Josefina an American Girl (The American Girls Collection)

New Mexico Hispanic traditions and the historical lifestyle are accurately portrayed through Josefina's daily routines. The focus on Josefina and her world makes the stories relevant and interesting to the readers. Readers learn about laundry, cooking and baking, food choices, gardens, trips to the river for water, friendships, family roles, manners and codes of conduct, and celebrations. Josefina's family faces tragedy in a flood, hard work to recover losses and maintain daily existance, the emotional conflict of change, and other choices appropriate to the world they live in. Additional historical information for each story is at the back of each book, making this a history lesson that goes down with a spoonful of sugar and much enjoyment.

Each book is only 4 chapters long, and if all you want out of it is a nice story, then this series will deliver it in a historical setting that is new to many readers. Because of the excellent research that was done, this series can be used for new students (children and adults) of Southwest history. However, those who want to look deeper will find that the themes of the stories work well with New Mexico history of the time. In 1821, the Santa Fe Trail opened up, bringing Americans to Santa Fe. They brought new goods, created a merchant class, and brought values that were more materialistic than either the Hispanic or Pueblo people had lived by. Josefina, like other members of the younger generation, would spend a lifetime learning about choices, change, and deciding what traditions to hang onto. The Hispanic culture did change, and the wealthy merchants adapted to an Americanized world while rural communities sought to continue to live by their cultural traditions. Either way, the world that Josefina and her sisters inherited would not hold for them the same roles, expectations, and choices that their grandmother had. It is a credit to the Hispanic people that they held onto so much because they did it against discrimination, and in the face of change. To this extent, Tia Dolores is the symbol of this coming change, and Mama is the traditions that they must choose to remember and honor. I reread this series occationally, and it still brings much to my life. Although the brevity of the books is deceptive, I would stick with the publishers recommended reading age of 8-12 (about second through sixth grades) because there is so much that can be learned and enjoyed in these books that a younger child may miss.


These books hit the mark!   January 29, 2001
Kimberly A. Darwin (Maple Valley, WA USA)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

As a grown up, hispanic woman who grew up in New Mexico (whose grandmother's name was actually Josefina), I must say that these books are very factual and well written. Hispanic culture does not change much from generation to generation, and the depictions of the culturally rich traditions of a hispanic family from that area of the country are perfect. These books are a joy to read!


American Girls has another hit!   December 9, 1999
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

Like all the American Girls books, these about Josefina are full of great information. The authors are very good about making you feel as if you are apart of that time frame. The best part about the Josefina books is that they also come in a Spanish version. I think that is very important for young hispanic girls to be able to read something about their heritage in their own language.


These are great books   November 29, 2002
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

I've read all the Josefina books! They are great! If you have a daugter who is 6 and up and interested in different cultures Buy her Josefina books. They are a little over priced.


Great!   January 11, 2001
Ann (United States)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

I have been an American Girl fan since I was 6, and the Josefina books make me an even bigger fan. The stories are engaging and the characters very likeable. The Josefina series is a great way to introduce a child to the way Hispanic people in the early nineteenth century lived. I think that the 2-star rating from the reviewer from Japan was inappropriate, because as she mentioned, the books are written for younger girls, and so are not meant to be long, involved books that cater to more grown-up tastes. They are perfectly written for the targeted age group, and I think girls of that age group would love them.