What do you think?
Rate this book
American Girl: Julie #3
Happy New Year, Julie 1974
Julie knows the holidays will be difficult this year, but when her sister, Tracy, refuses to go to Dad s house for Christmas, Julie feels as if her family is falling apart. She finds comfort spending time with her best friend, Ivy Ling, whose family is getting ready for Chinese New Year. When Julie s whole family is invited to the Lings New Year banquet, Julie worries about how they will get along. That night, she discovers that they all have a chance at a new beginning. The "Looking Back" section explores Chinese New Year traditions.
This book is the third in a series of six historical books filled with inspiring lessons of compassion, courage, and friendship. Julie s entire book set includes: Meet Julie; Julie Tells Her Story; Happy New Year, Julie; Julie and the Eagles; Julie s Journey; and Changes for Julie.
77 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Megan McDonald
319 books751 followers"Sometimes I think I am Judy Moody," says Megan McDonald, author of the Judy Moody series, the Stink series, and THE SISTERS CLUB. "I'm certainly moody, like she is. Judy has a strong voice and always speaks up for herself. I like that."
For Megan McDonald, being able to speak up for herself wasn't always easy. She grew up as the youngest of five sisters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, an ironworker, was known to his coworkers as "Little Johnny the Storyteller." Every evening at dinner the McDonalds would gather to talk and tell stories, but Megan McDonald was barely able to get a word in edgewise. "I'm told I began to stutter," she says, leading her mother to give her a notebook so she could start "writing things down."
Critically acclaimed, the Judy Moody books have won numerous awards, ranging from a PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Book of the Year to an International Reading Association Children's Choice. "Judy has taken on a life of her own," the author notes, with nearly 3 million Judy Moody books in print. Interestingly, the feisty third-grader is highly popular with boys and girls, making for a strong base of fans who are among Megan McDonald's strongest incentives to keep writing, along with "too many ideas and a little chocolate." And now -- by popular demand -- Judy Moody's little brother, Stink, gets his chance to star in his own adventures! Beginning with STINK: THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING KID, three more stories, and his own encyclopedia, STINK-O-PEDIA, Stink's special style comes through loud and strong -- enhanced by a series of comic strips, drawn by Stink himself, which are sprinkled throughout the first book. About the need for a book all about Stink, Megan McDonald says, "Once, while I was visiting a class full of Judy Moody readers, the kids, many with spiked hair à la Judy's little brother, chanted, 'Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink!' as I entered the room. In that moment, I knew that Stink had to have a book all his own."
More recently, Megan McDonald has recalled some of her own childhood with the warmth, humor -- and squabbles -- of three spunky sisters in THE SISTERS CLUB.
Megan McDonald and her husband live in Sebastopol, California, with two dogs, two adopted horses, and fifteen wild turkeys that like to hang out on their back porch.
For Megan McDonald, being able to speak up for herself wasn't always easy. She grew up as the youngest of five sisters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, an ironworker, was known to his coworkers as "Little Johnny the Storyteller." Every evening at dinner the McDonalds would gather to talk and tell stories, but Megan McDonald was barely able to get a word in edgewise. "I'm told I began to stutter," she says, leading her mother to give her a notebook so she could start "writing things down."
Critically acclaimed, the Judy Moody books have won numerous awards, ranging from a PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Book of the Year to an International Reading Association Children's Choice. "Judy has taken on a life of her own," the author notes, with nearly 3 million Judy Moody books in print. Interestingly, the feisty third-grader is highly popular with boys and girls, making for a strong base of fans who are among Megan McDonald's strongest incentives to keep writing, along with "too many ideas and a little chocolate." And now -- by popular demand -- Judy Moody's little brother, Stink, gets his chance to star in his own adventures! Beginning with STINK: THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING KID, three more stories, and his own encyclopedia, STINK-O-PEDIA, Stink's special style comes through loud and strong -- enhanced by a series of comic strips, drawn by Stink himself, which are sprinkled throughout the first book. About the need for a book all about Stink, Megan McDonald says, "Once, while I was visiting a class full of Judy Moody readers, the kids, many with spiked hair à la Judy's little brother, chanted, 'Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink!' as I entered the room. In that moment, I knew that Stink had to have a book all his own."
More recently, Megan McDonald has recalled some of her own childhood with the warmth, humor -- and squabbles -- of three spunky sisters in THE SISTERS CLUB.
Megan McDonald and her husband live in Sebastopol, California, with two dogs, two adopted horses, and fifteen wild turkeys that like to hang out on their back porch.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
December 18, 2011
i found this book really insufferable. julie's best friend ivy plays a huge role, & i feel that ivy could be a pretty cool character on her own, but in the julie books, she comes across as a trite chinese american token. ivy's family is preparing for the chinese new year, & they all function solely to educate blonde white girl ivy about their chinese traditions. they take julie shopping with them in san francisco's chinatown for new year supplies. at one point, julie & ivy get sick of waiting around for ivy's mom to stop chit chatting with a shopkeeper, & they take off to try on cheong-sams (which are referred to in the book as "silky chinese dresses" or something equally as stupid). when they return, mrs. ling is gone & the girls decide they have to find their way to the chinese fortune cookie factory (even though children are usually taught to just stay put if they get lost & let the adult find them). they get all turned around because apparently chinatown is as complicated & confusing as knockturn alley in the harry potter books, & equally as terrifying & packed with creepy weird shit that only creepy weirdos would buy. seriously, i feel like this whole scene is so insulting to chinese & chinese american people. asian people as a whole, actually. eventually ivy gets the bright idea to ask for directions to the fortune cookie factory from her grandpa in the mahjongg parlor...*sigh*. i am seriously shocked the grandpa ling is not illustrated sporting a fu manchu & a pigtail, perhaps with a sack of railroad ties slung over his shoulder.
a little later in the book, ivy & julie are walking down haight street or somewhere when they encounter a chinese american woman screaming & flipping out in a chinese dialect. she is surrounded by dumbfounded white people gawking at her. ivy swiftly translates that the woman has lost her toddler son. she relays this info to the gawkers & the child is located & returned to the mother. remember this for when i review good luck, ivy, in which ivy hates learning chinese & totally sucks at it even when it is spoken very slowly in a classroom setting.
the big finale to the book comes when julie tags along with the lings for the chinese new year celebrations. there is much talk of eating dinner at the ling grandparents' restaurant, the happy panda (*sigh* again), & admiring the chinese dragons. the lings buy ivy a special cheong-sam to wear for the occasion...& they buy one for julie too. isn't that so special? teaching little white girls that cultural appropriation is A-okay, that someone else's culture is only there to be consumed & perhaps for a white girl educational experience, complete with wardrobe acquisitions.
i hated this book.
a little later in the book, ivy & julie are walking down haight street or somewhere when they encounter a chinese american woman screaming & flipping out in a chinese dialect. she is surrounded by dumbfounded white people gawking at her. ivy swiftly translates that the woman has lost her toddler son. she relays this info to the gawkers & the child is located & returned to the mother. remember this for when i review good luck, ivy, in which ivy hates learning chinese & totally sucks at it even when it is spoken very slowly in a classroom setting.
the big finale to the book comes when julie tags along with the lings for the chinese new year celebrations. there is much talk of eating dinner at the ling grandparents' restaurant, the happy panda (*sigh* again), & admiring the chinese dragons. the lings buy ivy a special cheong-sam to wear for the occasion...& they buy one for julie too. isn't that so special? teaching little white girls that cultural appropriation is A-okay, that someone else's culture is only there to be consumed & perhaps for a white girl educational experience, complete with wardrobe acquisitions.
i hated this book.
January 1, 2018
Hmm, I got this for New Year's and this is about Chinese New Year's. I did learn a whole lot about Chinese New Year I found interesting and the title is misleading as I was looking for New Year's.
This book deals with some issues. Divorce and anger and a new culture. I think for a 7-9 year old, this could be a good book and for me it was ok. It is set in the '70s when divorce was not as normal. The time is Christmas break until the Chinese New Year at the end of January.
I gave it an extra star for the good information it gives about the culture of Chinese New Year's. I won't be reading more of this series.
This book deals with some issues. Divorce and anger and a new culture. I think for a 7-9 year old, this could be a good book and for me it was ok. It is set in the '70s when divorce was not as normal. The time is Christmas break until the Chinese New Year at the end of January.
I gave it an extra star for the good information it gives about the culture of Chinese New Year's. I won't be reading more of this series.
February 11, 2024
The great AG marathon continues. Reading this for the first time as an adult, inspired by the American Girls podcast.
For once, Christmas isn't saved, and there's no magic.
Julie and Molly could commiserate on Christmas disappointments... but Molly gets lucky (and is able to help the magic along a bit herself). Julie tries her best, but for her, this Christmas is kind of a bust.
But Christmas break does mean she gets to spend a week withDad Ivy. Mrs. Ling, in the tradition of great moms everywhere, sees a sad kid and includes her in her own family activities. Over the next several weeks (Google helpfully informs us that Lunar New Year 1976 began at the end of January), Julie helps the Lings as they clean and shop to prepare for the holiday, and the whole Albright family is invited to celebrate with the Lings at their family restaurant. Coming together outside their own family traditions is just the right thing to help the Albrights reconnect - so in the end, there's a little holiday magic after all.
The awkward thing here is that we're learning about Chinese and Chinese American traditions through the eyes of a white protagonist and a white author, so everything feels just a little bit like a museum exhibit - down to cramming both mah-jong and a fortune cookie factory into the Chinatown scene. Have we checked all the boxes? Chopsticks! Lion dancers! Bird's nest soup!
On the other hand, we're also seeing Julie learn about another culture first hand, something I'd want to encourage young readers to do, too, when they have the opportunity. I like Julie and Ivy as an example of friends whose families come from different cultures, and because they're established as long-time best friends, it's clear Julie isn't starting from scratch. She knows to take her shoes off at the door, and she knows what elements of Chinese culture are especially meaningful to Ivy. The difference is that this year, she's being invited to participate more fully.
It's not a perfect book, and it definitely could be used to further the argument that the 1970s series should have been Ivy with best friend Julie instead of the reverse. It definitely makes me look forward to Ivy's solo book. But it's not bad, and it advances the plot re: Albright family tensions. Let's see where we go next.
More Julie babble:
Meet Julie | Julie Tells Her Story | Happy New Year, Julie | Julie and the Eagles | Julie's Journey | Changes for Julie
Good Luck, Ivy
The Tangled Web | The Puzzle of the Paper Daughter | The Silver Guitar | Lost in the City | Message in a Bottle
A Brighter Tomorrow
For once, Christmas isn't saved, and there's no magic.
Julie and Molly could commiserate on Christmas disappointments... but Molly gets lucky (and is able to help the magic along a bit herself). Julie tries her best, but for her, this Christmas is kind of a bust.
But Christmas break does mean she gets to spend a week with
The awkward thing here is that we're learning about Chinese and Chinese American traditions through the eyes of a white protagonist and a white author, so everything feels just a little bit like a museum exhibit - down to cramming both mah-jong and a fortune cookie factory into the Chinatown scene. Have we checked all the boxes? Chopsticks! Lion dancers! Bird's nest soup!
On the other hand, we're also seeing Julie learn about another culture first hand, something I'd want to encourage young readers to do, too, when they have the opportunity. I like Julie and Ivy as an example of friends whose families come from different cultures, and because they're established as long-time best friends, it's clear Julie isn't starting from scratch. She knows to take her shoes off at the door, and she knows what elements of Chinese culture are especially meaningful to Ivy. The difference is that this year, she's being invited to participate more fully.
It's not a perfect book, and it definitely could be used to further the argument that the 1970s series should have been Ivy with best friend Julie instead of the reverse. It definitely makes me look forward to Ivy's solo book. But it's not bad, and it advances the plot re: Albright family tensions. Let's see where we go next.
More Julie babble:
Meet Julie | Julie Tells Her Story | Happy New Year, Julie | Julie and the Eagles | Julie's Journey | Changes for Julie
Good Luck, Ivy
The Tangled Web | The Puzzle of the Paper Daughter | The Silver Guitar | Lost in the City | Message in a Bottle
A Brighter Tomorrow
January 19, 2024
This is my favorite Julie book so far!! I loved the focus on Chinese New Year, and the author did such a beautiful job describing the setting. I can’t help but wonder what this would have looked like on the big screen!
August 17, 2020
In 2007, I gave up on the Julie series after reading this book, and I can see why. There is almost no plot, and even though the story teaches children about Chinese New Year traditions, it does so in a didactic way. In this book, Ivy and her family are token characters who only exist to educate Julie and the reader about their cultural practices, and the book is shallow and dull.
Also, Tracy's meltdown at a fancy restaurant over Christmas is unrealistic and ridiculous. She is fifteen years old, and far too mature and image-conscious to make a scene like that. The purpose that it plays in the story is to illustrate how challenging it is for divorced families to celebrate holidays together and find a new sense of normal, but it is completely unbelievable, especially since the reader still has no information about why the parents split.
Tracy is extremely angry with her dad, but it is never clear why. She claims that he is the reason that the rest of the family had to move out, but it's impossible for the reader to evaluate this claim or come to their own conclusion about the nature of the relationships, since the author never explains what led to the divorce, or how the separation happened. Is it Mr. Albright's fault? Is Tracy just being dramatic and unfairly blaming him? We'll never know. This entire series revolves around a divorce that goes 100% unexplained, and it's hard to take any of the emotional drama seriously when there is no background or context provided.
Also, Tracy's meltdown at a fancy restaurant over Christmas is unrealistic and ridiculous. She is fifteen years old, and far too mature and image-conscious to make a scene like that. The purpose that it plays in the story is to illustrate how challenging it is for divorced families to celebrate holidays together and find a new sense of normal, but it is completely unbelievable, especially since the reader still has no information about why the parents split.
Tracy is extremely angry with her dad, but it is never clear why. She claims that he is the reason that the rest of the family had to move out, but it's impossible for the reader to evaluate this claim or come to their own conclusion about the nature of the relationships, since the author never explains what led to the divorce, or how the separation happened. Is it Mr. Albright's fault? Is Tracy just being dramatic and unfairly blaming him? We'll never know. This entire series revolves around a divorce that goes 100% unexplained, and it's hard to take any of the emotional drama seriously when there is no background or context provided.
December 31, 2016
I was disappointed in this book. I didn't really learn anything about the 70s at all. They barely mentioned anything unique to the time. I learned about Chinese New Year but the book honestly could've taken place in our modern era and I wouldn't have known the difference. Just not the best American girl book.
January 10, 2024
this christmas celebration was the most relatable one i’ve ever read jn the american girl series LOL. but the ending was sweet, i loved learning more about chinese new year too!!
August 28, 2019
I 100% still think Ivy could've been the main character, or at least it would've also been okay to make Julie Chinese-American. I sort of get it, as it wouldn't be #ownvoices (and as Megan McDonald grew up in the '70s she's writing what she knows otherwise, I think), but so many times throughout this I really questioned why we were following Julie, not Ivy as the Lings prepare for Chinese New Year.
It's briefly Christmas time at the beginning of the book, and the first one as a split family. Tracy is still cool towards Dad and Julie wonders if they can ever recapture feeling like a family again. The Lings' Chinese New Year celebration is a test for that. Julie helps her friend get ready for the holiday, and I figure out that this series actually spans 1975-1976 (but also finally noticing that all the American Girl years end in 4) because Ivy tells her that the new year is the year of the dragon... which in this decade, started on January 31, 1976.
I very much worried that Chinatown/Chinese New Year would be portrayed as some kind of weird Other, but it's handled pretty okay though the girls getting lost could be spooky. Pleasantly surprised to learn that Ivy is a fourth generation American like me (albeit 15 years before I was born, so like one of my second cousins I suppose at the same generational level), and like many who live in the San Francisco Chinatown, Cantonese (not sure if Toisanese because I didn't see any specific words or references, and Julie's definitely not going to ask gung-gung if his father hailed from the Sze Yup region).
Not a ton of 1970s specific things here- maybe the getting crafty for decorating the tree at Mom's apartment?
It's briefly Christmas time at the beginning of the book, and the first one as a split family. Tracy is still cool towards Dad and Julie wonders if they can ever recapture feeling like a family again. The Lings' Chinese New Year celebration is a test for that. Julie helps her friend get ready for the holiday, and I figure out that this series actually spans 1975-1976 (but also finally noticing that all the American Girl years end in 4) because Ivy tells her that the new year is the year of the dragon... which in this decade, started on January 31, 1976.
I very much worried that Chinatown/Chinese New Year would be portrayed as some kind of weird Other, but it's handled pretty okay though the girls getting lost could be spooky. Pleasantly surprised to learn that Ivy is a fourth generation American like me (albeit 15 years before I was born, so like one of my second cousins I suppose at the same generational level), and like many who live in the San Francisco Chinatown, Cantonese (not sure if Toisanese because I didn't see any specific words or references, and Julie's definitely not going to ask gung-gung if his father hailed from the Sze Yup region).
Not a ton of 1970s specific things here- maybe the getting crafty for decorating the tree at Mom's apartment?
June 26, 2024
Queerplatonic american girls
May 4, 2025
It was fun to learn about Chinese New Year from Julie’s friend Ivy! I felt bad for Julie that not only was she experiencing a new split Christmas between her parents but that her sister Tracy wasn’t there for her in it. I’m glad Tracy could be more opened minded to her dad during the Chinese New Year celebration. I’m still so curious why she puts the blame on him… I’d better find out this gossip soon!
April 26, 2026
wait do you think her parents are divorced???? (this has been the theme of the book for the third time in a row, and each time it ends with her accepting it. bruh! show some originality!)
lots of stuff about Chinese New Year makes me think Ivy would have been a more interesting candidate for the doll rather than the best friend
lots of stuff about Chinese New Year makes me think Ivy would have been a more interesting candidate for the doll rather than the best friend
January 27, 2024
Such a cute story! I love that book showcases what holidays are often like for children with divorced parents, and also showcases Chinese New Year celebrations! I love how much we see of Ivy and her family in this one <3
October 31, 2024
this book is just lovely - it overturns the standard american girl christmas formula by making her christmas kind of crap, and instead making lunar new year the focal point. ivys new haircut is a bit of a bad look i fear 3
January 15, 2020
I liked it a lot. I liked how at Christmas her friend Ivy gave her a doll and she had one too so now they both have one.
September 27, 2023
I think I am enjoying the Julie series so much because, as I have been reading along with the "Dolls of Our Lives" Podcast, this is a return to the familiar six book arc form. It also reminds me of my own childhood in the fact that Julie is going to school, doing things with her family, etc. There's a comfort in a series like that. I think that's part of why I enjoyed the Molly books so much as a kid.
February 16, 2016
Happy New Year, Julie
This story continues to deal with the issue of the divorce of Julie's parents, and how the two sisters relate, or don't relate, to their father. A lot of the story revolves around Julie's friend Ivy, and their family, which is Chinese. There's a lot of very interesting information about the traditions that the Chinese and Chinese-Americans follow in celebrating the Chinese New Year.
The information on the Chinese celebrations is really the high point of the story. The information section at the end contains material on holiday celebrations during the 1970's, and information on the celebrations and parades for Chinese New Year.
Probably the most interesting of the first three books in this new series.
March 29, 2009
Julie knows that the holidays will be difficult this year for her, but when her sister Tracy refuses to go to their dad's house for Christmas, Julie feels as if her family is falling apart. Over the holiday, Julie spends most of her time finding comfort with her best friend Ivy Ling. The Lings are getting ready for a huge celebration Chinese New Year. And when Julie helps with the preparations it helps her not think about the sadness she is going through. Then when Ivy's family invites Julie's whole family to the Chinese New Year celebration, Julie is excited, but does not know if her sister dad and mom will get along. Great book, I LOVE CHINESE NEW YEAR!
November 25, 2009
I think it is interesting how these stories usually focus around one central event that could really be told in a short period of time. The author stretches this one episode into a short novel and does it fairly well. I wasn't terribly interested in this book, but I might still recommend it.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2009...
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2009...
March 17, 2016
This book is about how Julie and her friend Ivy go to a Chinese New Year parade in China Town. A few days before the holiday Julie, Ivy and, Ivy's mom go to China Town to buy food. While they are shopping Julie and Ivy wander into another shop. Ivy's mother gets very worried and goes searching for them. After the girls are found they all go back home. I liked this book but, other ones from the series are better.
August 12, 2008
As I get further into this series I like it more; I think it would benefit from being read as a whole rather than as seperate books. In this installment, Julie is dealing with her first Christmas as part of a divorced family and things do not go well. Luckily, her best friend Ivy is there with her family for support and distraction as they prepare for Chinese New Year.
July 5, 2010
I learned that even though a family is split apart, doesn't mean that you can't spend time with each other and still be part of each other's lives. I really liked this book and I'm glad I chose it to read! thank you!Megan McDonald
September 25, 2013
Ho-hum. It's the Albrights' first Christmas since The Divorce, and it's just as depressing as you'd expect. The only drama is created by teenage sister Tracy who throws a mild adolescent tantrum in a restaurant. Then at the end there's some stuff about Chinese new year to try and make things seem happy again.
The boringest AG book yet.
The boringest AG book yet.
September 3, 2014
This is Julie's first Christmas since her parents divorce and everything is different, nothing is cheerful and festive like it used to be.
There is one thing to look forward to though. Ivy has invited Julie's family to celebrate Chinese New Year with them. It should be a fun new experience, if her family can get along.
There is one thing to look forward to though. Ivy has invited Julie's family to celebrate Chinese New Year with them. It should be a fun new experience, if her family can get along.
July 30, 2026
This book is another book in the Julie series that I probably would have related to much more when I was a kid than now as an adult. I also grew up with divorced parents, and my younger brother and I also made different decisions about which parent to spend the most time with when we were teenagers, which was hard on both of us. So I related to Julie being sad about losing out on time with her sister when Tracy doesn't want to go over to their dad's house. I felt like this book, like the previous two, is very accurate to the difficult things that kids experience when their parents get divorced, even if the divorce is amicable, which Julie's parents' seems to be. And Tracy's feelings about her dad and feeling uncomfortable at her dad's house all seem realistic to me, as well as her initially trying to make it work for Julie's sake.
I liked Julie appreciating having Ivy close where she might have taken it for granted before, and I liked watching their adventures and learning more about Ivy's culture, although it didn't feel as immersive as, say, the Rebecca books. The Chinese New Year celebration was very sweet, and it was so nice to see Julie's parents getting along so well. (My parents could NEVER.)
Again, this story was sweet and important on a micro-level (kids of divorced parents do have challenges!), but it lacked some of the weightiness and historical relevance of some of the other American Girl books. It felt like it could have been set just as easily today as in 1974, with just some minor changes. The historical setting feels more like the backdrop rather than an important character, like it does in Kirsten's books or Addy's or Caroline's or Marie-Grace and Cecile's, where the story simply could not be told outside of that time and place. Julie's books are fine books, just different than what I've come to expect from American Girl's historical series. They remind me of Rebecca's fourth and fifth book, which were cute but less meaningful to me than the other books in her series.
And Julie is a sweet kid, but halfway through her series, I'm not getting a strong sense of character from her like I did from Caroline or Kit or Molly or Felicity. She seems pretty easygoing and chill; she mostly just wants to hang out with her friends, play basketball, sometimes annoy her sister, and have her family get along. All relatable, I guess, but not necessarily super vivid the way some of the other girls are. Like I would say I'm a Kit with some Caroline and Samantha qualities, but I wouldn't know how to conceptualize what "being a Julie" would entail, because she's just less vivid.
I liked Julie appreciating having Ivy close where she might have taken it for granted before, and I liked watching their adventures and learning more about Ivy's culture, although it didn't feel as immersive as, say, the Rebecca books. The Chinese New Year celebration was very sweet, and it was so nice to see Julie's parents getting along so well. (My parents could NEVER.)
Again, this story was sweet and important on a micro-level (kids of divorced parents do have challenges!), but it lacked some of the weightiness and historical relevance of some of the other American Girl books. It felt like it could have been set just as easily today as in 1974, with just some minor changes. The historical setting feels more like the backdrop rather than an important character, like it does in Kirsten's books or Addy's or Caroline's or Marie-Grace and Cecile's, where the story simply could not be told outside of that time and place. Julie's books are fine books, just different than what I've come to expect from American Girl's historical series. They remind me of Rebecca's fourth and fifth book, which were cute but less meaningful to me than the other books in her series.
And Julie is a sweet kid, but halfway through her series, I'm not getting a strong sense of character from her like I did from Caroline or Kit or Molly or Felicity. She seems pretty easygoing and chill; she mostly just wants to hang out with her friends, play basketball, sometimes annoy her sister, and have her family get along. All relatable, I guess, but not necessarily super vivid the way some of the other girls are. Like I would say I'm a Kit with some Caroline and Samantha qualities, but I wouldn't know how to conceptualize what "being a Julie" would entail, because she's just less vivid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2026
Guys. It's just really not good and I'm going to be honest I really debated about giving this only 1 star. Nothing about it is specific to the 1970s. This story could be happening 2 months ago down to the velvet jumper. Tracy's hatred of Dad makes no sense. And since we are given not even an iota of background into this divorce, at this point, I think that Mom was stepping out with the grizzled Vietnam vet who is just always around. Mind you he's not going to actually say anything about the Vietnam veteran's experience, but he's around. Talking about the difficulties of Vietnam veterans would be too hard and icky for this fluffy meaningless series. Probably Mom was with Vietnam veteran and that's why she's not calling him a baby killer despite being a big hippie. Also how many pairs of old jeans do these people have lying around for crafts? Because I've been collecting jeans for a jean quilt since 2018 and I think Julie's used more pairs of old jeans at this point than I have saved in my collection.
Back to this book. The entire thing revolves around Ivy. Ivy and her family and every interaction with them pretty much summarize every Chinese stereotype that exists. Because of course we got lost in Chinatown but don't worry because grandpa is playing mahjong randomly nearby and can take us to the fortune cookie factory. Because of course. It should go without saying that we can't use real words like "cheongsam" because why would we? Nine year old girls who read books about history couldn't possibly understand a word like "cheongsam" so let's just say "shiny silky dress with fancy knots for buttons". Anyway, I hate this series and I hate Mattel for what they did to American Girl.
Three more to go (my library doesn't have Ivy's book so I doubt I'll ever read that one). May the odds be ever in my favor.
Back to this book. The entire thing revolves around Ivy. Ivy and her family and every interaction with them pretty much summarize every Chinese stereotype that exists. Because of course we got lost in Chinatown but don't worry because grandpa is playing mahjong randomly nearby and can take us to the fortune cookie factory. Because of course. It should go without saying that we can't use real words like "cheongsam" because why would we? Nine year old girls who read books about history couldn't possibly understand a word like "cheongsam" so let's just say "shiny silky dress with fancy knots for buttons". Anyway, I hate this series and I hate Mattel for what they did to American Girl.
Three more to go (my library doesn't have Ivy's book so I doubt I'll ever read that one). May the odds be ever in my favor.
July 28, 2026
This book was about how change can be hard and it can take time and forgiveness for things to feel normal again. And how it takes strength and perseverance even when feeling lost, and to look for familiar joy. And how love trensends cultures. Great message. I think after reading this and considering the previous books, I would like to see more of what Tracy and her dad's relationship was like before the divorce. She says it feels like he doesn't understand her, but I would like to know more on why she said that. The only examples I can think of is either A) She didn't want to watch cartoons or go to the hotel, or B) the dad didn't know she wanted the phone, and only heard it from her mom. Ivy in this book was great, as always. I can't wait to see more of her and her family dynamics in Good Luck, Ivy. I would like to say that the names for her family sound stupid but other than that, it's fine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2021
*2
I picked up this book in preparation for a children’s program on Lunar New Year I am running online in mid-February at the library. While I didn’t really learn anything new about Lunar New Year, it was an okay read for the holiday season.
This third installment in the American Girl: Julie series details Julie’s first Christmas following the divorce of her parents and, later, the celebration of Chinese New Year with Julie’s best friend, Ivy.
Overall, the plot was lackluster; not much happened, and there was especially little unique to the 1970s described. The novel is essentially split between Julie’s Christmas celebrations with her parents and Julie joining Ivy and her family for Chinese New Year. An interesting introduction to Chinese New Year celebrations for middle-grade readers, but with little nuance thereafter.
I picked up this book in preparation for a children’s program on Lunar New Year I am running online in mid-February at the library. While I didn’t really learn anything new about Lunar New Year, it was an okay read for the holiday season.
This third installment in the American Girl: Julie series details Julie’s first Christmas following the divorce of her parents and, later, the celebration of Chinese New Year with Julie’s best friend, Ivy.
Overall, the plot was lackluster; not much happened, and there was especially little unique to the 1970s described. The novel is essentially split between Julie’s Christmas celebrations with her parents and Julie joining Ivy and her family for Chinese New Year. An interesting introduction to Chinese New Year celebrations for middle-grade readers, but with little nuance thereafter.
June 21, 2026
I liked the first two books in the Julie '70s series, but this was one a bit meh. It's Julie's and Tracy's first Christmas with their parents being divorced, but Tracy is mad at their dad.
Julie's best friend, Ivy ,invites Julie and her family to spend Chinese New Year with them. I had laugh at the little blurb inside the book jacket because the last sentence reads, "Julie is thrilled when Ivy invites her to go shopping in Chinatown - until the girls find themselves wandering through the crowds and alleys of Chinatown, lost!"
They make it sound like this is a big pivotal plot point, but no, it's not. They're literally only lost for like two pages.
Also, why does Ivy call Julie "Alley Oop?" I don't get it. If her name was Allison/Ally, then yes, I'd get it.
Julie's best friend, Ivy ,invites Julie and her family to spend Chinese New Year with them. I had laugh at the little blurb inside the book jacket because the last sentence reads, "Julie is thrilled when Ivy invites her to go shopping in Chinatown - until the girls find themselves wandering through the crowds and alleys of Chinatown, lost!"
They make it sound like this is a big pivotal plot point, but no, it's not. They're literally only lost for like two pages.
Also, why does Ivy call Julie "Alley Oop?" I don't get it. If her name was Allison/Ally, then yes, I'd get it.
June 22, 2018
Read this with my seven year old (actually listened to the audio version) and really enjoyed it! She chose this doll to get for her birthday, so we were excited to read her story. Being a 70s girls myself, I am loving the trip down memory lane! I also am enjoying the story -- family wrestling with divorce, learning about the Chinese cultures through her friend Ivy, life in California back in the day, and a young girl standing up for herself and fighting to play on the boys' basketball team. In this book a lot of time is spent on learning about the Chinese New Year; I found it quite interesting. My daughters really like the story as well!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews