"MEET CECILE," by Denise Lewis Patrick, American Girl, 109 pages, $12.95 (8 and up) and "MEET MARIE-GRACE," by Sarah Masters Buckey, American Girl, $12.95, 109 pages (8 and up)
Make way for an American Girl innovation.
American Girl books have always been about one girl and were set in a specific time period — like World War I or the 1970s. Each series has six books that tell the story of that one girl over a year's time. I have read seven of the series and enjoyed them all. Now, American Girl is introducing two parallel books about two girls who share the same adventure. The girls are Cecile Rey and Marie-Grace Gardner. Their books are called "Meet Cecile" and "Meet Marie-Grace" and tell the same story from two different points of view — and two authors.
Cecile's stories are by Denise Lewis Patrick and Marie-Grace's stories are by Sarah Masters Buckey.
"MEET MARIE-GRACE"
Marie-Grace was born in New Orleans, and was just returning after having been away for years. This is where the tale picks up. Marie-Grace has just moved with her father to New Orleans — back to the city where her mother died.
She tours the city with her uncle and meets a talented opera singer, Mademoiselle Oceane. Marie-Grace meets a student of the singer, Cécile Rey, who soon becomes her best friend. Together at a Mardi Gras ball, they have an adventure they will never forget, as the girls devise a plan that will lead to a new understanding of each other.
"MEET CECILE"
It is hard for Cecile to be a free person of color. Sometimes Americans (from other parts of the country where slaves are not free) mock her, or as she calls them, "les Americains." Cecile is a very fun loving girl with a very crazy pet parrot. Cecile is also very excited for her brother to come home soon from studying in France.
Cecile wants to have a unique costume for the Mardi Gras ball, but after meeting Marie-Grace, she thinks something even better can happen that will bond her and Marie. However, Marie-Grace tells her a secret that might change their lives forever.
Another unique thing about these books is that there is a song written to go with the story. The song is called "A Lot Like Me" and it is about Marie-Grace and Cecile. It is written by Harry Connick Jr. and sung by his 13-year-old daughter, Kate Connick. It has a jazzy/pop beat and focuses on two different girls that are a lot like each other. I liked the words and the message behind them.
Cecile Ray and Marie-Grace Gardner go on a six-book adventure that promises to be full of fun and mystery. I enjoyed the friendship they developed through all their similarities and differences. They both like to sing, but Cecile is very bold and daring, unlike Marie-Grace who is somewhat shy. The books are superb in the way they teach about history, too. I learned a lot about New Orleans in 1853. I loved these books for all they taught me, including a little French, such as bonjour, au revoir, and cherie (hello, good-bye and dear).
The books have some humor as well. For example, when Cecile acts likes a parrot to compensate for her brother being gone and when she sings so high, she squeaks. The next four books are "Marie-Grace and the Orphans," "Troubles For Cecile," "Marie-Grace Makes a Difference" and "Cecile's Gift."
If you're a girl between 8 and 12 who loves a good story, you won't want to miss them.
Kate De Groote is 10 years old and runs the blog SuperKid Reviews.wordpress.com with her 8-year-old sister, Ellie.