Book-It 'o14! Book #44
The Fifty Books Challenge, year five! ( 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013) This was a library request.
Title: Cécile's Gift by Denise Lewis Patrick, illustrated by Christine Kornacki
Details: Copyright 2011, American Girl
Synopsis (By Way of Back Cover):
"Cécile and her friend Marie-Grace volunteer at Holy Trinity Orphanage every week, and Cécile becomes especially close to a little girl named Perrine. But there are so many children who have lost their families to yellow fever, and Cécile wishes she could do more to help them. When she hears that a huge benefit will be held to raise money for all the orphans in New Orleans, she is determined to take part. But what can Cécile give to the orphans to lift their sad hearts and let them know she cares?"
Why I Wanted to Read It: Remember my remembrances of the American Girl franchise? And my reviews of the character Kit's six-book series? And my reviews of the character Rebecca's six-book series? Remember my review of the first book in this series? And the second? The third? The fourth? Fifth? Okay, then.
How I Liked It: The final book in the series (not counting the Mysteries) and it's Cécile's. The book has a lot to do, not only telling of Cécile's greatest reckoning/character development yet, but wrap up the story of both girls and their families.
The author's work is typically strong, and what could come across as predictable (as it did in the previous book) instead is actually pretty moving. Tragedy has not instantly transformed Cécile or her talents, it's still a process of self-actualization (okay, her wise maid and the orphan girl help, but this is a children's book after all).
Cécile achieves her zenith of American Girlitude in this final book (Marie-Grace's, which should've been in the previous book, was actually in the third), cleanly and effectively illustrating how much she's grown and how much she's still growing. Best yet, the book does what the best of American Girl books do, which is call upon the girls reading them to draw parallels between themselves and the heroines of the past.
Illustrations (unfortunately) stay the same.
The "Looking Back" section focuses on recovering from disaster (in 1853) and talks about New Orleans continued growth and overcoming other tragedies (citing Hurricane Katrina and major oil spill in the nearby gulf of Mexico which the book lists as happening in 2010). It ends on a high note, describing New Orleans's "special character, strong community spirit, and rich heritage" that still thrive.
Title: Cécile's Gift by Denise Lewis Patrick, illustrated by Christine Kornacki
Details: Copyright 2011, American Girl
Synopsis (By Way of Back Cover):
"Cécile and her friend Marie-Grace volunteer at Holy Trinity Orphanage every week, and Cécile becomes especially close to a little girl named Perrine. But there are so many children who have lost their families to yellow fever, and Cécile wishes she could do more to help them. When she hears that a huge benefit will be held to raise money for all the orphans in New Orleans, she is determined to take part. But what can Cécile give to the orphans to lift their sad hearts and let them know she cares?"
Why I Wanted to Read It: Remember my remembrances of the American Girl franchise? And my reviews of the character Kit's six-book series? And my reviews of the character Rebecca's six-book series? Remember my review of the first book in this series? And the second? The third? The fourth? Fifth? Okay, then.
How I Liked It: The final book in the series (not counting the Mysteries) and it's Cécile's. The book has a lot to do, not only telling of Cécile's greatest reckoning/character development yet, but wrap up the story of both girls and their families.
The author's work is typically strong, and what could come across as predictable (as it did in the previous book) instead is actually pretty moving. Tragedy has not instantly transformed Cécile or her talents, it's still a process of self-actualization (okay, her wise maid and the orphan girl help, but this is a children's book after all).
Cécile achieves her zenith of American Girlitude in this final book (Marie-Grace's, which should've been in the previous book, was actually in the third), cleanly and effectively illustrating how much she's grown and how much she's still growing. Best yet, the book does what the best of American Girl books do, which is call upon the girls reading them to draw parallels between themselves and the heroines of the past.
Illustrations (unfortunately) stay the same.
The "Looking Back" section focuses on recovering from disaster (in 1853) and talks about New Orleans continued growth and overcoming other tragedies (citing Hurricane Katrina and major oil spill in the nearby gulf of Mexico which the book lists as happening in 2010). It ends on a high note, describing New Orleans's "special character, strong community spirit, and rich heritage" that still thrive.