Ship of dolls

Title:

Ship of dolls

Author:

Summary:

In 1926, eleven-year-old Lexie Lewis seeks to leave her strict grandparents in Portland and reunite with her singer mother in San Francisco, so when she hears that her class is sending a doll to Japan by way of San Francisco, she seizes her chance.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

258 pages ; 21 cm

Genre:

Historical fiction.

Subject Term:

Mothers and daughters -- Juvenile fiction.

Dolls -- Juvenile fiction.

Geographic Term:

San Francisco (Calif.) -- Juvenile fiction.

Portland (Or.) -- Juvenile fiction.

Publisher:

Candlewick Press,

Publication Date:

2014

ISBN:

9780763670030

Publication Information:

2014

Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2014.

Call Number:

J PARENTE

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003006320	Juvenile Fiction	PARENTE	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Can a ship carrying Friendship Dolls to Japan be Lexie's ticket to see her fun-loving mother again? A heartwarming historical novel inspired by a little-known true event.

It's 1926, and the one thing eleven-year-old Lexie Lewis wants more than anything is to leave Portland, Oregon, where she has been staying with her strict grandparents, and rejoin her mother, a carefree singer in San Francisco's speakeasies. But Mama's new husband doesn't think a little girl should live with parents who work all night and sleep all day. Meanwhile, Lexie's class has been raising money to ship a doll to the children of Japan in a friendship exchange, and when Lexie learns that the girl who writes the best letter to accompany the doll will be sent to the farewell ceremony in San Francisco, she knows she just has to be the winner. But what if a jealous classmate and Lexie's own small lies to her grandmother manage to derail her plans? Inspired by a project organized by teacher-missionary Sidney Gulick, in which U.S. children sent more than 12,000 Friendship Dolls to Japan in hopes of avoiding a future war, Shirley Parenteau's engaging story has sure appeal for young readers who enjoy historical fiction, and for doll lovers of all ages.

Author Notes

Shirley Parenteau is the author of many books for young people, including the picture books Bears on Chairs, Bears in Beds, and Bears in the Bath . She lives with her husband in Elk Grove, California.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Starred Review. Gr 3-7-Lexie Lewis is a troubled 11-year-old girl whose life is in turmoil because of the death of her father and absence of her mother. Lexie's mother prefers her new husband and carefree lifestyle to the responsibilities of motherhood, and she sends her daughter to live with her paternal grandparents in Portland, OR. Meanwhile, Lexie's school class participates in a remarkable, little-known historical event, the 1926 Friendship Doll exchange with Japan, and Lexie encounters injustice when a condescending classmate steals her entry in the doll contest and wins a trip to San Francisco, where Lexie's mother resides. Lexie desperately wants to be reunited with her mother, so she perseveres, realistically growing in maturity. Eventually, she realizes that love is more about steadfastness than glamour and constant excitement and that true friendship might come in the form of an annoying boy. Fascinating historical details about life in the 1920s, including travel by ship to pre-Golden Gate San Francisco, are seamlessly woven throughout the story. Kate Reinders's narration is masterfully performed. This is a captivating tale that may motivate students to seek additional information about the 1920s and the Friendship Doll exchange, including viewing the online doll photographs and background details.-Rebecca R. James, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Nashville, TN (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Parenteau (Bears in the Bath) deftly incorporates the 1926 Friendship Dolls project-in which American children collected and sent more than 12,000 dolls to Japanese children as a gesture of friendship-into the story of 11-year-old Lexie Lewis, who has been sent to live with her strict paternal grandparents in Portland, Ore. Her father dead in a car crash and her insouciant flapper mother remarried, Lexie is struggling to adapt to her new circumstances. Her class has contributed a doll to send to Japan, and when Lexie learns she has a chance to rejoin her mother at a farewell party for the dolls in San Francisco, she's determined to win that opportunity. While Lexie encounters more than her share of bad luck, she never stops persevering. In Parenteau's well-conceived story, transformations come slowly and believably; Lexie warms to her grandparents and mischievous neighbor, Jack; her grandmother comes through for her in unexpected ways; and even her nemesis, a snotty classmate, shows some character. Parenteau weaves in information about the Friendship Dolls so subtly that it never overshadows Lexie's story; an author's note explains the project in full. Ages 8-12. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.