Rutabaga's Reads 2022: Part 3

Am I a grown woman? Yes. But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the American Girl (AG) brand. (This post is NOT sponsored by AG or anyone affiliated with AG. Books were purchased by me.)

            This post features AG’s Girl of the Year (GOTY) for 2022: Corinne Tan. Corinne is Asian American (specifically, Chinese). As someone who’s also an Asian American (specifically, Korean), I love that AG is featuring an Asian doll of color!

Corinne (Dec. 30, 2021) by Wendy Wan-Long Shang.

There’s a lot of newness going on in 10-year-old Corinne Tan’s life. She and her younger sister, Gwynn, are about to gain a stepfather. His name is Arne, and when their mom marries him, they all move into his spacious, professionally-designed home in Aspen. There are certain perks, like a fabulous bedroom for the sisters to share and getting a rescue pup, Flurry, from the local shelter, but Corinne is uncomfortable. She hides the truth of her new privilege and living in wealth from her best friend, Cassidy, including when Gwynn begins private skating lessons, because Cassidy thinks all who pay for private lessons are snobs. Then there’s the mean boy who makes xenophobic remarks and the two grown men who say equally bigoted things, making seven-year-old Gwynn cry. Arne seems to want to sweep the negativity under the rug, rather than discuss it. When truths and frustrations come out in a disastrous way, Corinne flees to her home outside of home. But will her survival skills kick in when it becomes clear that she’s lost?

            Props to the author for crafting such an authentic, current story. The COVID-19 pandemic has, unfortunately, brought a lot of xenophobia toward Asians and Asian Americans to light. I appreciate that the author wrote the story as she did. Corinne needs to be able to discuss the hurtfulness of being a racial target, and it annoyed me terrifically when she wasn’t getting that support from her new stepfather. It’s an intensive topic for all ages, but young people are far more observant than adults often give them credit for, and they need to know that open discussions should always be encouraged. I love the addition of Flurry, a rescue pet, one that’s going to be trained to be a search and rescue dog, and the “sister brain” dynamic shows a closeness between the two sisters that I wish all siblings had. This book, aimed at a 3^rd-4^th grade reading level (according to the book), is written with depth while remaining easy to understand and is a fast read.

Corrine to the Rescue (Dec. 30, 2021) by Wendy Wan-Long Shang.

With no snow now that summer’s here, Corrine worries about keeping up with Flurry’s search and rescue training. Fortunately, with advice from Kim, a dog trainer, Corinne learns that there are things Flurry needs to be comfortable doing for summer searches, such as be able to hop into an all-terrain vehicle, climb onto Corinne’s back (to carry one’s dog so the dog conserves strength and energy) and learn to ride in a canoe (if there were snow, it’d be learn to ride in a sled). Corinne is determined to get Flurry up-to-snuff so that Kim will become Corinne’s mentor, but these tasks are harder than expected due to interference from Gwynn. Corinne thinks that having her own bedroom will fix that issue until their mom shares huge news that will change their family forever. Corinne banks her training hopes on their annual camping trip instead, though Arne’s not easily convinced. When disaster strikes during their trip, their training time becomes a real rescue mission. Her family’s safety is at stake!

            As expected of all AG stories, this is another cute tale with a good message. Life can bring big changes no matter the age, as Corinne experiences in this story with her mom’s news. She’s also written with a good head on her shoulders when she seeks out aid with Cassidy and Flurry with her, though she isn’t 100% brave 100% of the time, making her character more realistic and believable. It’s an adventure-turned-rescue-mission with a sweet bundle of joy at the end. For anyone who follows AG stories, these aren’t to be missed, and I would hope libraries would add them to their collections, especially if they already carry AG books.