What do you think?
Rate this book
American Girl: Rebecca #2
Rebecca and Ana
At last, cousin Ana has arrived at Ellis Island, and Rebecca can't wait to meet her. She's sure they'll be just like sisters, doing everything together. It's crowded with two families in one small apartment, but Rebecca is happy to share everything with Ana, even her clothes! At school, Rebecca is determined to help her cousin learn English and keep up in class, in spite of the other kids' teasing. But when the teacher tells her to include Ana in a special performance, Rebecca panics--Ana's broken English will ruin the show! Rebecca realizes this is one thing she does not want to do with her cousin. But how can she explain this to Ana?
78 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2009
About the author
Jacqueline Dembar Greene
42 books27 followersMs. Greene is an American author of more than 30 books and stories for young readers. In addition to her American Girl series, some of her notable books of fiction include: Out of Many Waters, a historical novel about the first Jewish settlement in America.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
September 12, 2020
I've always loved immigrant stories, since I memorized Emma Lazarus's poem "The New Colossus," about the Statue of Liberty, as a six-year-old. And, of course, my American Girl doll was Kirsten, so that settled it. Greene has a talent for taking the difficult history of early 20th century immigration as it is, while making it appropriate for young readers. Rebecca is a very human character, and struggles with loving her cousin and not wanting to share the spotlight. In one scene, she practices empathy in a way that young readers could emulate. Yet, that part doesn't feel preachy or make Rebecca seem like a goody-goody. She's allowed to have complex feelings, which is always a win for me in children's books! This series would make great independent reading for chapter book readers who are interested in the time period or cultural setting. It reminds me at points of All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor, but they're nowhere close to copies of each other.
August 3, 2018
This story doesn't cover a lot of time, maybe a week, but it was still fun. Rebecca faced feelings and challenges that normal people face. It gave a quick look at what it would be like as an immigrant family coming to America and trying to learn new ways.
January 17, 2013
I like that Rebecca is a flawed character (I don't however think she is a "sniveling, selfish, thoughtless, heartless brat" as one reader suggests) who grows during the course of the story as she learns to consider her cousin Ana's feelings and not just her own. Yes the treatment is a little heavy handed, but none of the American Girl series are great literature, but a resource for teaching aspects of American history as seen through the eyes of girls who might have lived at that time, in order to make it more accessible to today's students. One quibble: Rebecca's family seems to be a little better off than most immigrant families, and while Ana's family is not as well off, not much is made of that, and we don't know much of what hardships they may have faced. In the previous book, it is hinted when Ana finds out her family will have to move to an apartment on Orchard Street, but nothing is made of it in this book. I'd like to see more of a range of living conditions. As usual, there is a helpful author's note at the end which gives more information about immigrant schools in the early twentieth century. Readers who live in or visit New York City might also be interested in visiting the Lower East Side Tenement House, at 103 Orchard Street, a retrofitted brownstone which shows the living quarters of several different tenement families. Maybe it is where Ana lived! Lexile measure 730.
August 8, 2021
The great AG marathon continues. Again, reading for the first time as an adult, inspired by the American Girls podcast.
This marks a first - never before had the title referenced anyone other than the title character, unless we count Kaya and Lone Dog. Or, I guess, Julie and the Eagles? But I digress. The school story often has a prominent friendship plot, and this one centers it more than most, perhaps on par with Samantha Learns a Lesson. And like Samantha, Rebecca is in the position of helping someone who is new to school, in this case her cousin Ana.
The other easy comparison is that this is a reverse of Kirsten Learns a Lesson: Like Kirsten, Ana is a new immigrant who is leaning on her cousin for help as she starts school in America. And for that matter, just as Kirsten gets her blue dress upon arriving at the end of Meet Kirsten, the Rubin family quickly encourages Ana and her family to dress in American styles. (Rebecca even suggests a new American name for her aunt, and I really like that Rebecca later reflects on whether that was ok after hearing her friend recount how a teacher imposed a new name on her. The book gives room for different characters to have different feelings about names and name changes, and shows them happen in different ways.)
Rebecca, though very eager, doesn't acquit herself quite as well as Samantha or Lisbeth and Anna Larson, and the difference is mainly that Rebecca lets her ego get in the way. When an opportunity to perform presents itself, she chases it, only to wrestle with disappointment when her solo becomes a duet and embarrassment over Ana's accent. It's not Rebecca's best side, though it is all perfectly understandable for her age and personality. Ultimately, just as Julie does when she wrestles with embarrassment over the way Joy speaks, Rebecca manages to find her way to the realization that her friendship is more valuable than any fleeting embarrassment.
I look forward to seeing more of Ana, who feels very like Rebecca. Though Ana's life in Russia was very different from Rebecca's up to this point, they both come across as bold, clever, quick and charismatic. I loved watching them barter for sheet music and bananas together.
The one plot point that isn't nicely tied up by the end is Ana's distress over moving to Orchard Street, so I will be very curious to see how that continues to play out, because it isn't touched in book 3.
This marks a first - never before had the title referenced anyone other than the title character, unless we count Kaya and Lone Dog. Or, I guess, Julie and the Eagles? But I digress. The school story often has a prominent friendship plot, and this one centers it more than most, perhaps on par with Samantha Learns a Lesson. And like Samantha, Rebecca is in the position of helping someone who is new to school, in this case her cousin Ana.
The other easy comparison is that this is a reverse of Kirsten Learns a Lesson: Like Kirsten, Ana is a new immigrant who is leaning on her cousin for help as she starts school in America. And for that matter, just as Kirsten gets her blue dress upon arriving at the end of Meet Kirsten, the Rubin family quickly encourages Ana and her family to dress in American styles. (Rebecca even suggests a new American name for her aunt, and I really like that Rebecca later reflects on whether that was ok after hearing her friend recount how a teacher imposed a new name on her. The book gives room for different characters to have different feelings about names and name changes, and shows them happen in different ways.)
Rebecca, though very eager, doesn't acquit herself quite as well as Samantha or Lisbeth and Anna Larson, and the difference is mainly that Rebecca lets her ego get in the way. When an opportunity to perform presents itself, she chases it, only to wrestle with disappointment when her solo becomes a duet and embarrassment over Ana's accent. It's not Rebecca's best side, though it is all perfectly understandable for her age and personality. Ultimately, just as Julie does when she wrestles with embarrassment over the way Joy speaks, Rebecca manages to find her way to the realization that her friendship is more valuable than any fleeting embarrassment.
I look forward to seeing more of Ana, who feels very like Rebecca. Though Ana's life in Russia was very different from Rebecca's up to this point, they both come across as bold, clever, quick and charismatic. I loved watching them barter for sheet music and bananas together.
The one plot point that isn't nicely tied up by the end is Ana's distress over moving to Orchard Street, so I will be very curious to see how that continues to play out, because it isn't touched in book 3.
May 17, 2021
I loved this book. Rebecca is really nice in it. I liked when they were bargaining with the peddlers. Ana catches on fast. Rebecca is worried that Ana will ruin her performance when they have to sing together, because her English isn't perfect and she says "fleg" instead of "flag". I learned that you can't judge someone just because their English isn't perfect, and Rebecca learned the same thing. It's a good example of the saying "you can't judge a book by its cover". Rebecca almost missed out of Ana's beautiful singing because she was judging her by her accent. I think the dunce cap is pretty mean and I don't see how that is helping Leo act better. I would recommend this book to readers ages 8-10.
October 21, 2021
This review is from the point of view of a mother. I'm reading the Rebecca series to decide when they will be appropriate for my daughter.
Like the first book, this book suffers a bit from having too many plot points racing along, but since this seems to be a theme of the series, in order to have a more cohesive whole, I'll stop harping about it and focus on each one individually.
The reader is introduced to a lot of historical and emotional concepts in this book. The thread about the difficulties of immigration, and the possibility of not passing muster, told through the story of Rebecca's cousin being held behind, is touching and well-done for the age group.
The way that schools handled the assimilation of new immigrants, through humiliation and punishment, is handled smoothly, but not glossed over with the tales of how students were forced to learn the new language and customs, and punished if they failed or refused.
We are beginning to get glimmers of how difficult it was for immigrants to establish themselves, with the stories of her skilled uncle trying to find employment, and how her oldest cousin must work, rather than go to school, to help support his family.
My main issue with the book is how we are introduced to so many hard, tangible historical issues, and then get quickly dropped into the emotional issue of Rebecca's jealousy and Ana's embarassment. The two parts of the story didn't flow well together.
The Looking Back section doesn't sugar coat, and does an excellent job reinforcing 1914 school life.
While I haven't rated any one particular book of Rebecca's very high, I think the stories as a whole are timeless and relevant to the target audience - they deal with teasing, accepting someone who is different, judging others, celebrating your heritage/faith/traditions, and I think Rebecca grows throughout the series. I like the emphasis on Rebecca's emotions as she grapples with issues - this is a well-rounded series, and even exceeds some of the earlier AG historical series.
Like the first book, this book suffers a bit from having too many plot points racing along, but since this seems to be a theme of the series, in order to have a more cohesive whole, I'll stop harping about it and focus on each one individually.
The reader is introduced to a lot of historical and emotional concepts in this book. The thread about the difficulties of immigration, and the possibility of not passing muster, told through the story of Rebecca's cousin being held behind, is touching and well-done for the age group.
The way that schools handled the assimilation of new immigrants, through humiliation and punishment, is handled smoothly, but not glossed over with the tales of how students were forced to learn the new language and customs, and punished if they failed or refused.
We are beginning to get glimmers of how difficult it was for immigrants to establish themselves, with the stories of her skilled uncle trying to find employment, and how her oldest cousin must work, rather than go to school, to help support his family.
My main issue with the book is how we are introduced to so many hard, tangible historical issues, and then get quickly dropped into the emotional issue of Rebecca's jealousy and Ana's embarassment. The two parts of the story didn't flow well together.
The Looking Back section doesn't sugar coat, and does an excellent job reinforcing 1914 school life.
While I haven't rated any one particular book of Rebecca's very high, I think the stories as a whole are timeless and relevant to the target audience - they deal with teasing, accepting someone who is different, judging others, celebrating your heritage/faith/traditions, and I think Rebecca grows throughout the series. I like the emphasis on Rebecca's emotions as she grapples with issues - this is a well-rounded series, and even exceeds some of the earlier AG historical series.
July 12, 2018
First and foremost, the history lesson at the back was fascinating.
Second, the glossary should have been in the front of the book near the family portraits.
I had decided to read this for some light reading to help break a mood I've been in for over a week. This is not light reading! The year is 1914 and Rebecca's family is welcoming more family from Russia to the the US and New York City. One of the boys was injured on the ship and detained at the Ellis Island infirmary.
Okay, there was a lighter side to the story. The school assembly. Even that had some tough moments, but not too bad and easily resolved. The most interesting connection I made dealt with the music...George M. Cohan's You're a Grand Old Flag...I had just watched James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy on July 4. The Star Spangled Banner was also included at the time of the story it was just a song. It was the National Anthem for another American Girl...Kit, she was the first.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this part of Rebecca's story. It's kind of sad to see, as a country, we haven't changed much in our opinions of immigrants.
This is an easy read for an adult. A fine chapter book for young readers. The emotions explored and dealt with are ones we still deal with today.
Second, the glossary should have been in the front of the book near the family portraits.
I had decided to read this for some light reading to help break a mood I've been in for over a week. This is not light reading! The year is 1914 and Rebecca's family is welcoming more family from Russia to the the US and New York City. One of the boys was injured on the ship and detained at the Ellis Island infirmary.
Okay, there was a lighter side to the story. The school assembly. Even that had some tough moments, but not too bad and easily resolved. The most interesting connection I made dealt with the music...George M. Cohan's You're a Grand Old Flag...I had just watched James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy on July 4. The Star Spangled Banner was also included at the time of the story it was just a song. It was the National Anthem for another American Girl...Kit, she was the first.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this part of Rebecca's story. It's kind of sad to see, as a country, we haven't changed much in our opinions of immigrants.
This is an easy read for an adult. A fine chapter book for young readers. The emotions explored and dealt with are ones we still deal with today.
June 7, 2022
Greene has Ana's family immigrating to the US in 1914 because her brother supposedly faced conscription. The problem for Jewish boys in Russia in 1914 was not that they would be thrown into the army forever and be forced to eat food that wasn't kosher. The Кантонистские школы system of drafting little boys and keeping them for 25 years was abolished shortly after the Crimean War, during the reign of Alexander II. The Tsar's army was no picnic for a Jew, but lack of kosher food or the loss of one's Jewish traditions was the least of one's problems by the end of 1914. The problem was that there was a real shooting war going on, with armies moving around, undersupplied and underfed, blowing up people's villages, destroying houses, food supplies, animals, and hurting people, including mothers, little sisters, and anyone else who got in their way. The situation was so dire that Russians accepted a communist takeover of the government over fighting WWI and surrendered Poland, Lithuania, and the rest of the eastern front, suffering greater losses even than Germany. So Ana's brother would hardly have faced greater risks remaining in Russian than any other member of the family.
I had a roommate in grad school whose father was a cutter in a New York garment shop, and that is not just any random immigrant job title to be picked out of a hat. A good cutter is a highly skilled, greatly valued master craftsman (usually not a woman) and probably the very last thing a garment manufacturer would consider doing, even in his wildest dreams, would be to hire somebody off the street as a cutter. It takes years to learn the craft, and those factory owners invested heavily in that fabric and essentially nothing else. No sane factory boss would take a risk of hiring someone whose work and reputation he didn't know to cut that fabric, not even a skilled cabinetmaker. Doing so might destroy the entire operation.
In any case, it would have been nice if the author had learned a bit more about the subject before writing such a book.
I had a roommate in grad school whose father was a cutter in a New York garment shop, and that is not just any random immigrant job title to be picked out of a hat. A good cutter is a highly skilled, greatly valued master craftsman (usually not a woman) and probably the very last thing a garment manufacturer would consider doing, even in his wildest dreams, would be to hire somebody off the street as a cutter. It takes years to learn the craft, and those factory owners invested heavily in that fabric and essentially nothing else. No sane factory boss would take a risk of hiring someone whose work and reputation he didn't know to cut that fabric, not even a skilled cabinetmaker. Doing so might destroy the entire operation.
In any case, it would have been nice if the author had learned a bit more about the subject before writing such a book.
December 27, 2012
I love that Rebecca is a Jewish American Girl and I love that her books deal with immigration, but I just don't think the Rebecca books are as well-written as the Samantha or Addy books, etc. There seem to be a number of missed opportunities in the writing--for example, in the first book Rebecca shows an interest in acting. In the second book, the conflict revolves around Rebecca's desire to sing in the school assembly, but never once does it mention that performing in the assembly is important to Rebecca because she dreamed of being an actress. It just feels like some glue is missing in the story. In both books, the plots feel both too scattered and too simplistic at the same time. In short, the Rebecca books (so far) just don't seem to be all they could be. Maybe they get better?
March 6, 2019
In the old American Girls format, this book would be 'Rebecca Learns a Lesson' and that is what she does, so I am not sure why the title format was changed. Regardless, this was a good book, and it's hard to not sympathize with Rebecca with how out of place she feels in the family and her enthusiasm for having a companion who understands her. There is some culture shock for her cousin and her family, but as this is an American Girl book, this works out in the end as well as anyone who is familiar with AG might expect.
December 8, 2019
Really liked this one, as it went into the immigrant experience in 1914. Rebecca's paternal uncle and his family arrive from Russia, but her 15 year old cousin Josef is detained on Ellis Island because he hurt his leg on the boat and immigration officials consider anything less than perfect health as a potential reason to deport people back from where they came.
Ana is of an age with Rebecca and starts school with her, and though she knows some English she still has an accent and is teased for it. Mama encourages assimilation because truthfully, they're about to be Americans now, and assimilation is a survival tactic. My own grandparents faced similar choices growing up in the 1920s midwest- Yeh-yeh intentionally did not teach his own children Cantonese because he recalled being picked on for it as a child. Still, Rebecca wants to sing "You're a Grand Old Flag for the school assembly on the new flag (Arizona and New Mexico!)- whatever will she do with her cousin?
There's children-appropriate discussion of housing issues for immigrants as well as work issues and patriotism.
Ana is of an age with Rebecca and starts school with her, and though she knows some English she still has an accent and is teased for it. Mama encourages assimilation because truthfully, they're about to be Americans now, and assimilation is a survival tactic. My own grandparents faced similar choices growing up in the 1920s midwest- Yeh-yeh intentionally did not teach his own children Cantonese because he recalled being picked on for it as a child. Still, Rebecca wants to sing "You're a Grand Old Flag for the school assembly on the new flag (Arizona and New Mexico!)- whatever will she do with her cousin?
There's children-appropriate discussion of housing issues for immigrants as well as work issues and patriotism.
February 21, 2022
There was a lot going on which made the story fast-paced which I think will keep kids interested throughout. I think Rebecca acted like any nine-year-old. She was excited about her cousin's arrival, frustrated when she got in trouble for breaking a school rule while trying to help her cousin, humiliated when having to wear the dunce cap, worried about Josef, afraid of being humiliated at the school pageant. But I like that she listened to Rose's words and took them to heart, pausing to consider how she might feel if Ana asked her not to sing and then makes the correct decision. The author does a good job of showing how difficult is for children to adjust after immigrating from a different country. Rebecca does irk me at times, but then I remind myself that her thoughts and actions typify those of most nine-year-olds and she tends to come through and do the right thing in the end.
August 14, 2024
I found this installment more interesting than the first book. Ana and Rebecca are very sweet together and I’m interested to see what other adventures are in store for them. I also liked the small tidbit about explaining how disability was viewed in 1914 and how it isn’t all that different from the ableism that is current today. There is more detail on immigrant life and living in New York in general. I love the peddler scene. Perhaps one of my favorite AG scenes of all time. This book would have been the “Learns A Lesson” volume, so of course it was a bit heavy handed when Rebecca is learning her lesson of thinking about someone else’s feelings besides her own, but I like Rebecca as a character. She is flawed, but intelligent and kind and I am looking forward to continuing her story.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
February 21, 2019
Book 2 in the Rebecca Rubin series. In this story, Rebecca's cousin Ana arrives from Russia with her family. Rebecca is thrilled to have somebody to share with the way her older twin sisters have each other, but soon realizes that Ana's experience is awkward and frustrating. I appreciate that these stories do give a hint about the struggles our immigrant ancestors faced as they reached American shores.
December 2, 2020
I found this book more interesting than the first installment because we got to see the adjustments that new immigrants had to make on coming to America. It was very common for families to support incoming relatives and for non-English speakers to be placed in separate classes (often with younger children)
February 6, 2024
4 stars. Rebecca’s cousin, Ana, comes to stay and Rebecca is thrilled at first. Then Rebecca gets in trouble at school for trying to help Ana and things just spiral down from there. This was a great read and was a great display of Rebecca’s character because she had a lot of patience with her cousin even when things were falling apart.
July 6, 2017
Another story in the Rebecca series about immigrants in America during the early 1900's. I read this out loud with my 9 year old daughter. This one was all about school in those days and we had fun comparing how schools are today.
June 25, 2017
Another book for Paige's book group.
April 30, 2018
Audio version.
April 28, 2020
read this for the magical readathon
June 22, 2021
This one isn't my favorite, but I like that Rebecca learns some empathy and how to chill. The looking back section after the story is very good, especially as I read the Beforever version first.
June 7, 2022
A nice spin on the “Learns a Lesson” storyline. I wish the books used the original title naming convention.
Rebecca may be one of the best historical dolls. Next to Kaya, my favorite, that is.
Rebecca may be one of the best historical dolls. Next to Kaya, my favorite, that is.
August 7, 2022
AG says fuck landlords.
November 16, 2022
4.5 stars. A really good look at immigration in the early part of the 20th century. Also great school story that deals with issues of friendship that kids deal with today.
Read
November 16, 2022Not a fan of Rebecca , Ana deserves better
March 11, 2023
Love, love Rebecca's story.
April 25, 2023
Good book about friendship, figuring out differences, overcoming fear, and being kind even when you don’t feel like it.
December 11, 2023
This was a sweet book and I like the character of Ana showing a recent Jewish immigrant experience.
November 27, 2016
I am learning a lot from these books!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews