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Meet Julie: An American Girl

(2007, Fiction - Historical Fiction, Written by Megan McDonald, Illustrated by Robert Hunt)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 5, age appropriate for kids over 8; suggested age 8.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Plucky '70s American Girl fights for her rights.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 8 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Parents are divorced but demonstrate good communication and caring. Her best friend is Ivy Ling, an Asian girl. She befriends a boy at school who encourages her to play basketball. Julie uses a petition to demonstrate her point about fairness.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Mention of Vietnam veterans and seeing hard things in war.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Plenty of merchandise surrounds this new American Girl character: dolls, clothes, etc. Mentions from the 1970s: Brady Bunch, VW Beetle, Bewitched, Twinkies, Olga Korbut.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Meet Julie: An American Girl

Parents need to know that the main character, Julie, is part of the American Girl series that has its own stores selling all things American Girl: dolls, clothes, DVDs, etc. This first book in the series features a 9-year-old living in San Francisco in the '70s and captures issues and historical events of the era: President Nixon resigning; Vietnam veterans needing support; parents getting divorces (like Julie's); and the changing rights/roles of women, especially regarding Title Nine.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the political and social events addressed in this book. How does Julie react to these events? How do you think you would react?
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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    CubFan
    Lives in California
    I rate this title off for age 7 and give it 5.0

    I laughed and got sad, great book!

    Very touching, funny, and just great! I did feel bad for Julie when her parents divorced, lost her best friend, Ivy, got teased at school, but it was wonderfully written, and a very great book. 5 stars, 8+! (I'm nine).

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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  2. Adult Reviewer
    sflan
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 5.0

    Great book to inspire greatness in your daughter

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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  3. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    techsavvy101
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 3.0

    couldn't relate to it

    I have to admit that this was a very good book and i did like it, but Julie's reaction to certain sitiations were hard to relate to. for example, when her parents got divorced, she was more concerned about losing her best friend then her parents.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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