Kathleen Ernst (1)

I think this is one of the few Mystery books where the author of the character's core novels also wrote it, which makes the side characters feel more true to how they were in the mainline ones compared to other Mystery novels I've read. I really liked this one- high stakes because it's a war time (Caroline is actually shot at...!), and mostly uses characters from previous books. This actually starts pretty immediately after the end of the sixth core novel, so it's a good move to go to if you're fresh from that. I appreciated Hosea having a larger role here- he's present in the core books, but here he teaches Caroline that war is complicated, and sailors who escaped from slavery might have a different perspective on who deserves their loyalty. It's a shame Caroline's tenure was short-lived; initially I thought, "hm, the War of 1812 is a very niche subject to do a whole AG series on" but it very capably did a dive into the topic at an age-appropriate level, and I learned more with these books than I did MaryEllen's (I should stop moaning about how ME's are my least fave, but they are, for now!)… (mais)

Getting closer to finishing all of the historical AG character books! I really liked this one, the "Saves the Day" equivalent if we're comparing to the classic series from the 1990s. Caroline is a brave heroine, and she and her mother are quick to take decisive action to protect the family shipyard as the British invade Sackets Harbor. I also think it's interesting that this one takes place within days of the ending of the previous one ([b:Caroline Takes a Chance|13609203|Caroline Takes a Chance (American Girls Caroline, #4)|Kathleen Ernst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1346811803l/13609203._SX50_.jpg|19206239])- makes it very dynamic, even though I did read that last one back seven months ago!… (mais)

Continuing to disrupt the format with later series, Caroline has a birthday in the second book! As I ponder the typical "school/learns a lesson" role of book 2 in American Girl series, it occurs to me I'm not even sure if Caroline attends class or if 30 years out from Felicity Merriman's time she learns at home from family. I'm inclined to think the latter, especially given her sailing-specific knowledge.

I'm digressing from the main point by talking about meta aspects. Caroline's Secret Message is a good adventure, with a mission to deliver information covertly to her father and the introduction of possible rival/actually new best friend Rhonda.… (mais)