Ivy Ling is a ten-year-old Chinese American girl who wants to make her family proud. She loves gymnastics and hates to mess up in front of a crowd. Although Ivy seems to have a deep connection to her Chinese heritage, Chinese school is somewhat boring to her and she doesn't like to eat Chinese food every single day. But by the end of her book, Good Luck, Ivy, Ivy learns the value of having Chinese background. Ivy has a larger family than Julie. Ivy...

Marie-Grace was born in New Orleans, but left after her mother and younger brother's deaths. She was brave as a young child, as told in backstory. However, years of moving and not having a stable home has changed her. She is now quite shy. She feels out of place after many moves on the East coast, as her father couldn't find the right place for them in the Northeast. Marie-Grace can be apprehensive, and at first she found it hard to stand up for herself....

Julie is a fun-loving, happy, spirited girl, full of energy and new ideas but prone to fits of despair at the upheaval of the world around her. She finds it a duty to stand up against the prejudices of the past. This is at least partially because she herself is affected by these prejudices, tormented by the class rumor mill for being a tomboy, an athlete, and a child of divorce, but she also feels for the other people who may be affected. Though Julie...

Kaya is a Native American girl of the Nimíipuu, or Nez Perce tribe. Her stories are set prior to permanent settlement of the area by Caucasians. The stories are post-Western contact, as evidenced by the fact the tribe has horses and her grandmother has pock-marks from prior contact that has led to disease. Kaya is a very active young girl, fitting with an outdoor lifestyle. She swims in the river every morning with the other girls. She cares greatly...

Molly comes from a Scottish American family. She comes up with various plans to draw attention to herself through the series; several times these plans and ideas are either wholly unrealistic or fall through. To Molly, World War II is mostly a distant inconvenience in her daily life; it is only when she is introduced to Emily Bennett that she sees that the war is truly affecting other people. She is not very good at math (especially multiplication),...

Courtney Moore is growing up in California’s San Fernando Valley. She’s a total ’80s girl whose favorite place is Smiley’s Arcade because she loves playing video games. Courtney likes being in control of what happens, which isn’t always the case in real life. She and her stepsister, Tina, don’t always get along, and now that Courtney’s mom is running for mayor, things are changing at home. It’s a whole new game for Courtney, and she’s...

This new guide to American Girl characters features profiles on each doll from Kaya to Kira, the Girl of the Year 2021. Discover the characters, pastimes, outfits, sets, and cute pets.

From her family's New Mexican rancho comes the story of Josefina Montoya. She's trying to preserve what is precious after her mother's passing. When her mother's sister comes to live with Josefina's family, she is overjoyed. But Josefina must learn how to remain faithful to the old ways while helping her sisters and father open up to new ones.

Cécile comes from a well-to-do and highly regarded family within the New Orleans community. Cécile wishes to become a stage actress, and shows a talent for storytelling, recitation, and poetry when she volunteers her time at the Holy Trinity Orphanage. Unlike Marie-Grace, Cécile is homeschooled. She finds her lessons to be boring. She especially dislikes writing. Cecile takes voice lessons with Marie-Grace, but unlike Marie-Grace, she doesn't feel...

Many girls during Rebecca's time lived in two worlds-the one their families came from and the America they all came to together. Rebecca loves to celebrate the traditions of her Russian-Jewish family, but she's also excited about the new customs of New York City. With a little creativity, she learns how to stay true to her heart as she follows her dreams.