and she loved them!

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still as good as when I read them at nine!

[Ella Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh boy.
Samantha is....something else. My issue is not with the character. Samantha is kind hearted, brave, generous, and intelligent. My issue with this series is the clear desire to talk about class issues without the messy trappings of "reality". Nellie's family and their suffering is flattened to build Samantha's character. Because I guess there's a fear that children could sympathize with "the poors". Nellie's family suffers every imaginable thing that poor children would suffer in this period, but we never see it until Samantha needs to be heroic or learn a lesson. At 10 Nellie has worked as a maid, in a factory, has lived in a tenement with her whole family, been separated from her family, has gotten the flu, been orphaned by the flu and almost been put on an orphan train. It's a tale of woe worthy of Victor Hugo. There's also the clear implication that Nellie O'Malley is Irish, but somehow the prejudice against Irish immigrants that would have been commonplace is absent. Nellie does not get to be a character but rather a plot point, an object of pity meant to provide moral growth for Samantha.

Then there's Jessie, the "colored" (the books' words not mine) seamstress who "patches Samantha up".
As a child I didn't like her character and now I know why. The first book revolves around Jessie's leaving the employ of Grandmary for unspecified reasons. Samantha is horrified. Who will tell her fantastic stories of the exotic New Orleans? Who will fix her clothes? Who will sew her new outfits? How dare Jessie have an existence outside of Grandmary's house.
So Samantha gets Nellie to abandon her child job that she needs to FEED HER FAMILY to find her missing Jessie. They go over to the colored side of town, which makes Samantha sad (because she doesn't SEE color), and discover that GASP Jessie has a child. That isn't Samantha. Samantha then demands that Jessie return and Jessie, who presumably needs the money because she has a family to feed ( her husband who works as a porter "on the river" surely isn't making a lot) agrees. And we are meant to see Samantha as a hero. Jessie barely shows up in the story again unless Samantha has a dress to hem. Needless to say, being a young black girl reading this and having Jessie being my entry point into the story was...complicated to put it mildly.

All in all. Nellie is my girl. Jessie deserved better. Yeah. Samantha is def not my favorite.
#justiceforjessie

[Rachel b00ksrmagic · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a reading prompt this month, I was supposed to read a favorite childhood book. I well remember receiving the first three books in this series (along with the first three Kirsten and Molly American Girl books) for Christmas in 1987. They were my first chapter books. I devoured all nine of them and found it fascinating to see how girls my age (I was 8 that year.) had lived in different times. Samantha was definitely my favorite. I eagerly awaited the release of books 4-6 in the following years and was so excited to own the complete series. I remember being envious of her fabulously wealthy lifestyle and being captivated by the idea of living in an age of so much cultural change.

Rereading these books for the first time in over 30 years, I was struck by several things. The first was how well I remember the stories! The second was the realization that my love of history began with these books. They made the past come alive in a way that I’ve never lost. And finally, I realized that these books were probably the first seeds that led to my strong feminist convictions as an adult. These books taught me that girls could be strong characters who could speak up, stand up, demand respect, and lead.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved my Samantha American Girl doll growing up and remember avidly checking out all the AG books from my elementary school library. After a not-so-sober decision to purchase the Samantha boxed set, I've been re-reading this in between other books. Honestly? They hold up!

I'm impressed with the history and lessons in Samantha's collection; thorny issues like class consciousness are handled it in an age-appropriate but meaningful way. For example, in Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story, Samantha learns that her optimistic speech about factories isn't accurate after talking to her servant-friend Nellie. She then decides to change her speech in front of the whole town, calling out America for not taking proper care of children. We love a progressive queen!

So glad these hold up for children.

[Susanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another series of American Girl books I read because of the American Girls podcast. Samantha may be my favorite of the group.

[nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

samantha my best gurl??

[Katharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small part of me will always love the American Girls, especially Samantha.

[Margaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Samantha's Stories and the box set is wonderful. Childhood favorites!

[Cecilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is so kind and loving and sweet. I want to be just like her.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nostalgia hit well. 💗

[Luminous Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun and nostalgic reread! 🥹

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dug out the old story books in preparation for Samantha, the Next Chapter!

Aaaaah, memories.

[Sarah Dougherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this re-read as a bedtime story for my daughter. She’s a baby so no feedback there but j absolutely loved it. I love historical fiction and the stories in this collection are engaging, have dynamic characters, valuable life lessons and they’re overall good fun. We’ll definitely be giving this a reread when she’s older

[Samantha Bartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books brought me back to 2003, the year I discovered there was a girl who shared my name who was just like me.

Meet Samantha: Not gonna lie, this book wasn’t the greatest introduction book in the American Girl series. It was not super interesting, but it did a good job introducing the character and showing her living situation.
2/5 stars

Samantha Learns a Lesson: This one is so very sweet. You learn about Nellie’s past in this one, which is a harsh reality to Samantha. Samantha also sets up a school to help teach Nellie so she wouldn’t be behind in her learning. I wish I could go to Mount Better school too.
5/5 stars

Samantha’s Surprise: The Christmas stories are always so good. Samantha doesn’t like Cornelia at first because she ruins all of her traditions and plans, but grows to love her. I do too. It wasn’t until reading this series that I realized how much I appreciate and aspire to be like Cornelia. Plus, she buys Samantha a doll because she herself loved it. Any adult woman who can appreciate a beautiful doll is someone I aim to be like.
4/5 stars

Happy Birthday Samantha!
I’m gonna say it; I don’t like the Pitt twins. Where did they come from? What happened to Nellie? I felt this book really lacked in the series. It doesn’t make sense that Samantha would throw a birthday party and not invite Nellie to join. Plus Agnes and Agatha are kind of annoying. But this book introduces readers to the women’s suffrage movement, and once again affirmed I wanna be Cornelia when I grow up.
3/5 stars

Samantha Saves the Day
I like how this one gives readers a look at Samantha’s past, including her parent’s death. It was pretty exciting, and an enjoyable read, but it felt like it didn’t fit in this series. This would have been a good extra story, but I felt like nothing in here was necessary to the plot line of the full six book series. I feel like Samantha Saves the Day would be a better title for book six.
3/5

Changes for Samantha: FINALLY Nellie and her sisters are back again. Why were they missing for three books? Who knows. This book though is the best in the series because it closes a chapter on the terrible lives Nellie and her sisters had to go through. Plus oh my gosh the ending is a tear jerker every single time. It’s not like you couldn’t see it coming, but it always makes me so very happy.
5/5 stars

Grand Total: 3.5 stars

Now excuse me while I feel the urge to change my senior capstone project from Lady Jane Gray to the progressive era in America.

[Cheryl Gatling]

Samantha Parkington is a privileged girl. She lives in a big house, with servants. In addition to hiring people to cook and clean, her family employs a seamstress to make and mend the family’s clothes. Samantha’s parents are dead, and she is being raised by her grandmother, who is called Grandmary.

Grandmary is strict, but secretly kind. She wants to train Samantha to be a proper young lady, to have the skills needed to take her place in society. Grandmary leads by example, and is always dignified and self-controlled. Samantha has some trouble being a proper young lady. Samantha is full of energy, and she wants to run outdoors, and have fun, and make things. Her tights are often ripped, and her hairbow is askew.

Samantha befriends a servant girl named Nellie who lives next door, and so she learns about what life is like for the working poor, especially about the dangerous conditions in the factories. Nellie used to work in a textile mill, and so she has a chronic cough at age 9.

Other people in Samantha’s life are her Uncle Gard, a fun and hip young man, who owns a motorcar, and his girlfriend Cornelia, a budding feminist. Cornelia has two sisters Samantha’s age, redheaded twins who have even more energy and less self-control than Samantha does.

I liked the stories about Nellie, which open up Samantha’s eyes. I liked the Christmas story where Samantha learns to open up her heart and accept Cornelia into the family. But I think my favorite story was the one where Samantha’s family goes to their summer home, on a lake in the woods, where Samantha learns more about her parents, and how they died. It’s got the beauty of nature, a life-or-death adventure, and has some heartwarming tenderness as well as some lessons in what not to do.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a long winded review written out but decided against posting it. Long story short, saw my friend Laura reading (rereading?) American Girl books and it inspired me to read my own. Sadly I can’t find my late 90s Samantha book collection and bought this edition at a Half Price Books until I find them. (Hopefully still around) When I was little my grandma offered to get me an American Girl and with decision angst, I decided on Samantha to just answer her question. This being my 3rd (or more) time reading the books I now see why I chose her, even unknowingly. Samantha and I would be about 100 years apart. We both grew up at the turn of a century with leaps and bounds in technology coexisting with Gilded Age level class systems. The books were fantastic and Sam is no spoiled brat. She is still a little girl who wishes to live out her childhood, as any should, but she is also fully aware of her surroundings and wishes things could improve for those around her. She is a character with strong empathy that can teach young and older readers through her simple stories. The historical notes at the end are always so fascinating, even after taking years of history it was a good refresher and even rabbit hole to take myself down into the turn of the (last) century. It’s really unfortunate what BeForever did to AG, as it completely erased both the historical facts and the iconic AG art style. Thankfully this series maintained the ones I remembered as a kid, not the poorly photo edited ones on display now. If I’m able to find more books on Samantha or other AG series I will be reading those next for sure.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm continuing to read the American Girl series as an adult alongside the Dolls of Our Lives podcast (formerly the American Girls podcast), hosted by two American historians. Rereading Samantha's books gave me a huge dose of nostalgia. I was, however, reminded that this was my least favorite American Girl series as a child, and as an adult, that opinion is the same.

Samantha Parkington is an orphan living with her wealthy grandmother is upstate New York in 1904. The first two books start off strong when Samantha befriends Nellie, a poor girl working as a servant at the neighbors'. For the first time, Samantha realizes that most do not live the life of luxury she does and she becomes determined to help. The fact that this series was written by three different authors is clear as books 3-5 drop the Nellie storyline entirely and instead focus on childhood antics with little historical grounding. The pacing is strange, as the series skips over major plot points (including two weddings and a change in guardianship??)

While the series touches on class consciousness, child labor, the harms of industrialization, and the suffrage movement, choosing 1904 as a setting was odd. The Samantha books lack the heart and tenderness of many of the other American Girl series and do not build the historical world as effectively as the other characters' books.

I would have loved if this series was instead told from Nellie's perspective! Rounded up for nostalgia.

[Emily]

General: Currently reading through the American Girl series with my 5 year old daughter. So far, Samantha is one of her favorites. Samantha is a young girl, being raised by her wealthy grandmother during the Victorian era. She befriends a working child next door, enjoys time with her Uncle Gard, goes to school, etc.

Content: Samantha’s young neighbor friend, Nellie, is a servant in a wealthy home nearby. Children at the school are unkind to her because she is poor and not well dressed. Additionally, Samantha becomes aware that Nellie previously worked in a factory. I did abridge some of the child labor references (for a five year old). Late in the series, Nellie and her sisters are orphaned and sent back to an orphanage in the city. There was also a reference to segregation (Jessie, Samantha’s seamstress, leaves her job to have a baby and Samantha goes to the “other side of town” to find Jessie.) Even still, I think it was a helpful story to bring these historical realities to light.