AMERICAN GIRL: Rebecca

You know, Rebecca was the reason I started this whole project. I got it into my head that I wanted her doll and wanted to reread her books, but then I realized I never did the old reread/review project I planned for AG back before we moved. And so this began and now we finally come to Rebecca!

Rebecca's books are really well-written in that they both create loveable characters and cover a lot of topics. You've got the immigrant experience from several angles. Rebecca's cousins and their family come over from Russia, but there are also many encounters with other immigrants, as well as her own family having been in America for different lengths of time. Then there's tenement life. We learn about Ana's experiences in the worse tenement, but Rebecca's building isn't the best either. She longs for a tub in its own room, as Ana's family gets when they move to Brooklyn, and her brothers sleep on the couch and some chairs pushed together in the living room. And of course, there's life as a Jewish family in 1914 New York City. We needed a Jewish American Girl and Rebecca was really well-handled that way. The religious aspects of her life blend seamlessly with the day to day life and pop culture moments.

Rebecca's four mysteries are all pretty good. A Bundle of Trouble has Rebecca babysitting for new neighbors during a rash of kidnappings in NYC. Secrets at Camp Nokomis handles polio far better than Maryellen's books, which is sad for Maryellen, since that's one of her things. The Crystal Ball involves Harry Houdini, fortune tellers and a string of thefts, and A Growing Suspicion takes place mostly at the Japanese Garden in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. I never went there and I always meant to! Argh. I'm not sure which of the four books is my favorite. The Crystal Ball is my least favorite, but it's still good.

Rebecca made it into the BeForever lineup, as she should, since she only just came out in 2009. I was living in NYC on her release and I went to see her in person at American Girl Place New York (AGPNY). I really loved her books, but I couldn't bring myself to buy the doll, since I wasn't in love with her meet outfit and I have a spotty history with the Josefina mold. I didn't bond with it until I got Julie.

When BeForever debuted though, I wanted Rebecca! Rebecca and Kit got the best makeovers by far. So Rebecca is actually my most recent AG purchase from the 18" line. I got her last October. Like a lot of the girls, Rebecca's art now makes her look quite a bit older than 9-11.

AG Best to Least Best (they're too good to be called "Worst") Historical Ranking:
-Josefina/Addy
-Felicity
-Samantha
-Rebecca
-Kaya
-Kirsten
-Marie-Grace and Cécile
-Caroline
-Maryellen

Rebecca falls where she does for one single reason: she doesn't have as many books as Sam. Otherwise, she may have topped her.