Q&A with Megan McDonald
Author Megan McDonald responds to questions about Julie and her stories
Q: In writing the Julie series, were you surprised to be writing about the 1970s as history?
A: It's surprising to consider the 1970s as history. I think of American history as the Revolutionary War, pioneer days, the Industrial Revolution, the Depression, even World War Two. Thirty years ago hardly seems like history until one begins to think that we still used typewriters, TVs without remotes, and phones with cords attached to the wall. Back then, we played with dolls, not cyber pets, "sports" was a pick-up game of dodge ball on a cul-de-sac, and a playdate was catching turtles or sailing leaf boats down the backyard creek with neighborhood friends.
As a girl, I always wondered how my parents knew so much about history-the Great Depression, World War Two, John F. Kennedy's assassination, landing on the moon, the Vietnam War, the election of Jimmy Carter. Of course, they had lived it.
I was a child in the 1970s, and what I remember most were Klackers and princess phones, David Cassidy and Bob Dylan, Bewitched and The Brady Bunch, the shock of learning that the president had lied (Watergate), and the Native American who shed a tear on TV ads because of the pollution of our planet-a child's-eye view of history.
Q: What did you do to prepare to write Julie's stories?
A: There was the traditional research-reading hundreds of books and articles and Web sites. But the thing that really brought back the sights, sounds, and smells of the 1970s was reliving childhood experiences with my four older sisters. Memories were triggered by rummaging through my sister's attic for all of our old peasant shirts, hippie dresses, and seed beads; poring over old photographs, report cards, letters, and school papers; even playing with my old metal jacks or listening to old records (vinyl!).
Q: What were the most challenging aspects of writing the Julie series?
A: What are often unquestioned rights for girls today were intense political struggles for girls and women of the 1970s. The greatest challenge was portraying these topical issues of the 1970s, such as divorce, Title IX (equality for girls in sports), concern for the environment, and disability awareness in an historical context, yet making it interesting and reader-friendly for contemporary girls. In other words, it was taking large issues, distilling them to girl size, and helping readers care about these issues by telling a compelling story.
Q: How would you describe Julie's personality?
A: Confident. Strong sense of self. Enthusiastic. Passionate. Fair-minded. Empathetic. Sensitive.
Julie Albright is a good sister and a loyal friend. She's tested by adversity, but time and again she rises to the challenge. She believes in fairness and equality and is willing to speak up for what she believes in, always choosing to act in order to bring about change.
It's important to Julie to have an impact on her own corner of the world, whether it be on the basketball court, in her own family, or when reenacting pioneer days for the Bicentennial.
Q: Were any of Julie's stories based on your own experiences growing up in the seventies?
A: Certainly lots of pop culture details were remembered from my own life-my teenage sisters getting a princess phone, watching Bewitched on a black-and-white TV, listening to records, playing with pet rocks, and decorating my room with lava lamps and fuzzy foot rugs.
In Julie Tells Her Story, Julie gets a tape recorder from her dad, which is closely based on my own life. I got a cassette recorder from my dad on my tenth birthday. I drove my family crazy playing reporter, conducting countless interviews, and secretly taping (or so I thought) my sisters' conversations. We still have some of the old cassette tapes, and when the McDonald sisters all get together, we love to laugh over them.
When I was growing up, my mom, like Julie's mother, went back to work. My mother worked as a social worker for Easter Seals, helping families of children with physical disabilities. I grew up playing, interacting with, and becoming friends with many of the kids my mom worked with, and I have fond memories of bowling with kids in wheelchairs and learning my first words in sign language. This inspired the character of Joy Jenner and much of the storyline in Changes for Julie.
Q: What do you hope Julie's stories will do for girls today?
A: I hope Julie's stories will inspire them to find their own voice, speak up for themselves, and believe in themselves. Another hope is that mothers will share personal experiences and stories of the 1970s with their daughters, bringing mothers and daughters together.
I hope they empower girls to create change-to know that they have the capacity to effect change in their own lives, no matter what obstacles they face.
And I hope readers realize that the struggles girls went through in the 1970s have paved the way for many of the wider opportunities that girls have today.
Q: Why was it important to set Julie's stories in San Francisco?
A: In many ways, San Francisco was the heartbeat of the seventies. It was a lively, international city and center for social and cultural change and healing from the Vietnam War. Its vibrant history, rich architecture, unique neighborhoods, and cultural diversity made it the ideal colorful backdrop for Julie's stories.
Contributor: American Girl Publishing
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Reviews
Changes for Julie
Megan McDonald
Illustrations by Robert Hunt and Nika Korniyenko and Susan McAliley
Julie's annoyance at being sent to detention spurs her to action; she becomes outraged by the punishment, meaningless sentence writing, that kids who are sent to detention have to endure. Fifth grade Julie sets out on a mission to change the detention system and decides that running for school president against a sixth grade boy may be the best way to improve the school. Julie chooses Joy as her running mate, but encounters difficulty as others make fun of the way Joy talks and discount their chances for winning the school election because Joy is deaf. Julie finds a way to win the election, while encouraging others to have respect and compassion for Joy. As the sixth volume in the "American Girl" series chronicling Julie's life in the 1970s, this book focuses on the year 1974 and includes textual references to the upcoming presidential elections, the television show Happy Days, macramé key chains and other staples of the era. The book includes a section called "Looking Back: Changes for America in the 1970s" offering information on the energy crisis, efforts to promote equality for women, and movements to improve the rights of the disabled, as well as other events of the decade. Fans of Julie and American Girl will enjoy reading about Julie's determination to effect positive change within her school and between her classmates while growing up in the 1970s.
BIBLIO: 2007, American Girl Publishing, Ages 7 to 10, $6.95.
REVIEWER: Katie DeWald
FORMAT: Middle Reader
ISBN: 978-1-59369-354-1
Happy New Year, Julie
Megan McDonald
Part of the "American Girl" series, this edition tells the story of Julie, a San Francisco girl in the 1970's. Since Julie's friend, Ivy, is of Asian descent, readers will learn about aspects of Ivy's culture such as foods, games, and calligraphy. The two girls share joys, fears-including getting lost together in Chinatown-and a strong friendship. But all is not rosy in Julie's life. Her parents are recently divorced so Julie and her fifteen-year-old sister, Tracy, are adjusting to shuttling between their parents and celebrating two Christmases, neither of which is anything like the Christmases they remember. Adding to Julie's stress is the fact that Tracy is not adjusting well, focusing her anger on Dad, making Julie feel even more conflicted. When her entire family is invited to join Ivy's for Chinese New Year celebrations, Julie worries how her parents will handle the situation and if Tracy will even speak to Dad. In the end, Julie realizes that Chinese New Year is a new beginning and that, perhaps, her family can enjoy a new beginning on a new, albeit different, path. The story offers a gentle but direct approach to real family tension, showing desirable behavior from both Julie and her parents. As always, the historical notes at the end provide some interesting facts for readers about what life was like during the time in which the story is set, as well as further information about Chinese New Year celebrations. 2007, American Girl, Ages 8 to 10, $6.95. Reviewer: Kathryn Erskine (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 1-593-69291-9
ISBN: 978-1-593-69291-9
Julie's Journey
Megan McDonald
Illustrations by Robert Hunt
Vignettes by Susan McAliley
Book six in this "American Girls" series about the 1970s takes place during America's Bicentennial. Julie and her sister Tracy join their cousins on a celebratory wagon train to Valley Forge. Julie is thrilled with the chance to experience this taste of the life of her favorite author, Laura Ingalls Wilder. But she soon learns that there is more to pioneer life than calico dresses, and she is surprised to discover that horses are a lot bigger and scarier in real life than they are in stories and on TV. She learns a little about courage and sacrifice when one of the wagon wheels gets stuck and the family must leave behind some of their things in order to lighten the load. While not as feisty as McDonald's famous Judy Moody, Julie is a likeable character and fans may relate to both her love of another popular series and her desire to know more about life in the past. One of the series' strengths is its "Looking Back" section, which gives historical context to the story. This book features photographs and information about some of the ways the country commemorated its bicentennial, including a wagon train like the one described in the story. It also touches on the fact that some groups, like Native Americans, were not eager to participate in the celebration. 2007, American Girl Publishing, Ages 7 to 10, $6.95. Reviewer: Heather Christensen (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-59369-352-7
Julie Tells Her Story
Megan McDonald
Illustrations by Robert Hunt
Julie Albright, an up-and-coming basketball star on the boy's middle grade team is plagued by the recent divorce of her parents. Living with her mother and her older sister, she looks forward to her visits with her dad. On one such visit, he gives Julie a tape recorder so she can interview members of her family for a school project. Julie is supported during this difficult time by her two best friends. There is Ivy, who lives across the street from Julie's dad, and there is T.J., a boy Julie plays basketball with at her new school. During the course of this story, Julie works through her family problems and brings her family closer together, but not in the way she had hoped. Along the way, she learns responsibility and develops an understanding that family is family no matter where they live. Fast-paced and easy to read, this "American Girl" story is set in 1974. It gives readers a realistic feel for growing up in the seventies. 2007, American Girl Publishing, Ages 8 to 12, $6.95. Reviewer: Gail C. Krause (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-59369-288-9
Happy New Year, Julie
Megan McDonald
Part of the "American Girl" series, this edition tells the story of Julie, a San Francisco girl in the 1970's. Since Julie's friend, Ivy, is of Asian descent, readers will learn about aspects of Ivy's culture such as foods, games, and calligraphy. The two girls share joys, fears-including getting lost together in Chinatown-and a strong friendship. But all is not rosy in Julie's life. Her parents are recently divorced so Julie and her fifteen-year-old sister, Tracy, are adjusting to shuttling between their parents and celebrating two Christmases, neither of which is anything like the Christmases they remember. Adding to Julie's stress is the fact that Tracy is not adjusting well, focusing her anger on Dad, making Julie feel even more conflicted. When her entire family is invited to join Ivy's for Chinese New Year celebrations, Julie worries how her parents will handle the situation and if Tracy will even speak to Dad. In the end, Julie realizes that Chinese New Year is a new beginning and that, perhaps, her family can enjoy a new beginning on a new, albeit different, path. The story offers a gentle but direct approach to real family tension, showing desirable behavior from both Julie and her parents. As always, the historical notes at the end provide some interesting facts for readers about what life was like during the time in which the story is set, as well as further information about Chinese New Year celebrations. 2007, American Girl, Ages 8 to 10, $6.95. Reviewer: Kathryn Erskine (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 1-593-69291-9
ISBN: 978-1-593-69291-9
Added 09/21/07
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