Meet Marie-Grace (American Girl Series)

by Sarah Masters Buckey, Christine Kornacki (Illustrator)

Overview

Marie-Grace Gardner has just arrived in New Orleans, and she hopes she never has to move again. The lively city is unlike any other place Marie-Grace has lived. When she meets Mademoiselle Océane, a talented opera singer, Marie-Grace longs to take lessons. She loves to sing, and she would like to get to know Cécile Rey, the confident girl who is Mademoiselle's student. But Marie-Grace is shy, and starting school reminds her how hard it is to make friends and fit in. Can an unexpected adventure help her feel as if she belongs in New Orleans?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781593696528
Publisher:	American Girl Publishing
Publication date:	08/30/2011
Series:	American Girl Series
Pages:	120
Sales rank:	445,833
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	750L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

Editorial Reviews

In this new "American Girl" series title, young readers travel back in time to New Orleans in the 1853, an exciting era when the Mardi Gras tradition was already well-established. Marie-Grace Gardner arrives in New Orleans with her widowed father, who works as a physician. Marie-Grace lived in the city as a young child, prior to the deaths of her mother and brother. Upon returning to the city, Marie-Grace rediscovers her love of music under the tutelage of Mademoiselle Oceane, an opera singer. Marie-Grace becomes best friends with Cecile, a wealthy African-American girl. Soon Marie-Grace receives an invitation to the children's ball, and starts planning her costume. On the night of the ball, her father is called away suddenly to attend to a sick patient. Will Marie-Grace live her dream? Will she find friends, family, and happiness in New Orleans? Young readers will enjoy this unusual series, which features two protagonists for the first time. This unusual storytelling feature allows readers to step back in time through two identities, gaining a wider understanding of historical events. Reviewer: Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D.

Children's Literature - Suzanna E. Henshon

Gr 2–5—In Meet Marie-Grace, the child and her physician father move to New Orleans in 1853, where she begins voice lessons with the opera singer Mademoiselle Océane. She meets Cécile, an outgoing African American girl, and, although the girls are total opposites, they form an unlikely bond and Cécile educates her friend about race relations in the South. In Orphans, the protagonist finds a baby boy on her doorstep and wants to keep him. When a slave catcher comes for him, Marie-Grace and Cécile come up with a plan to keep the infant safe. Finally, in Difference, yellow fever has hit the city. Mademoiselle becomes ill and the orphanage where Marie-Grace and Cécile volunteer is full of children who lost their parents to the sickness. As the fever spreads across the city, the girls do their best to help those in need. Full-color illustrations are scattered throughout, and concluding sections offer relevant information about the events and include photos and reproductions. Fans of the "American Girl" books will dig right into this new series and seek out the titles told from Cécile's point of view.—Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH

School Library Journal