Changes for Rebecca

American Girl: Rebecca #6

by Jacqueline Dembar Greene

"Let's make a movie!" Rebecca thinks this is a grand idea, but when her gentle cousin Ana plays the role of a cruel factory boss, the fun turns sour. Once Rebecca learns the truth about factories, though, she begins to see why Ana acted so mean. A few days later, Rebecca visits the factory where Ana's brother and father work, and she's horrified. How can anyone work in such conditions? Is this the life that's in store for Ana? But as awful as the factory is, Tasha knows that Ana's father and brother desperately need their jobs. There's got to be a way to make things better at the factory--and Rebecca is determined to do her part, even if it means marching straight into danger.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Historical, Fiction, Middle Grade, Jewish, New York

78 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2009

About the author

Ms. Greene is an American author of more than 30 books and stories for young readers. In addition to her American Girl series, some of her notable books of fiction include: Out of Many Waters, a historical novel about the first Jewish settlement in America.

Reviews

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every American Girl gets her activist moment, and Rebecca's is for workers' rights in the heady days of labor strikes in 1910s New York. Since these books are set only a few years after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, it's a timely topic. Overall, the story did not quite cohere as well as previous books, but the ending is a bit open as the last book in the series usually is. (Is it just me, or is the sixth book of an AG series usually the one that lacks something?) Rebecca is such a great AG character. These books came out the year I entered high school, and I wish I'd had them as a kid, but they are still good fun to read now!

[Carolynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another in the series featuring Rebecca Rubin, child of Jewish immigrants in the last century, this story once again features Ana, the cousin who has just fled Europe with her family. Now Ana's father and brother work under horrendous conditions in a coat factory, and when they decide to strike, Rebecca impulsively speaks publicly on behalf of the workers and is injured. Naturally, everything works out in the end and Rebecca is not punished further for disobeying her parents. The book does not sugarcoat working conditions, but as with Rebecca and the Movies the plot is contrived and implausible. I was glad to see more about Ana and her family, whose lives may be more representative of Jewish immigrants in the early twentieth century.
Although Rebecca's family is clearly middle-class and not poor, her clothing is always too fashionable and immaculate (the better to match the available doll clothing, I guess) and Rebecca herself always looks a bit too pretty and well-groomed. However, the book does present some historical labor and immigration issues in an accessible and interesting way, which gives it some merit for classroom use. As usual, the most useful part is the historical note at the end, which has some period photographs of workers and a note about the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist fire, which does not figure in the story. Compare to Dreams in the Golden Country: The Diary of Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish Immigrant Girl, New York City, 1903, by Kathryn Lasky.

Lexile measure 750L.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really different book. I like how this series sheds light on a totally different time or place than any of the other AG characters. And this book especially helped me better understand what it was like to be a less profitable member of society during this time. School history classes never really focused on this time and this is an important thing for people in this country to know about and understand.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 2 out of 5]

For the third book in a row, Rebecca blatantly disobeys the authorities in her life. This time, she disobeys her aunt, running off to witness a strike with her cousins despite explicit instructions to stay away from the danger. She then takes it upon herself, at nine years old, to go up to a soapbox that a young woman was just dragged away from so that she can read aloud a letter to the editor that she had recently written about factory conditions. In the midst of the chaos and ruckus, someone throws a rock that hits her in the head. Throughout the rest of the book, people hail her as a hero, rather than as a foolish child who disobeyed authority and deliberately put herself into a dangerous position. There are ways to accomplish meaningful advocacy, but this is not it.

Rebecca never faces significant consequences for her actions, and the whole thing is glamorized. The book does share a significant amount of historical information about factories, and is very realistic and accurate in its depiction of inhumane conditions, strikes, strikebreakers, and law enforcement's complicity in upholding the status quo and attacking strikers. However, even though this book presents historical information in an accurate and educational way, I disliked Rebecca's wish fulfillment role in it when I read this eleven years ago, and I still do not like it now.

Rebecca's involvement works for the drama of the story, but it is unrealistic and does not fit with the time period. Her behavior, and an older friend's "follow your heart" advice from afterwards, reflect twenty-first century norms and ideals, shrugging away Rebecca's reckless disobedience and foolish belief that she could change the world by jumping into a violent fray. This book does not realistically portray how a girl would have experienced a strike in 1914, much less how her family and friends would have responded when she endangered herself.

[Maya Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I super did not remember Rebecca getting hit with a rock by a scab at the strike?!?!! She’s so metal it’s unreal

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I... didn't like it?

The historical things were interesting! I didn’t care for Rebecca, or most of her choices, in this one.

Good historical note, as well!

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

My daughter and I have read through almost all of the AG books through the course of this year. I just read through the Rebecca series on my own, out of curiosity because my daughter wasn’t interested in Rebecca after the first book. As a whole I am completely unimpressed with Rebecca myself. The last 3 books, Rebecca has blatantly disobeyed and/or kept secrets from family. Even when her disobedience might have killed her cousin or caused greater harm to herself than it did, there were zero consequences for her actions and she was even lauded as a hero. She is by far my least favorite of the American Girls.
Also disappointing is the fact that the series also could have focused SO much more on the First World War and the Jewish faith. In fact the only mention of the war, period, was at the beginning when Ana’s family was trying to get out of Russia. It really dropped the ball, big time, on this and instead had Rebecca obsessing over being a movie star, and as mentioned above, getting herself into unnecessary trouble by acting older than her 9 or 10 years and making poor choices. The last three books especially forces the reader to suspend reality a little too much.
If you’re reading this review because you’re a mother trying to decide if your daughter should read these books, I do not recommend them. My own 8-year-old didn’t like the first one and didn’t want to keep going in the series. We moved on to Kit together and she is soooooooo much better.

[Ezra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A disappointing conclusion to a series that started with so much promise. After the third book in the Rebecca series, the plots of these stories become more and more unbelievable. With the fourth and fifth, I immensely enjoyed getting a look into the small details of what life in 1914 New York would've been like, especially the details of how a Jewish immigrant family life's might've been at the time, so much so that I could overlook any qualms I had with the plot, but this sixth one left me feeling largely unsatisfied. Not only did the events of this story feel especially unlikely, but things wrapped up far too neatly and quickly at the end, so much so that it felt cheesy.

I really waffled on whether to give this book two or three stars, but ultimately settled on three, as I did enjoy how this book focused more than the others on how Rebecca's cousin Ana and her family lived in the tenements, and for what I thought was a good portrayal of how terrible factory work was for immigrants at the time.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for a project and omg do I wish I had this book when I was a child. It’s been forever since I read an American girl doll book and if I had had this story about a Jewish labor activist as a kid I would have been in heaven. Instead I just had to pretend the brown haired dolls were Jewish. This story was so good and does a good job telling the story of the labor movement in the early 1900s. The only reason this isn’t 5 stars is because it’s so confusing that the uprising of the 20,000 was moved from 1909 to 1914. If the strike was later then when was the fire? What in the butterfly affect? Overall though wonderful book and I looped the read the rest of Rebecca’s book sometimes.

[Ciara · Rating 5 out of 5]

dude. this book? ruled! okay, so the set up is this: rebecca's cousin ana & her family just emigrated to the states from russia. as new struggling immigrants, they live in tenement on the lower east side & ana's father & oldest brother work long hours in a coat factory/sweatshop. rebecca gets permission to stay the night at ana's apartment, & they sleep out on the fire escape because it's so hot & stuffy inside. during his off hourse, ana's father, who is a skilled cabinet maker, makes wooden shelves to sell to the neighbors, & ana's second oldest brother paints them pretty colors. rebecca is sad that ana's family members have to work so hard for extra money & she wonders if the shelves are going to be enough to get them better housing than a tenement.

ana & rebecca get permission to bring ana's father & brother their lunches at the factory. they have to be delivered, rather than brought in in the morning, because the factory is so hot, the food would spoil during the wait until lunch break. rebecca has heard that the factories are bleak, but she was not prepared for the horrible reality. rebecca & ana aren't even allowed in the room where ana's father works because the foreman says it's "unsafe". rebecca wonders hot it can be unsafe for them to go in to deliver the lunches, but safe for people to work there. she sees her cousing struggling under a load of heavy coats & thinks that her uncle is such a skilled cabinetmaker, he should be doing something other than cutting cloth for coats. rebecca had been confused & frustrated earlier when she & ana played that they worked in a factory, & ana was really mean as the boss. rebecca felt that she couldn't say anything to reason with ana's interpretation of a factory boss. but she realized that ana's acting was pretty spot on & this makes rebecca sad.

the newspapers are full of letters about the conditions of the factories & demands for shorter hours, better pay, cleaner facilities, safer conditions, etc. there is some talk that workers at the coat factory might go on strike. ana & rebecca are impressed by a young female worker who has written to the newspapers about the possibility of a strike. rebecca thinks a strike might be the only way to help the workers.

when rebecca is at ana's apartment after their sleepover, the call comes in that the coat factory workers are on strike. ana's mother rushes off to help on the picket line, bringing two hat pins & an umbrella. she tells the kids to stay home & be safe. but they decide to go to the picket line as well. they're excited at first...until thugs attack the picket line & start kitting people with sticks & brutalizing them. rebecca sees the young female worker she admired in the papers get up to give a speech, only to be knocked down by thugs. rebecca climbs up on the discarded soapbox to give a speech & someone whacks her in the head with a rock! pretty awesome that american girl went so far as to dramatize the plight of the american worker by having their star ten-year-old clubbed with a rock. also tragically ironic, considering that american girl products are made pretty much exclusively in chinese factories-cum-sweatshops. but moving on...

rebecca is more or less okay, but she & her cousins go home after seeing ana's father & brother loaded into a police wagon. they learn later that the strike worked in certain ways--the bosses are making some concessions. but everyone who was arrested is fired, including ana's father & brother.

everyone attends a labor day picnic. rebecca sees the prop master from the film she worked on, roddy. he says he heard about her speech at the picket line. he puts in the word to the bandmaster, who invites rebecca up to give her speech to the picnic. rebecca lost it in the crowd at the picket line, so instead she says what's in her heart, about the importance of treating workers fairly & the eight-hour day & children getting an education & not having to work in sweatshops. everyone applauds. roddy says he needs a good cabinetmaker to help him in the new construction business he's starting in brooklyn. rebecca introduces him to her uncle & boom! her uncle has a far better-paying job & will be able to re-locate his family to brooklyn, where the air is cleaner & rents are cheaper. then uncle max announces that he's moving with his movie studio to hollywood, & marrying his co-star lily. happy endings all around!

i was just so psyched that american girl had the balls to portray a ten-year-old being clocked on the head with a rock by capitalist swine, even if the book was your pretty standard child lit fare. full points!

[Shayla Salazar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do feel like this book was a copy of a Samantha book touching on the same topic of unions and factory workers but it is still an important conversation

[Eva B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full series review for Rebecca:
Literally hit after hit after hit. Rebecca has been one of my favorites since I was a child and if anything I only loved her story more upon reread (I had completely forgotten that her sixth book tackles worker’s rights!). I love the extended cast of characters and Rebecca herself is an incredibly fun lead to follow, though that might be the theatre kid in me speaking. I was especially impressed by the third book, which tackles forced assimilation, though the fourth and fifth are my favorites. If Rebecca was a real movie star I would watch all of her movies, even if they were silent. Even her “journey with” book was great, which can’t be said for most of the others.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The great AG marathon continues. Again, reading for the first time as an adult, inspired by the American Girls podcast.

Well, we're finally picking up the thread of Ana and her family, new immigrants who live in a tenement and work in a factory. While the family has clearly tried to make the best of things - like painting the walls a sunny yellow - they're clearly struggling. We get the full picture of how awful the factory is. We get a strike. It's all pretty dire, but in a historically accurate way.

The strike is where this book starts to go off the rails. Samantha may wind up at a suffrage rally and, surprise, she knows the speaker, but Rebecca heads for a strike and decides to try being the speaker. We always knew you were dramatic, Beckie, but you've gotten pretty extra in the last few books!

In similar fashion, the series ends with a bang as we quickly wrap up all the loose threads: Max and Lily are engaged (called it!) and moving to Hollywood. Uncle Jacob is getting a job with Roddy the studio carpenter, which will move his family out of the tenement. AND Rebecca finally tells her family about the movie she was in. The twins are miffed that she didn't invite them to see it, and hilariously, Bubbie seems more in tune with them than horrified by the idea of another actor in the family. Papa is firmly in "I'll have to think about this" mode, but you can tell he's going to come around to it. Don't worry, Papa, Sadie is going to be a great teacher.

I've had fun with this series, but it does go a little bonkers in the second half. The first three books are a great introduction to Rebecca's life, but the last three seem to decide that Rebecca is ready to go big. No more little concerns like selling doilies or making decorations in school. No, Rebecca's going to a movie studio... and winds up in the movie! She goes to Coney Island... and rescues Ana from the Ferris Wheel! She goes to a strike... and hops up to give a speech! She goes to a Labor Day picnic and is invited to continue that speech! It's all wild.

I don't necessarily see a lot of character growth for Rebecca. I guess you could say she learns to stop overthinking things and just take action, though that feels less like growth and more like a change in direction between the first half and the second half. But she certainly gets closer to her dream of being an actress. I bet when she finishes school, she'll move out to California with Max and Lily, where they'll help start her career.

[Bree · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review is from teh perspective of a mother. I am reading the Rebecca series to evaluate when they will be appropriate to share with my daughter.

Here's another one that requires suspension of disbelief at the way they integrated Rebecca into the issues of the time, but I'm sure it provides enough adventure for the target audience!

The opening of the book, with its emphasis on the conditions of factory life, was very realistic without glossing anything over. Rebecca really gets the rose-colored glasses removed as she begins to understand the condition her uncle and cousin live with everyday. Where I found it hard to believe is that she was able to assimilate all that into a passioned speech in just hours or days. 9 year olds don't generally shift that quickly, but it makes for a dramatic story. Overall, this book seemed like a retread of one of Samantha's books, with a bit more gritty realism.

The Looking Back section was particularly interesting, as it forecast what Rebecca's life would have been like. My one complaint is that World War I isn't really addressed directly in this series, although it is hinted at when discussing Ana's escape from Russia.

While I haven't rated any one particular book of Rebecca's very high, I think the stories as a whole are timeless and relevant to the target audience - they deal with teasing, accepting someone who is different, judging others, celebrating your heritage/faith/traditions, and I think Rebecca grows throughout the series. I like the emphasis on Rebecca's emotions as she grapples with issues - this is a well-rounded series, and even exceeds some of the earlier AG historical series.

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd like this book better if it didn't require me to suspend my disbelief yet again in this series. Usually your average AG character has a moment, maybe two, where you tell yourself that for the good of the story, you just have to go with it. Previously Rebecca is cast in an actual movie, and while she doesn't get a screen credit, she is in a real movie as more than a blink-and-you-miss-her character.

So when I'm asked to believe that she then meets one of the important people in the factory worker's movement, and then gives a speech (at least until someone throws a rock and knocks her unconscious), and then gives another speech at the picnic being thrown by the movie studio, as well as the traditional Book 6 Happy Ending for Ana... it's all a little much.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this series with my 10 year old daughter. We enjoyed the series and learned a few things about being a young immigrant child in the early 1900’s. This series isn’t as deep as the other American girl books but they are entertaining.
My issue with this book as well as #5 is Rebecca disobeys her parents (or law enforcement) but yet still becomes the hero. My daughter and i have had some conversations about this.
Not my favorite AG series, but worth the read.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

“‘I'm glad we were part of the strike,’ Rebecca said. Her voice filled with conviction. ‘I really am, Mama! Just believing that something is wrong isn't enough. I had to do something about it, and this seemed like the right thing.’”

So glad Rebecca continued Samantha’s legacy of being a workers’ rights icon. One of the best American Girl books I’ve read so far.

[Erika Mathews]

Once again, the historical aspects are interesting, but the children again deliberately disobey parents because of “good intentions,” find trouble, and then something happens that leaves no room for ultimate accountability for their actions.

[RaspberryRoses · Rating 3 out of 5]

insane to see a childrens book so openly talking about strikes and unionization and seeing our main character get attacked by scabs. i feel like overall the story wasnt that great but i have to respect ending on a union message.

[Amber M. McCarter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was certainly the most meaningful and inspiring of the set.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the "Looking Back" section better than the actual book

[Kara Kuehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not appreciate the secrecy in this book involves that *SERIES SPOILER* Rebecca did not tell her parents that she was in a movie (from book 3) until the end of this book. These books should be teaching her how to be honest and open with her parents not that she hides things from them. I am thankful she finally told them but I don’t think it should have taken this long.

On page 49, there is a statement, “the best thing we can do in life is follow our hearts.” Okay, I know this is kind of American Girl’s entire theme here, but it is wrong. Our hearts are not trustworthy. They are desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). The Lord cannot allow our sinful hearts into His heaven so He made a way through His Son to cleanse our filthy hearts. The best thing we can do in this life is believe this and live the rest of our lives for the Lord because of it. We should be asking God to create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us (Psalm 51:10). That is truly the best thing we can do in this life.

For those two reasons, -1 star

Things to be aware of in “Changes for Rebecca”

Language:
- 1 “I’m having a devil of a time”

Violence:
- A character is whacked once with a club.
- Some characters are jabbed with hatpins.
- Some characters are hit with umbrellas.
- A few characters (some already hurt) are hit with nightsticks by the police.
- A character is thrown to the ground (via kicking away what they had been standing on).
- A rock is thrown at a character, injuring them badly.

Additional Notes:
- A major plot point of this book involves a factory strike where the workers shout at the owners for the poor working environment.


Read my full review here: https://kbook-reviews.blogspot.com/20...

[Lea Grover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. Loved. This. Book.

While I'm fond of most of the American Girl series, this book, in particular, blew me away. It might as well be called, "Let's Radicalize your Daughter into a Social Justice and Labor Advocate." While many of the American Girl characters face terrifying and real historical circumstances (Kaya's abduction, Molly's father being away at war), few do so as casually as this book, and the casualness of it, the simplicity with which Rebecca is put in danger and suffers injury, is both disarming and effective. At the end of the book my daughters and I read the historical notes about the early labor movement, including the story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire, which are ever more important in our current world. At the time this book was published, at the start of the Obama presidency, many of the issues Rebecca faced seemed long gone. But now, they are all horribly relevant. Antisemitism, immigrant labor abuses, immigration fears, unaffordable housing, and the changing expectations for children in a post-recession economy make this book fodder for many, many illuminating conversations. My daughters and I spent almost an hour discussing the book when it was over, and in the days since it has come up many times in conversation.

If you have a child in your life from an immigrant family, a Jewish family, or a Union family, you could not ask for a better story. And even if you don't, this book will serve to increase empathy towards all kinds of vulnerable populations.

Well done, American Girl!!!

[Kati · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book in the primary Rebecca Rubin series, we see Rebecca facing down an angry mob of strikers with clothing company that employs her Uncle and Cousin. When conditions on the job get so dangerous, and the manager so determined to make the lives of his employees miserable, the factory-workers strike. Rebecca decides that she wants to help, she wants to lend her voice to raising awareness to the awful conditions those employees, including her family, are facing every day. She is hurt in the process, but doesn't let that stop her. Once Rebecca finds her voice, she finds the strength to face up to some of the restrictions her family wants to place on her in regards to her interest in being an actress in moving pictures.

I felt like there should be a continuation. This story didn't feel like it finished out the series, just like a chapter. I wish there had been more.

Throughout this series I've enjoyed seeing snippets of family life in a Jewish home, learning more about Judaism. I've also appreciated the glimpses into the life of those who lived in the early parts of the 20th century on the East coast. It gives me some idea about the world my own grandparents were born into.

Over all, I've enjoyed this series. These last two books were actually my least favorite of the series, but over all the series has been lovely.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5, but I rounded down because the stories in the series seem disjointed at times and Rebecca is never punished for disobeying (which happens twice actually since she finally tells her parents about being in the movie).

A good look at the horrible conditions in factories during the early part of the 20th Century and how change came about. I loved the part where one of the grandparents (or is it Max) tease if she thinks the streets of America are paved with gold. My grandfather immigrated from a small village in Transylvania when he was a young man and he heard that story, too. He was mighty disappointed to find out it wasn't true.

Since I haven't mentioned the illustrations in the previous five books, I will remedy the oversight now. They are quite good and realistic looking. So far only Marie-Grace and Cecile's series has been subpar in the illustration department.

Also, I mentioned in my first review of the Rebecca series that I am reading a compilation with all six stories. Unfortunately, I only have the historical notes for the last book. That is a real drawback. I miss having the notes from the first five books. You might want to consider that if you are deciding to buy the "story collection" or not.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. My least favourite of the series but still a good book. I think it just felt rushed to tie up all the loose ends - it didn’t feel as satisfying to me. I love that Rebecca wanted to use her voice and stick up for the workers, but it also bothered me a bit at the end that she was getting all this recognition, but was privileged enough to not have any factory workers in her immediate family. I would have loved to have seen her befriend one of the girl workers and learn more about the impact of factory life on someone her age… I don’t know. Something other than a speech. AG loves to show speeches as the ultimate activism.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Rebecca gets involved with a factory strike once she sees the horrible ways her uncle and cousin are treated. She even goes to the picket line, goes up to make a speech and gets clocked in the head by a rock thrown at her. Again, Rebecca behaves recklessly but I understood it here. She was passionate and just wanted to get her message across. I liked it and thought this was a pretty solid conclusion to the series. While Rebecca isn't my favorite of the AG girls I've read so far I still had a lot of fun with these books.

[Danielle T · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, rounded up.

Conditions are awful in the coat factory that Rebecca's uncle and cousin work in, so the workers are planning to strike. Like several other Changes books, Rebecca makes a speech though realistically, am not sure people would listen to a ten year old implore them about improving labor conditions. Still, things work out neatly in the end, and both the book and Looking Back are a good introduction for kids to labor movements.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was a joy to read overall, quite frankly. I was kind of surprised I'd enjoy a non-nostalgic AG series so much, but the likable characters and descriptive settings did it for me. It had a few spots here and there, but it was generally really nicely-written and Rebecca and her story are high in my American Girl ranking now. I loved learning more about Jewish traditions as well.

(This book specifically may have garnered a 4.5, just based on vibes)

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that anyone who grew up reading Samantha's series would also enjoy Rebecca's books, specifically since both focus on worker rights. Samantha's story takes place the decade before Rebecca's, so I found it really interesting to see Rebecca protesting the unfair working conditions that Nellie had to deal with.