Luciana

American Girl: Luciana #1

by Erin Teagan

Meet American Girl’s 2018 Girl of the Year! Luciana is thrilled to be going to Space Camp. But when she’s picked to lead her team in a robot challenge, she steers them straight into trouble. If she’s ever going to make it to Mars, Luci’s got to be someone her crew can depend on, no matter what.

Genres: Middle Grade, Contemporary, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Juvenile, Chapter Books, Science

Library Binding

First published December 26, 2017

Reviews

[ElsaMakotoRenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

ETA 10/18/24: Rereading right now because I finally got Luciana herself for my AG collection. I still love her book!

OG review: Finally read this! It was very cute and I really enjoyed it. Luciana is much better than some of the other recent Girl of the Year books. *cough* Grace *cough*

I know ten-year-old me would have LOVED Luciana’s story, so definitely highly recommended for girls in the target age group, and I still enjoyed it now:)

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book I would have loved as a kid: all the best aspects of the American Girl series in a modern setting. Luciana loves science, is creative, impulsive, and friendly. She heads to space camp, and although she starts out pretty clueless, she learns a lot. I loved the take on failure, and how each character had their own flaws.

American Girl, Girl of the Year 2018

[Alex Baugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while since I've read an American Girl book now that all my Kiddos are too old for them, and I don't think I've ever read a Girl of the Year book. We always stuck to the historical stories. So when I realized that we would be celebrating a big historical event this week - the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20 - I thought this would be a fun book to start the week off.

More than anything, Luciana Vega, 11, wants to be an astronaut and now she's just arrived at Space Camp. Luci has tried for a scholarship to Space Camp three times and finally won thanks to the essay she wrote about planetary geology. But Luci also has something else on her mind besides space - a baby named Isadora. She and her parents are hoping to adopt Isadora, an orphan in Chile, the country where Luci's parents grew up. Naturally, only child Luci worries about whether she will be a good older sister.

At Space Camp, Luci's bunkmates in Habitat 4b are Ella, 11, her younger sister Meg, 9, and cousin Charlotte, 11, as well as Joanna from Germany. There is also a companion boys Habitat. For their week at camp their trainers are Mallory, Alex, and Mallory's robotic dog Orion. Unfortunately, tension between Luci and Ella can be felt immediately, as well as between Ella and James, both highly competitive know-it-alls. But it is Luci who ends up as the team captain for the girls, and James for the boys. Besides space-related activities and exercises, each team will build a robot, complete with daily challenges to win bolts. The idea is accumulate a lot of bolts (which is the point system they use) and the team with the most bolts at the end of the week is the winner.

Unfortunately, Luci didn't read all the material sent to the campers and her impulsiveness causes her team to come in last place in the first challenge. Knowing her teammates are disappointed with her, Luci manages to come up with a plan to build their robot with junk parts that won't cost them any bolts. It's a good idea, and they even find and fix a motor module to build a walking robot. But when the part goes missing, Luci is sure that James took it to set them behind. And the plan she hatches for getting it back leads to disaster for James and his team. Can Luci ever fix the mess she made?

I thought this was a fun, typical American Girl book but I mean that in the best way. Sure, the main character faces challenges, makes mistakes, learns lessons from her mistakes and lands on her feet. Luci's real challenge is to learn how to be a team player and by extension, a good big sister, to think before she acts, and to not ignore preparation materials. Know-it-all Ella is the opposite of Luci and a great foil for her, because she also needs to learn how to be a team player in order to be a good friend. Each girl brings baggage with them and together they help each other become better team players. I actually wish we were given more of Ella's story instead of her merely being a plot device for Luci.

Although this is an introductory story for readers to get to know her, I wish that more of Luci's Chilean background had been included, but that seems to happen in another book. I did love the STEAM aspect of Luci's story and hope it has an influence on girls who might otherwise pass on STEAM-related activities, books, and ideas.

I received this book from Scholastic a while ago and it has been borrowed by three girls already, all of whom said they really enjoyed it, liked Luci as a character, and will read more of her story (and they really, really like the purple streak she has in her hair). I personally never thought much about robotics, other than supporting the kids in my family who are into them, but I did find the robotic element of the story very interesting ( especially Mallory's dog Orion) and I gained a whole new appreciation for robotics.

Although Luciana is 11, I would recommend this book for readers as young as 8 or 9. It's not a complicated story, there's just enough science to ignite curiosity and Luci's challenges and concerns are not specific to Space Camp. And her story is just good summer reading and you don't need to buy the doll to enjoy it.

This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Scholastic Press

[natalie398 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book for one reason: I'm a Space Camp alum, and for me, there are few places in this world more precious than Space Camp.

Sadly, this book didn't really do it justice. While I applaud AG for riding the STEM train to profit (sometimes these selfish actions have good consequences, for now more girls are getting interested in STEM. More on that later.), and while I don't have any major complaints about the story as a whole (character development was shaky and uneven but ultimately eeked itself through; subplot with baby Isadora is very interesting but distracts from the plot and is not explained very well), there's one aspect about Space Camp that this novel completely missed that made my heart hurt:

the team.

Yeah, I know Luci has the girls in her hab (which, also, the geography of the camp is inaccurate for plot reasons: the habitats and the galley are in two completely separate buildings). But my favorite aspect of camp was becoming friends with each and every single member of the team, all 18 of us, and just having a blast doing science and jumping off poles and trying new things together. The novel, for plot reasons, misses out on the true camaraderie that Space Camp is: the ability to be oneself and do what one loves. No one there cares about competition, and fighting is minimal. Yes, there are challenge groups, but so much time is spent outside of these challenges (on missions, in the bus, at Area 51, playing Ninja under the Pathfinder, etc) that, while those groups may be the tightest, everyone loves and knows everyone.

Maybe my Space Camp experiences were unique in these respects. I don't know. But in real life, Luci wouldn't be remembering the Red Rovers. She'd be proud to remember Team Odyssey.

However, Luci does something really really great beyond everything else: girls who would have never though to give STEM a try are taking a second look. When I bought Girl Scout cookies from a troop of young juniors, they noticed my Space Camp socks. The moms loved the socks, and one of the girls got particularly excited, not because she'd been or wanted to go, but because she loved American Girl and knew the Girl of the Year went to Space Camp. Her mom asked me what it was like, and I recommended the troop go as a team. She agreed.

For this reason, and the homage to my second home, I give Luciana four stars.

[Meghan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I might have received this book better when I was younger, but now it just feels like American Girl is riding on STEM's popularity. Luciana talked about science both too broadly and too narrowly. A lot of the terminology will be lost on younger readers. Luciana was also not very likable. The subplot with the baby was a bit bizarre.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to help my kid with homework. She read it in Spanish.

[Eva B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one reminded me of my time at Camp Invention, it was so fun!

[Skylar Newbury · Rating 1 out of 5]

No guys, just...no.
I have read just about every sungle American Girl book out there but I just couldn't read this one, I DNF'd at around 50%. The writing was horrible, the story was extremly hard to follow, the characters were hard to remember, plus I don't see anyone at the age group this book is recommended for would enjoy it.

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

So I'm done. It's short but I found it hard to read. Really had to force myself. It was very different from other AG books; it didn't make me interested in the topic at hand. I thought a lot more explanation was needed for anything to make sense. Also the characters and growth were flat. And why was the baby story in there at all. I did not like this book.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story but it didn’t seem like anything special. The space camp setting was unique but it just all seemed very unrealistic and there really was no learning about science.

[Kimm Bingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I chose the American girl series out of nostalgia because I grew up reading about Molly, Samantha, and Kirsten. American girl books have changed considerably since I was a child. However, they do still follow a predictable pattern and are typical formula fiction. The Luciana series includes the process of her going to space camp, meeting new friends, solving problems, and ends at the end of her space camp experience. This predictable form of fiction is helpful to use for mid-level readers. They rely on the common structure as scaffolding, and therefore can focus on the details of the story when common elements are similar.

In this story, Luciana is introduced as a spunky 12 year old girl who is selected for a space camp experience over spring break. She gets to experience what real astronauts would do if they were preparing for a mission in space. She meets new friends through this process and learns to get along with difficult people. She learns to think through her decisions and how to overcome failures. Even though this is a book for youth, it was written in a way that appealed to an adult. I found myself rather enjoying it. The teachers good lessons about how to be a good friend, and how to deal with the hard experiences of life.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5

Cute, but rather boring and more than a little nonsensical at times.

[Cheyenne Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute book I read with my 8 year old. Great for kids.

[Morgan Rondinelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this was cute.
I wish Space Camp had been fleshed out with more details. My biggest problem was that a lot of the plot relied on the fact that Luciana hadn't read the orientation materials. With how obsessed she was with Space Camp I don't buy it.
Still, it was a nice story with a sweet ending.

[Ellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book - many of the Girl of the Year books have been very special to me, as a nearly-lifelong American Girl fan. Luciana just lacked all of the appeal of other American Girl books, much to my disappointment.
I am surprised American Girl chose such a niche interest, even back in 2018 I thought this. STEM on such an advanced level just doesn't feel as accessible to the average young reader as, say, gymnastics or having problems with bullies. This book isn't STEM science experiments in the basement with friends or a baking soda and vinegar volcano in the backyard. This is longer drawn-out scenes of space flight simulations and robotics terminology with which I still am unfamiliar, even after completing the book. What percentage of girls in the target audience will be able to visualize the robotics and astronaut concepts present in this work? I'm 24 years old and the chapters describing simulations were at times hard for me to visualize. The context just isn't there for me. I can imagine becoming bored as a 9-year-old and putting this book down.
I also wish the entirety of the first book didn't take place in a setting away from Luciana's normal life. Part of the appeal of an American Girl is getting to know her family relationships, seeing her average home life, and as a young girl, feeling like maybe next year, the American Girl of the Year could be you. This just didn't feel relatable. There was too much science and too many side character friends at the expense of getting to truly know Luciana. The baby subplot felt kind of forced, even though it was the part of the book that interested me most. I much rather would've had a first book with Luciana living at home, doing after-school STEM club, working towards going to Astronaut Camp, and dealing with the anxiety of becoming an older sister. We could've gotten more information about her Chilean heritage, her life in Virginia, etc. How cool would that have been? There was a lot of interesting content here, and so much potential, and I feel like readers get the short end of the stick from every direction.
Anyway, Luciana is still a sweet character, and I will admit her personality is different from many of the other Girl of the Year personalities, so that is a huge draw. Overall, a good book. Just not exactly what I've come to expect from the Girl of the Year line.

[VBergen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Age: from 10 years old. Maybe from 11 or 12. The reason is this book has drama drama that my little 9 years old adventurer finds boring.

At the beginning this was a "girl power" book and that was annoying, but things take a better turn.

The main character is an irresponsible girl who doesn't follow the rules and doesn't think before acting.
She makes a lot of mistakes, she carries worries and sadness about her mistakes in Space Camp and about a baby their parents want to adopt. At the end she makes up for her mistakes and happy ending.
The robots theme development was nice though and saved the book from the dark corner in the library.
It could have been better with some illustrations for the technical parts and to add some color to the characters.

-
Boys adventure books: things happen, they think, they solve it, more things happen, they think, they solve it...
Girls adventure books: things happen, they feel bad, they more or less try to fix it, they feel this and that, more things happen, they feel this and that... so drama loaded! Buying the whole box with the three books seem a mistake now.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with my five year old and she loved it so my rating reflects that as well. I might have taken a star off because it was so very long and probably didn’t need to be. One of the characters keeps saying German phrases with no pronunciation help so we had to look up several things while reading. Other than that it was wonderful. My daughter was able to follow along and really enjoyed especially when they found out her new baby sister would be okay and they helped the other team fix their robot. I enjoyed the plot about her sister. (I know some people have complained and wondered why it was even there.) kids have family concerns and problems, too. That doesn’t go away just because they get to go to a fun camp. I thought it was nice that they didn’t just pretend everything at home was perfect. I also really like the failure badge. I was never made to know that failing was okay because it helped you learn so having a good message about failure was so refreshing to see. And it really helped me explain trying new things even when you’re not good at them to my perfectionist five years old.

[Sarah Simonson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luciana, an American Girl, by Erin Teagan is a great realistic fiction addition to the other American Girl's! I loved the American Girl's when I was younger because they gave me a lot of girl power! However, I think this one is especially great because it's more modern and I feel like more girls will relate to this book now...also, space! This book not only encourages girls to achieve whatever goals they have in life; it also teaches them that failure is not the end and that teamwork is just as important as working hard for yourself.

Visually, the cover differs from previous American Girl's stories. It is more cartoonish rather than realistic and I think this suits the audience and draws them in. Luciana is looking up at Mars wistfully, telling us from the cover that she wants to go to Mars! There is a lot of character development over course of the book, showing us that she is a dynamic character and was able to become a better leader. I wish I had this book when I was younger!

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book aimed at relatively young children. I read this aloud with my 7 and 10 year old kids and both enjoyed it, though the 7 year old liked it more. The characters felt realistic enough to make them likeable and the plot moved along with enough action to make everyone want to keep moving forward. There wasn't a lot of learning about space or science in the book despite the space camp setting, but the overall premise was STEM-positive.

I liked that the children in the book made a mistake and took ownership for it and worked to make it better. They made morally sound choices in a way that felt natural in the plot and the book didn't feel the need to hit readers over the head with the ethic--they just decided to do the right thing (e.g., fess up, accept consequences, etc.).

This isn't a book with crossover appeal to adults, but it wasn't objectionable as a choice to read with kids.

[Madi ♥'s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember my mother buying Luciana's books for me I was so excited that I started reading this book and I thought it was amazing! I love Erin Teagan's writing style when she wrote this book. This book really reflects how much Luciana really loves space! This book was really fun and I seriously loved it! Erin Teagan is one of my favorite authors and this book is one of my most favorite books that she has ever wrote. Luciana really loves space and it is fun to read about how Luciana got accepted into space camp. Space isn't really one of the topics that I like to discuss but this book really makes you into it! I usually love American girl books but this one is one of my most favorites of all times! This book was really great and I loved it. I would recommend this book for younger readers because it is kind of short but if there is any older readers they can surely read this book! I enjoyed it alot! I hope you do too! Happy Readings! ♥

[Emily Cottle · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Luciana” by Erin Teagan is a 2018 American Girl book. Who knew they were making modern-day American Girls? Luciana dreams of becoming the first girl to travel to Mars, and the first step on this journey is attending Space Camp. She immediately runs into trouble with her teammates and then she learns that her family’s adoption of a little Chilean girl looks like it might fall through. Luciana has to learn that in order to be a good leader, she has to put others first.

Not nearly as good as the classic historical fiction American Girl books, but still readable. I read it to my 3 and 5 year old who mostly paid attention. I think their favorite part was the fact that Luciana had a purple streak in her hair. :)

[Alexia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luciana's story was super cool and will make any reader want to attend space camp! I like how this book teaches lessons on being a good leader and talks about the consequences of jumping to conclusions. Luciana's backstory is interesting too and I can't wait to learn more. The only thing that doesn't make sense is why Luciana did not read her orientation packet before attending space camp since she was excited to go. One would think that would have been one of the first things she would have done so she could make a good impression and start off on the right foot,
Can't wait to read her next book!

[Shani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like the 5-star rating here is too...blah for this book. It's be better if it was sparkly, multicolor, something like that.

So because I am still having trouble coming up with proper, full length reviews; here's my favorite parts, in order:

1) Luciana
Fantastic character. I adored her. Will be reading the next book.

2) The character development.
With Luci, with Ella...all over, it was very well done. I like that.

4) Samuel
I was picturing a Tenth or Eleventh Doctor (more so the former)-type character whenever I read about him. I'd read a book just about him.

5) Johanna
What isn't to like about her?

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book fit the category of reading the first book in a new to you middle grade or young adult series. I like learning about the stars and outer space so it did appeal to me. Luciana goes to space camp, and due to a mistake ends up leading them into destroying another teams robot, thus disqualifying her team from the competition. I liked the fact that at the end of the book the author admits that she took some liberties with reality for the sake of the story. At the real space camp the children are supervised at all times, whereas in the story they are able to wonder around on their own.

[Elliott Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luciana is an amazing book!!

Luciana is determined to become the best at her first foray into Space Camp. Along the way Luciana faces the challenge of fitting in, trying to cope with the news of an adopted sister that she might never meet, and righting the consequences of her actions.

Luciana is a strong debut in the three book series about her life. The book was engaging from beginning to end. I remember seeing her character as a window display at an American Girl store a couple of years and finally got.around to reading the books. I'm currently on the second book "Luciana:Braving the Deep" and looking forward to delve deeper into her adventures.

[Monica Neth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this simultaneously in english and spanish, so i checked it off twice. Its pretty good in terms of plot. I do generally dislike stories where the main conflict hinges on a miscommunication, and not asking follow up questions. I also dislike that the story was most likely taken from the real life astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz, and she had to sue them cause they (american girl/mattel) did so without permission to make money, and not have to pay to use a real persons likeness and story. No hate to the author. I don't think it was her fault, it was likely entirely a corporate decision. A bad one. I would have rated it higher if not for that.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 3 out of 5]

11/4/2018 ~ Good STEM connections; great robotics scenes.

I was troubled that Luciana was supposed to be Hispanic, but had very little cultural identity, aside from wishing she could visit her Abuelita in Chile and the cake they eat for celebrations. I was also troubled that the "goof" Luciana made that set up the entire conflict in the book seemed contrived; it didn't fit other things we knew about her character.

Will I buy it for my library? Yes, the pros outweigh the cons. Also, book 2 was better than book 1.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talks about a girl named Luciana she has always wanted to be an astronaut. She wrote an essay about space rocks and was able to attend a space camp for a week. She meets new friends and they need to build a robot who will be in a competition against other robots. As they build their robot something bad happens and Luciana and her friends decide to find out what happened on their own. But things go terrible wrong and they end up being disqualified from the competition.

[Suzie Q · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very inaccurate for how Space Camp actually works. Also, maybe not the best message for kids. Sure, breaking out to steal back what they thought was stolen from them was Luciana's idea, but it was Ella who broke it, so why does she get all the blame? I liked it better when American Girl was about telling the story of girls who lived in the past so at least kids were learning something historical.

[Abigail Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I THINK IT WAS AWESOME! I love this book. I know that Luciana was worried about Isadora, her
sister. but she had a great time, let me tell you! so she got at space camp, signed up, then she walked
down the hall, admiring the pictures of famous astronauts. then she got to go to the lab, and build
a robot for a competition. but then, she smashes the other teams robot. but in the end, I LOVE IT..........