The Minstrel's Melody -- part of the American Girl series -- is a well-written historical novel aimed at Tween girls. The story is set in 1904. The main character is a tween-age Negro girl who lives in Missouri. She wants to become a minstrel like one of her idols. After a disagreement with her mother, the girl runs away from home, hides with the minstrel show, and goes on, for several days, to experience the reality of life on the road for a traveling group of Negroes (the term used throughout the book) in that time period.

There are several morals to the story, including the value of family, and encouragement to follow dreams. A mystery involving the girl's parents' past is solved. Part of our country's history is taught in a manner that may "stick" better than dry memorization of facts.