A Ride for Freedom

Barbie and Friends Book Club

by Victoria Saxon, Mattel

Let your imagination run wild, and you'll be sure to find...Barbie! She can do things and go places that others only dream of. Whether she's a member of royalty from long ago or a mermaid living under the sea, Barbie still knows how to be the best friend ever!

The year is 1775. It's Christmastime in Williamsburg, Virginia. Barbie is helping to run a cozy colonial inn, but soon finds herself caught up in the drama of the Revolution. Will her unforgettable ride for freedom end in victory - or defeat?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christmas, Childrens, Juvenile

53 pages

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Katja Labonté · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. I've read A LOT of American Revolution books, and didn't anticipate to enjoy this one too much. But it was actually one of the best Barbie books I've read! I was impressed by how well-written it was. The Colonial outfits were lovely, the plot was exciting, the characters were interesting, the light Christmas setting was cozy, and the British were presented quite respectfully. Yes, I thoroughly appreciated reading this!

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A better-than-expected story from the Barbie series. Often I find these books to be totally insipid, but this one has some historical/educational value, a decent entertainment factor and the saccharine level is manageable. Our girls enjoy them, too, which is why I read them no matter what I think.

[Bulk Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

i like the colonial period, but this one was a little dull. it has the potential to be exciting, but the author seemed to skip over anything that was actually important. barbie helps a bunch of soldiers during the revolutionary war, but her tasks include taking care of horses, picking up supplies, and then riding horses to deliver messages. horses, horses, horses.

there were some cool little details about the colonial period which i enjoyed. i also liked that mrs. moore is a widow and she runs an inn all by herself with just barbie to help. and no one questions the women helping out with covert operations or disrespects them in any way. it's nice to sometimes read historical fiction without getting into gender politics.

[Genny20 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, i picked this up because i used to LOVE reading it as a kid. I found it in my library collection when the Barbie movie came out and had been meaning to do a quick nostalgia read of this since!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are so cute!

[Denese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very entertaining read. It's a Barbie chapter book (yes, THAT Barbie) about a young woman during the Revolutionary War. The story was simple enough: Barbie is good and sweet and kind and honest, even to the enemy. I have to say, I only picked up this book to make fun of the photographs of a Barbie doll in Revolutionary War era clothing. To be honest, though, whoever made the clothing that the doll wears is very talented. And it is VERY entertaining to see Ken with his hair tied back in a ponytail, or queue, or club or whatever you want to call it. Definitely a good read for the easily amused.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I checked this book out to read to my toddler granddaughter, but when I got it realized it was a chapter book. So I read it myself before I returned it to our library. It's a very good "History" book without being "in your face" History book. Children who read this will enjoy the story without realizing they are learning about their past. Many different scenarios and things that happened during the Revolutionary War. And at the beginning it has a glossary of several words of how to pronounce some of the more complex words. So parents who are homeschooling you could use this book as a study book.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not as good as the other Barbie books. It is kind of boring and drags on and on. It has a good ending. I like how they at least are teaching about American history.