American Girl Historical

Before Pam's father left to fight in World War I, the two of them trained their pigeons to fly home at night, a time when most birds just want to sleep. This interests a stranger with a foreign accent who comes to town and offers to pay a lot of money for Pam's birds. But when Pam refuses to sell and some of her birds are later stolen, she suspects the stranger may be more than a simple bird enthusiast. He may be an enemy spy!

In 1760, Deborah Samson is born to Puritan parents in Plympton, Massachusetts. When her father abandons the family and her mother is unable to support them, Deborah is bound out as an indentured servant. From that moment on, she yearns for a life of liberation and adventure. Twenty years later, as the American colonies begin to buckle in their battle for independence, Deborah, impassioned by the cause, disguises herself as a soldier and enlists in the Continental Army.

Giving herself a haircut doesn’t go quite the way she expects—and when she draws a cartoon of her teacher on the first day of fourth grade, she draws more attention than she wants! At least her drawing skills help her make an interesting new friend. Together, they might be able to win the Geography Bee—but only if Maryellen can find a way to help her old friends get past their prejudice.

He didn't need a wife . . . until he met her. With nothing left for her at home, Hazel Hart takes a chance on becoming a mail-order bride to a rancher in the Colorado Territory. But her dreams of love and family are dashed when she meets her stoic, work-driven husband-to-be. Wade Pierce has neither the time nor the inclination for romance. Love made a shell of a man out of his father, and so Wade's only reason for sending for a wife is to have someone to cook and keep up with the house. But instead of getting the woman he imagined, he finds himself wedded to Hazel--who seems bent on making ...

Unafraid to use her assets, young Johnnie has wiled her way into the lives of several dangerous men. She also happens to be connected to three murders. Now that her enemies are closing in from all sides, it seems her luck may run out.

Essence best-selling author Keith Lee Johnson’s fifth installment in his ongoing "Little Black Girl Lost" series picks up where the fourth book left off by continuing the diary of Josephine Baptiste. As more details about Josephine’s past come to light, the African heritage of modern-day Johnnie Wise is further explained.

The only place she can run is into the arms of one of the most eligible men in Crest Stone . . . Family means everything to Isabella Sutcliffe. When her father and brothers are arrested, she’s determined to help them. But there’s something standing in her way—the law thinks there’s another Sutcliffe brother out there, one who got away. Except that “brother” is really Izzy. The only way she can find safety and a means to help her family is to become a mail-order bride. Hale Darby and his sister have worked hard to ensure the success of their boardinghouse in Crest Stone. Ready to...

Everything has changed since the war started. Nanea had hoped that going back to school would make life seem normal again. But it hasn’t. There are still curfews and blackouts and constant reminders of war. Nanea’s dear friend Donna had to leave Hawaii, and Nanea’s big brother won’t stop talking about joining the Army. In the swirl of changes, Nanea turns to hula. Dancing makes her feel better, and soon she learns how much it lifts the spirits of the soldiers, too. When a surprising hula partner boosts everyone’s morale, Nanea gets a big idea.

Can a mistaken identity lead to love? When Matthew Canton's mail-order bride is kidnapped from her wagon train, he doesn't hesitate to rescue her. But he didn't expect to have to bargain for her--and he certainly didn't expect her to be someone entirely different. Sophia Zane needed a quiet, quick way out of Kansas City with the money she inherited. Opting to join a wagon train headed west, she doesn't correct the wagon master when he assumes she's someone else. It's safer to leave under a different name, and her way is now already paid. When outlaws kidnap Sophia from the wagon train, she ...

When Josefina wants to rescue a newborn goat that needs help, Papá has doubts. But after a rattlesnake threatens the baby goat, Josefina discovers her healing skills—and her courage. She gets another chance to prove her bravery in a daring midnight journey to learn the truth about a man who may have stolen from her family. Then the worst happens: Josefina’s beloved aunt, Tía Dolores, announces she is leaving. How can Josefina get Papá to ask Tía Dolores the one question that might change her mind?

New York, 2006. Amy Sullivan’s life is a mess. Fired from her dream job at a prestigious newspaper, she gets a call from her 90-year-old grandmother in the South of France. Maureen Ritter flies to America, the land of her birth, ostensibly to visit her ailing sister, but soon she begins to share with Amy what she’s hidden for more than 60 years—the story of her war.

It’s Melody’s birthday, and she’s excited to turn “double digits” on January 1, 1964. She’s also eager to answer her pastor’s New Year’s challenge and make her community better. Melody decides to fix up the neighborhood playground and plant a garden. Her friends pitch in to help, but after a series of setbacks, Melody realizes that being a leader isn’t easy. But it is easy to say yes when her brother asks her to sing backup for him. Melody gets to go to the Motown music studio and add her voice to a real record! Can she find a way to make her voice stand out?

Maryellen is in charge of planning her tenth birthday, designing a flying machine, and—most important of all—taking care of the family dog, Scooter, on a camping trip. One night, while she’s holding down the fort, Scooter disappears. Maryellen is desperate to find him before the others return, so she and her bossy big sister, Joan, set off to search the woods. Suddenly, Joan disappears. Now Maryellen’s really in charge, whether she wants to be or not! Can she find Scooter, rescue her sister, and figure out how to make something fly—all in one night?

Can love overcome danger? Remaining in her Virginia hometown won't mend Clara Brown's broken heart. Determined to set her life back in order--and go somewhere she won't have to see her former beau--she answers an advertisement for a mail-order bride. Before she knows it, she's arrived in Crest Stone, a rugged new railroad town nestled between the mountains in Colorado. And when she meets her intended, he's better than she ever could have dreamed--handsome and kind, even if he does seem preoccupied. Roman Carlisle is a cowboy turned livery owner. More than anything, he wants what his ...

Melody Ellison can’t wait to sing her first solo at church, and she wants to pick a song that’s special. She gets advice from her big brother, who has his sights set on becoming a Motown star, and inspiration from her older sister, who’s home from college with new ideas about marches and protests and making things fair. When Melody experiences discrimination for herself, she decides to stand up and speak out about civil rights, too. As her solo approaches, an unimaginable tragedy leaves her silent. Can Melody find her voice to speak up for those who can’t?

It’s 1976 and the entire country is celebrating America’s 200th birthday, including Julie! She can’t wait to camp in a horse-drawn wagon for the Bicentennial, but pioneer life turns out to be a lot harder than she expected. Back in school, Julie looks to make some history herself after she lands in detention for helping a friend, and decides to run for student body president to make some much-needed changes. But as the election heats up, Julie’s on the brink of dropping out. It’s her big chance to prove that one girl can change the system—but does she have the nerve?

The year 1963: Reeling from the death of her mother and President Kennedy’s assassination, Catherine Gray shows up on Elizabeth Bentley’s doorstep demanding answers to the shocking mystery she just uncovered about her family. What she doesn’t expect is for Bentley to ensnare her in her own story of becoming a controversial World War II spy and Cold War informer.

A storm and flash flood hit the ranch hard, and many animals are lost. But Josefina and her sisters are determined to save the family business. Their aunt, Tía Dolores, wants to try some bold new ideas. Josefina likes learning to weave and play the piano, but she’s not so sure about learning to read and write. She’s afraid all these changes could make her forget Mamá. Unexpectedly, Mamá herself gives Josefina the answer. By facing the changes, can Josefina find her courage—and discover the truth about love?

The town's blacksmith is in need of a bride--but he didn't expect to also become a father. Merrick Benton wants a family of his own, but he can't seem to string two words together around the eligible ladies in town. A mail-order bride is the perfect solution to his problem. Eleanor Stevens and her sister were both widowed when their husbands died in a mine explosion. Desperate for a new beginning, they each answer advertisements from men in Crest Stone, Colorado. Eleanor is certain that a new husband in a faraway place will be exactly what her sister Rebecca and her children need to heal. ...

She never wanted to be married. Can a little girl and her father change Delia's mind? Maxwell Foster gave up life as a gambler to care for the eleven-year-old daughter he’d never met before. Settling down in Crest Stone and taking up work at the newly-opened Hannan Hotel, he sends for a mail-order bride to be a mother to Anna. It’s difficult for him to admit, but he can’t raise Anna on his own, not when she refuses to listen to him and runs off at the slightest inclination. Cordelia Elliott is certain that becoming Max’s mail-order bride will provide excellent material for the ...