What do you think?
Rate this book
American Girl: Short Stories #17
Samantha and the Missing Pearls
When her friend Nellie is suspected of stealing Mrs. Van Sicklen's black pearls at Christmastime, Samantha helps her discover where they really went.
31 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2001
About the author
Valerie Tripp
274 books453 followersValerie Tripp is a children's book author, best known for her work with the American Girl series.
She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York with three sisters and one brother. A member of the first co-educated class at Yale University, Tripp also has a M.Ed. from Harvard. Since 1985 she has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her husband teaches history at Montgomery College.
Right out of college, Tripp started writing songs, stories, and nonfiction for The Superkids Reading Program, working with Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl. For that series, Tripp wrote all the books about Felicity, Josefina, Kit, Molly, and Maryellen and many of the books about Samantha. She also wrote the "Best Friends" character stories to date, plays, mysteries, and short stories about all her characters.. Film dramatizations of the lives of Samantha, Felicity, Molly, and Kit have been based on her stories. Currently, Tripp is writing a STEM series for National Geographic and adapting Greek Myths for Starry Forest Publishing. A frequent speaker at schools and libraries, Tripp has also spoken at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, The New York Historical Society, and Williamsburg.
She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York with three sisters and one brother. A member of the first co-educated class at Yale University, Tripp also has a M.Ed. from Harvard. Since 1985 she has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her husband teaches history at Montgomery College.
Right out of college, Tripp started writing songs, stories, and nonfiction for The Superkids Reading Program, working with Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl. For that series, Tripp wrote all the books about Felicity, Josefina, Kit, Molly, and Maryellen and many of the books about Samantha. She also wrote the "Best Friends" character stories to date, plays, mysteries, and short stories about all her characters.. Film dramatizations of the lives of Samantha, Felicity, Molly, and Kit have been based on her stories. Currently, Tripp is writing a STEM series for National Geographic and adapting Greek Myths for Starry Forest Publishing. A frequent speaker at schools and libraries, Tripp has also spoken at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, The New York Historical Society, and Williamsburg.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 15, 2026
"Hearts pounding, Samantha and Nellie dashed across the drive and up the steps to Mrs. Van Sicklen's back porch. They flung open the kitchen door and ran inside."Samantha Parkington, and her best friend Nellie, have to deal with Jones and his horribly aggressive dog...and it's not going well.
Jones is just as ornery as his dog but he's Mrs. Van Sicklen's newest employee and lives above her carriage house. Since Nellie and her family are also employed by Mrs. Van Sicklen, Nellie resigns herself to dealing with Jones.
Mrs. Van Sicklen decides to have a tea party, inviting over Mrs. Ryland (Nellie's old employer), and Mrs. Eddleton (mother to a horribly snotty girl in Samantha's school).
Poor Nellie has to serve the tea but at least she'll get to play with Samantha later. Only, something happens that quickly puts the kibosh on that plan.
Nellie, being the only girl of 'lower class' in the house, is immediately suspected.
"Mrs Van Sicklen's voice was shakey. 'Those pearls are priceless!' "
Can Samantha and Nellie clear Nellie's name? Or will Nellie be forced to move on once again?
There's quite a few mystery books under Samantha Parkington - and honestly, they are quite good. Great mixture of middle-grade spookiness, interesting storylines and clever sleuthing.
This companion book is more like a mini-mystery - I've read that it was testing the waters for future mystery books - and let me tell you, the waters are balmy and beautiful.
I thought the characters were well-represented, the tension was high and the mystery, though short, was interesting throughout.
Can't wait to read more of the companion books!!
A Peek into the Past
Like all of the main and mini Samantha Parkington books, this one has a mini historical section at the back called a Peek into the Past.
For this companion mini-mystery, our Peek into the Past contains a blurb about the Gertrude Chandler Warner (author of the Boxcar Children, a children's mystery series). We learn about her childhood, her inspiration and writing process.
From there we transfer to activities - such as Uncover a Mystery (how to plan a mystery party), Tableaux Vivants (a charade-like game), Twenty Questions (self explanatory), and Assumed Characters (like Tableaux Vivants, but you can move)
More Reviews in the Samantha-verse
Main Series:
Meet Samantha - ★★★★☆
Samantha Learns a Lesson - ★★★★★
Samantha's Surprise - ★★★★☆
Happy Birthday, Samantha - ★★★★☆
Samantha Saves the Day - ★★★★★
Changes for Samantha - ★★★★☆
Samantha's Boxed Set - ★★★★☆
Best Friend Book:
Nellie's Promise - ★★★★★
Short Stories:
Samantha's Winter Party - ★★★★★
Samantha Saves the Wedding - ★★★★☆
Samantha and the Missing Pearls - ★★★★☆
Samantha's Blue Bicycle - ★★★★★
Samantha's Special Talent - ★★★☆☆
Samantha's Short Story Collection - ★★★★☆
Mystery Books (My Order):
The Curse of Ravenscourt - ★★★★★
The Stolen Sapphire - ★★★★☆
Clue in the Castle Tower - ★★★★☆
Danger in Paris - ★★★☆☆
The Cry of the Loon - ★★★★☆
Additional Historical and Activity Books:
The American Girls Cookbook - ★★★★★
The American Girls Party Book - ★★★★★
Samantha's Cookbook - ★★★★★
Samantha's Cooking Studio - ★★★★★
Samantha's Craft Book - ★★★★★
Samantha's Friendship Fun - ★★★☆☆
Samantha's Ocean Liner Adventure - ★★★★★
Samantha's Theater Kit - ★★★★☆
Samantha's Valentine Crafts - ★★☆☆☆
Samantha's Wedding Memories - ★★☆☆☆
Samantha's World: A Girl's-eye View of the Turn of the Century - ★★★★★
The Titanic (American Girl: Real Stories From My Time) - ★★★☆☆
Welcome to Samantha's World · 1904 - ★★★★★
Beforever (Re-Release of Main Series in mid 2010s):
Manners & Mischief - ★★☆☆☆
Lost and Found - ★★★☆☆
Abridged Version (Re-Release of Main Series in 2020s):
Samantha: The Gift - ★★☆☆☆
Samantha: Lost and Found - ★★★★☆
Beginner Reader & Picture Books:
Samantha Helps a Friend (Step Into Reading) - ★★★☆☆
Happy Birthday! (Little Golden Book) - ★★★★☆
Happy Holidays! (Little Golden Book) - ★★★★★
Making a Difference (Little Golden Book) - ★★★☆☆
Time for School! (Little Golden Book) - ★★★★☆
February 12, 2016
Well, that didn't take long....XD
November 17, 2025
Samantha's friend Nellie is a servant in the Van Sicklen household in Mount Bedford. When some jewelry goes missing and Nellie is suspected of taking them, Samantha and Nellie team up to discover what really happened.
Valerie Tripp is just the best! I love that these short stories still feel like a full story despite its short length and give us more time with characters we know and love. While Nellie worked for the Van Sicklen's in the full-length Samantha books, we never really got a lot of insight into her life there, so this book was a great way to fill in some of the blanks. I also thought it was fun that this book is very much a mystery. Despite the brevity it was exciting and suspenseful as Samantha and Nellie are exploring around the house in pursuit of the missing necklace.
I really wish these books came with some indication of what order they should be read in! Some take place after the conclusion of the main series and contain spoilers if you read them early. Others, like this one, take place during earlier books in the series and I would have read it in between some of the full-length books to follow the chronology correctly had I known.
Valerie Tripp is just the best! I love that these short stories still feel like a full story despite its short length and give us more time with characters we know and love. While Nellie worked for the Van Sicklen's in the full-length Samantha books, we never really got a lot of insight into her life there, so this book was a great way to fill in some of the blanks. I also thought it was fun that this book is very much a mystery. Despite the brevity it was exciting and suspenseful as Samantha and Nellie are exploring around the house in pursuit of the missing necklace.
I really wish these books came with some indication of what order they should be read in! Some take place after the conclusion of the main series and contain spoilers if you read them early. Others, like this one, take place during earlier books in the series and I would have read it in between some of the full-length books to follow the chronology correctly had I known.
June 1, 2024
Reading for the first time as an adult. When a pearl necklace goes missing, Samantha and Nellie try to work out what might have happened to it. The end has a heavy-handed "and that's why we shouldn't jump to conclusions" message, but if we stop and think about how this could have gone for Nellie if the necklace hadn't been found... it's not a pretty picture.
I think this marks the first time AG tried to write a mystery, and... well, apparently it was a successful experiment.
Originally published in American Girl Magazine as "The Mystery of the Black Pearls" in Nov/Dec 1993. (Figuring out why I'd never seen this one before unlocked an old memory: I missed this issue because my subscription lapsed. We figured it out, I re-subscribed, but I never got this one. I remember being really bummed because the back cover of the previous issue had teased a Samantha story!
More Samantha babble:
Meet Samantha | Samantha Learns a Lesson | Samantha's Surprise | Happy Birthday, Samantha | Samantha Saves the Day | Changes for Samantha
Nellie's Promise
Samantha's Winter Party | Samantha and the Missing Pearls | Samantha Saves the Wedding | Samantha's Blue Bicycle | Samantha's Special Talent | Samantha's Short Story Collection
The Curse of Ravenscourt | The Stolen Sapphire | The Cry of the Loon | Clue in the Castle Tower
The Lilac Tunnel: My Journey with Samantha
I think this marks the first time AG tried to write a mystery, and... well, apparently it was a successful experiment.
Originally published in American Girl Magazine as "The Mystery of the Black Pearls" in Nov/Dec 1993. (Figuring out why I'd never seen this one before unlocked an old memory: I missed this issue because my subscription lapsed. We figured it out, I re-subscribed, but I never got this one. I remember being really bummed because the back cover of the previous issue had teased a Samantha story!
More Samantha babble:
Meet Samantha | Samantha Learns a Lesson | Samantha's Surprise | Happy Birthday, Samantha | Samantha Saves the Day | Changes for Samantha
Nellie's Promise
Samantha's Winter Party | Samantha and the Missing Pearls | Samantha Saves the Wedding | Samantha's Blue Bicycle | Samantha's Special Talent | Samantha's Short Story Collection
The Curse of Ravenscourt | The Stolen Sapphire | The Cry of the Loon | Clue in the Castle Tower
The Lilac Tunnel: My Journey with Samantha
November 30, 2024
This was a short, fun story.
Things to be aware of in “Samantha and the Missing Pearls”
Language:
Mild name calling (all behind-the-back) including: “old crosspatch”.
Additional Notes:
- A mention of someone being as mean as their dog.
- A character is said to be “as gray as a ghost”.
Things to be aware of in “Samantha and the Missing Pearls”
Language:
Mild name calling (all behind-the-back) including: “old crosspatch”.
Additional Notes:
- A mention of someone being as mean as their dog.
- A character is said to be “as gray as a ghost”.
July 28, 2023
*3.5/5 stars
February 12, 2013
I like stories that feature Nellie and this one is a lot of fun. Sure, the solution is simple, but given the age group it's intended for, I think it's just right. Nellie is, as usual, a clever girl and Samantha has more enthusiasm than good sense. Together they make quite a team.
I loved the story of Gertrude Chandler Warner at the end of the book. I didn't know quite a lot of that about her, and really appreciated the additional information. The Boxcar Children have been my favorites for years!
If you read the other Samantha books in the series, don't neglect these short stories. They're a lot of fun!
I loved the story of Gertrude Chandler Warner at the end of the book. I didn't know quite a lot of that about her, and really appreciated the additional information. The Boxcar Children have been my favorites for years!
If you read the other Samantha books in the series, don't neglect these short stories. They're a lot of fun!
October 13, 2023
A mystery! I love a good mystery and so I got sucked right into the story when the pearls went missing and Nellie and Samantha got on the case. They were especially in a hurry when certain ladies accused Nellie of taking them.
Such a fun read and a surprising twist at the end to the answer in this case! Loved it 😍
Such a fun read and a surprising twist at the end to the answer in this case! Loved it 😍
November 15, 2017
I'm loving the Samantha short stories as much as the ones featuring Molly. My two favorite American girls. Brings back fond childhood memories. I'm glad to have found new stories with these characters.
March 30, 2018
The looking back section was a bit random, only fitting with the story by a stretch. The activities were old-fashioned names of games still played today.
August 14, 2019
BCFL Checkout (Warminster).
Second read was me - I read to make sure it was appropriate.
Second read was me - I read to make sure it was appropriate.
August 15, 2022
Cute little story, but incredibly short (and just as predictable). However, I read this as an adult, not a child. I imagine a child would enjoy it more.
I particularly enjoyed the extra bit after the story, about Gertrude Chandler Warner and the Boxcar Children book series. That was my favorite series growing up. It’s interesting it was included with a Samantha story, as the Boxcar books were published in the 40s), but I imagine it was tied in for it mystery element.
I particularly enjoyed the extra bit after the story, about Gertrude Chandler Warner and the Boxcar Children book series. That was my favorite series growing up. It’s interesting it was included with a Samantha story, as the Boxcar books were published in the 40s), but I imagine it was tied in for it mystery element.
December 23, 2021
I love these short stories!
March 18, 2024
Self-esteem booster for people who think they're slow readers. Quick bite of a book.
July 16, 2025
Well, that didn't take long... 😂
January 8, 2026
i love samantha and nellie 🫶
October 21, 2021
This review is from the perspective of a mother. I am reading the books to decided when they are age appropriate for my daughter.
Nellie really shines in this short story, which appears to take place somewhere between Samantha's 3rd or 4th book - Nellie is working for the neighbor woman, and pearls go missing. Samantha and Nellie are on the case, and the usual red herring is in place before dramatic events lead Nellie to figure it out. As an adult, I could see the solution before the girls, but I think it will keep the target audience guessing until the end.
Nellie really shines in this short story, which appears to take place somewhere between Samantha's 3rd or 4th book - Nellie is working for the neighbor woman, and pearls go missing. Samantha and Nellie are on the case, and the usual red herring is in place before dramatic events lead Nellie to figure it out. As an adult, I could see the solution before the girls, but I think it will keep the target audience guessing until the end.
February 17, 2016
This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series of books. The story is about Samantha, daughter of some well-off people, and Nellie, a girl who is a servant.
A woman's black pearl necklace seems to disappear. Another woman thinks that Nellie has stolen the pearls. Samantha and Nellie suspect a nasty neighbor, but find out they are wrong.
The historical section covers Gertrude Chandler Warner, who write the Boxcar Children mystery series of books, and then has a variety of activities for kids to do during a party.
A woman's black pearl necklace seems to disappear. Another woman thinks that Nellie has stolen the pearls. Samantha and Nellie suspect a nasty neighbor, but find out they are wrong.
The historical section covers Gertrude Chandler Warner, who write the Boxcar Children mystery series of books, and then has a variety of activities for kids to do during a party.
September 23, 2024
The first AG mystery???
Nellie is suspected of stealing Mrs. Van Sicklen's pearls because...she's poor, I guess? Luckily (and predictably) she and Samantha manage to recover them. The ending is easy enough for an adult to figure out, though I suppose it might stump a child.
Nice to get a small look into Nellie's time at the Van Sicklen house, considering two of Samantha's books fail to mention Nellie while she's working there. And definitely deserves credit for being AG's first foray into mysteries.
Nellie is suspected of stealing Mrs. Van Sicklen's pearls because...she's poor, I guess? Luckily (and predictably) she and Samantha manage to recover them. The ending is easy enough for an adult to figure out, though I suppose it might stump a child.
Nice to get a small look into Nellie's time at the Van Sicklen house, considering two of Samantha's books fail to mention Nellie while she's working there. And definitely deserves credit for being AG's first foray into mysteries.
July 17, 2014
Samantha's friend Nellie is a servant, working for a neighbor, when the lady of the house misplaces her new pearl necklace and Nellie is blamed, Samantha and Nellie must find the pearls before it's too late!
Each of these mini stories contains a looking back section with information about the era in history that the book is set and an American Girl Craft idea to do.
Each of these mini stories contains a looking back section with information about the era in history that the book is set and an American Girl Craft idea to do.
March 13, 2013
My first grader really enjoyed the whole Samantha series. The content really kick started some good discussions about life during different historical times. The historical aspects definitely help expose children to some additional perspectives on life in different generations.
November 29, 2015
Cute little read! Really enjoyed it and the illustrations throughout were lovely!
April 27, 2015
Not terrible for such a short mystery.
October 11, 2021
This was cute, but I believe this one also should have been a little longer.
December 20, 2016
I don't really care for this one. Samantha is annoying, it's rather short, and it doesn't have that warm feeling AG books usually do.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews