Addy's Little Brother (The American Girls Collection)

Rating:
Summary: 19th century African-American life
Review: "Addy's Little Brother" combines a story by Connie Porter with illustrations by Gabriella Delossa and Dahl Taylor. It is part of the "American Girls Short Stories" series of books for young readers. This volume tells a story about Addy, an African-American girl who lives in Philadelphia in 1864. As the plot unfolds, Addy becomes jealous of the relationship between her older brother Sam and Daniel, a young boy who has recently moved to the city.

Porter tells her story well, and makes effective use of black vernacular English in the characters' dialogue. Like the other volumes in this series, this book includes an "About the Author" page and other educational supplements. The "Peek into the Past" section is an informative look at African-American churches in 1864. This article is illustrated with historic photos, and discusses such topics as the churches' relationship to the abolitionist movement. The "American Girls Pastime" supplement includes instructions on how to make letter cookies. Overall, a solid entry in a consistently enjoyable and educational series.

Rating:
Summary: The Cabbage Patch
Review: The Addy Short Stories aren't as good as the big books, but they are good. This Addy book touched my heart and I wanted to read it again. Addy, a young black girl who lived in the time of the Civil War, has a mystery to solve. Her friend, Sarah Moore has a cousin who is instantly a magnet to Addy's big brother, Sam. Her own brother doesn't seem to have any time for her! Why is Daniel acting hurt and mysterious? It's up to Addy to solve this mystery.

Rating:
Summary: The Cabbage Patch
Review: The Addy Short Stories aren't as good as the big books, but they are good. This Addy book touched my heart and I wanted to read it again. Addy, a young black girl who lived in the time of the Civil War, has a mystery to solve. Her friend, Sarah Moore has a cousin who is instantly a magnet to Addy's big brother, Sam. Her own brother doesn't seem to have any time for her! Why is Daniel acting hurt and mysterious? It's up to Addy to solve this mystery.

Rating:
Summary: Another great Addy book!
Review: This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Addy Walker, a ten-year-old African-American girl living in the America of 1865. When Addy's brother, Sam, starts paying too much attention to her friend Esther's brother, Daniel, Addy lets her jealousy get the better of her. Addy is afraid that Daniel will replace her in Sam's affections, but, when it comes to love, there's always room for one more!

The final chapter of this book is an interesting look at churches in 1864, and has some nice directions for making letter cookies. This is another great Addy book! Connie Porter's story and Gabriela Dellosso and Dahl Taylor's illustrations combine to make this a really great read. My twelve-year-old daughter and I both highly recommend this book to you.