Rutabaga's Reads 2023: Part 10

This is a compilation post featuring a historical American Girl character. Here, readers get to know nine-year-old Claudie Wells. The year her stories take place is 1922.

Meet Claudie: An American Girl (Aug. 23, 2022) by Brit Bennett.

   Laura Freeman, illustrator.

<This is the first of two books in a series.>

It’s Harlem in NYC during the Roaring ‘20s. Claudie Wells is a nine-year-old girl with her feet stuck on the ground when she’d prefer to be one whose imagination soars. She and her family – Mama, a dedicated reporter; Daddy, an artistic baker and WWI veteran; and Jody, her six-year-old brother – live at Miss Amelia’s boardinghouse. She’s surrounded by talented people who are singers or musicians or artists. Her best friend, Nina, is a terrific dancer, but Claudie is not. Everyone has an obvious talent except for her! When she learns that the boardinghouse has been served with an eviction notice, she comes up with an idea that might bring in the extra funds they need. One of the boarders tells Claudie she’ll help on the condition that Claudie participates in the show. Why? “Because art is about taking risks,” Gwen says (p. 59).

            I realize that American Girl as a Mattel product has been far more commercialized in comparison to its humble beginnings, but I really wish that more people would recognize the importance of the historical characters, both the founding and the much more recently released. These stories celebrate girls. No matter a person’s color, these stories encourage resilience, confidence and kindness. They promote education, even when it’s not fun to read. After all, plenty of history is not fun to read about, but that doesn’t mean we ignore it or watch cat videos instead (though they are understandably distracting). Bennett’s writing is strong, her storytelling strengthening the illustrator’s skilled artwork.

            NOTE 1: There is a message before the story begins that informs readers there are terms used in the stories that are not appropriate today, but are included in the story as “an accurate reflection of how people would have thought and spoken during this time.”

            NOTE 2: I see that there is a third book releasing in January 2024 called “Claudie Finds Her Talent.” It’s a Step 3 Step Into Reading book, so I’m uncertain if it’s considered part of the Claudie series. I’m treating it as separate since it’s a leveled book, and it’s also releasing from a publisher that is not American Girl Publishing.

Adventures With Claudie (June 6, 2023) by Brit Bennett.

   Laura Freeman, illustrator.

<This is the second of two books in a series.>

Traveling from Harlem to Shellman, Georgia, is an adventure for Claudie, for before this trip, she’d only seen a small slice of New York City. This trip is over 1,000 miles with the Model T’s tank holding 10 gallons of gas and able to travel up to 17 miles per gallon. They travel about 30 miles an hour, and it takes Claudie, her mom (Gloria) and Cousin Sidney almost 30 hours of driving time to get there. She’s meeting Grandmother and many other relatives for the first time, including Ross and Mavis, her 11-year-old twin cousins. It will also be a first-time experience for her visiting a farm. Claudie’s looking for inspiration from her family so she can write a sketch for the variety show she’s planning. She’s trying to help the boardinghouse, where her family lives in Harlem, raise money so it can stay open. Claudie’s grandmother tells her a legend from slavery times called The People Could Fly. Is this the inspiration Claudie’s looking for? Or will she be too distracted by Mama, a dedicated newspaper reporter who “never leaves anything alone?”

            Over the decades, I have read a multitude of American Girl books featuring historical characters, and I love the research and care that each of the authors puts into their stories. Through Bennett’s words, my pulse would pound at the tense moments, and I’d feel riled at the condescension. This intensity should not deter young readers from learning of Claudie’s world. I would hope they’d read them and gain historical knowledge they may not have had before. I want readers to have a care for others from a young age, to know how to be compassionate and understanding, to see beyond the color of someone’s skin. These stories are understated, but so important. Please read them!

            P.S. For another story inspired by The People Could Fly, I highly recommend reading the fantasy adventure, middle-grade novel “Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy” by Angie Thomas.