Molly and the Movie Star

American Girl: Short Stories #12

by Valerie Tripp

Few children's book series can match the runaway success of the American Girls Short Stories. In one year we've sold nearly 2 million copies of these perfectly pocket-sized (4 1/2" x 6") hardcover books featuring the adventures of the American Girls. Full-color illustrations, a historical picture essay, and directions for a craft project in every book make these an incredible value at just $3.95 each.Molly's class chooses her to give their War Bond money to a famous movie star. But her big idea for presenting it is almost a disaster.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Fiction, Historical, Middle Grade, Short Stories, World War II

40 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2000

About the author

Valerie 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.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Melody Moore is a very famous movie star. She's coming to our town ... she'll sing and dance and make everybody feel patriotic and happy so they'll buy War Bonds."

Molly is so excited to be chosen as her class representative to give a war bond to Melody Moore during a rally. She needs to raise one dollar so that the class can help support the war effort and she'll be able to meet a movie star!

Molly thinks this is a very grand thing to do, but Mrs. Gilford, the housekeeper, thinks otherwise.

"War bonds are good. But I don't see why the rallies have to be flimflam shows, with glamour girls singing and all. People should buy the bonds to help out fighting boys because it's the right thing to do."

Molly ignores Mrs. Gilford because she just doesn't 'get it'. Molly's mother suggests using her movie money but Molly decides she cannot part with movie night at the theater so she'll do chores instead. It's boring. But it'll get the job done.

But then Molly comes up with a brilliant idea at the theater. Melody Moore's movie shows her sending a secret note to a soldier in a sock. Molly should totally do that with the class's War Bond money...but the next morning the sock is missing!

Whatever should Molly do???

The companion books always surprise me. They are physically small AND are so short to boot, but my heart was racing along with Molly's when she realized the sock was gone.

Also, kudos to her for being so brave and willing to tell her idol the truth. I don't know if I would have the courage to stand up in front of all those people in third grade.

I also love how Mrs. Gilford comes through for Molly. A lot of the time, Mrs. Gilford is shown to be a stern figure, who acts parental while Molly's mom is at work. She isn't given to showing bold emotions or strong feelings - and yet this book showed another side of her.

She's still no-nonsense but she's also firmly there for the children. We all need a little Mrs. Gilford in our lives.

A Peek into the Past

Like all of the main and mini Molly McIntire books, this one has a mini historical section at the back called a Peek into the Past.

In this Peek into the Past, we learn about movies in 1944 and how much of an impact they had on families. In the main series, we hear about Molly's movie money and how eager she was to see the weekly movie. We get to see how the movie-going culture was different back then - the types of movies shown, intermissions and fanciness of the theater. We also learn a bit about how movie stars supported the war effort through rallies like Molly experienced in the book.

There's an activity at the very end where you can make a movie night at home. They suggest a few movies that came out during Molly's time like Lassie Come Home, Since You Went Away, National Velvet, or Cinderella. They also include a recipe for how to make homemade popcorn over the stove.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading as an adult. This is Molly in full schemer and dreamer mode: She's been chosen to present her class's War Bond money to a movie star performing at a rally and she comes up with a way to be as extra about it as possible. (This Molly would not, you'd think, be embarrassed by Susan dressing up as George Washington, but people are complex.) When her cleverness leads to an understandable mistake, Mrs. Gilford gets a chance to save the day - and Molly's moment in the spotlight is everything she dreamed. Originally published in American Girl Magazine's premiere issue.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love American Girl stories.... XD

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like that this book shows us what it was like in everyday life during ww2 at home and how patriotic everyone was. The looking back section was really cool and the story itself taught a lot too.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars & 3/10 hearts. Oddly enough, I find myself liking Molly more as a grownup than I did as a kid her age. I enjoyed seeing her and her family, however briefly, and thought this was a cute little story with a happy ending.

Content: a smidgen of bad attitude towards chores.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the Molly series when I was a kid. I was excited to see these short stories as I was checking in books at the library where I work. I had to check them out.

[Farah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because it shows how Molly came to appreciate her maid (whom she didn't get along with in the main series).
I also like that her sister and brothers pitched in and helped her find the missing money that was meant for the movie star. Just when things look bleak, Molly's maid saves the day by giving the money to the movie star.

[Rubi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was okay. Molly was too distracted by an actress who was coming to town so she really didn't feel like doing much else. But lucky for her Mrs. Gilford was a responsible and quick minded woman haha

[Meghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Molly is very irresponsible in this story.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is cute. I wish going to the movies today was still as fun and glamorous.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the "Looking Back" section, and it made me realize how much we take going to the movies for granted now.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite part was when they were at the movie and she was watching a movie

[Carey Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little read with lots of historical info for my child to learn

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love American Girl stories... 😂

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly's favorite movie star is coming to town to help with a War Bond drive, and Molly is going to be the person to give her money that her class has collected. She has a whole idea worked out that she thinks will impress the movie star, but then, the day she's supposed to give the star the money it disappears.

She writes an apology and goes to the ceremony anyhow, but at the last money the money is found and everything works out all right for her.

The historical section is about movies of the time, newsreels, and how various stars helped the war effort.

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is from the perspective of a mother. I am reading the books to decided when they are age appropriate for my daughter.

This short story fell well within the overall Molly series, although it is redundant in some ways. Another class project, Molly steps up and shines and gets rewarded with a leadership role, but almost doesn't live up to her end of the bargain, and there is drama and tension at the very end, with a bit too picture-perfect ending.

[Miri · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this Molly short story, Molly's class is doing a project for the war, they are buying a war bond and Molly has to work to earn her own money to contribute to the class fund. Molly raises the money and is choses to present the money to the beautiful movie star Melody Moore. Molly wants to impress the actress so she hides the money in a sock just like in a scene from one of Melody's movies, but the money disappears! What is molly going to do?

[Bulk Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molly is sort of annoying in this story, and the book follows a predictable plot of her falling back on her chores and losing the money she’s supposed to present.

However, this story has a crowning moment of glory for Mrs. Gilford when she presents Molly with that sock. Molly’s confidence that Mrs. Gilford could never do anything brave or exciting is obliterated in the best way possible. Great moment for no nonsense old ladies everywhere!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay story. The plot was a little predictable, but still fairly dramatic. The last line was a little much for me, I felt it was unrealistic. But still, I'm sure you would enjoy this book if you were already a fan of Molly and the American Girl series.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2009...

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly gives money to a movie star for the war.

[Melaniew · Rating 5 out of 5]

that was a amazing book!

[Marya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yet another example of the series conflating the ideas of being heroic and being dramatic. It might be bold, or even personally brave, to get up in front of an audience, but is not exactly heroic.

[Bailey Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back when you could see a movie without having to sell your soul and future first-born child.