Happy Birthday, Josefina! (American Girl) [Paperback]

Valerie Tripp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998 | Age Level: 8 and up | Series: American Girl

Josefina is pleased and proud when her godmother, T'a Magdalena, asks for her help with springtime chores. T'a Magdalena is a respected healer in the village, and Josefina hopes to become a healer just like her someday. Then one day at T'a Magdalena's house, Josefina makes an awful mistake that shatters her hopes. She's sure T'a Magdalena will never teach her now! But when Josefina visits her Pueblo Indian friend Mariana, a terrifying adventure shows her just how much she's already learned.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

In this entry in one strand of the American Girls series (Meet Josefina, 1997, etc.), Josefina is approaching her tenth birthday and has decided she wants to be a healer like her godmother, Ta Magdalena. Participating in family and community activities - raising a baby goat, helping to replaster the church, and helping Ta Magdalena - take up much of her time. Near the end she is given the opportunity to prove her ability as a healer when her friend, Mariana, is bitten by a rattlesnake. This cheerful story is packed with historical tidbits. The adorable baby goat will appeal to the target audience, and although the story can be bland, it is well-paced, and enhanced by lovely realistic illustrations. (glossary) (Fiction. 7-10) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 88 pages
• Publisher: American Girl; First Edition edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1562475878
• ISBN-13: 978-1562475871
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great new book about Josefina., September 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Happy Birthday, Josefina! (American Girl) (Paperback)

Josefina Montoya is a young girl living on a New Mexican ranch. She wants to be a healer like her godmother, Tia Magdalena. Tia Magdalena says she will have to wait though, to know if she is a healer. In the mean time, Josefina takes care of an orphaned baby goat, and has fun with her Puebloe Indian friend, Mariana. But one day when the girls are playing, Mariana gets a snakebite that could prove fatal, and this will be Josefina's test - can she be a healer? The next day, Josefina's tenth birthday is a celebration of bravery and second chances.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, October 14, 2002

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Happy Birthday, Josefina! (American Girl) (Paperback)

This is another one of the American Girls series about Josefina Montoya, a nine-year-old girl (almost ten!) living in the New Mexico of 1824. In this book, Josefina finds joy in the work around her father's rancho, particularly nursing a newborn baby goat that has lost its mother. When she spends the day with her aunt Magdalena, the town's healer, she begins to think that she would also like to become a healer. But, there are big responsibilities that come with such a career. Tia Magdalena says that if she is to become a healer she will know...and Josefina may be about to find out!

The final chapter of this wonderful book is a highly informative look at growing up in New Mexico in 1824. And, as always, Jean-Paul Tibbles' beautiful illustrations make a wonderful addition to the text.

This book certainly goes a long way towards maintaining the tradition of excellence that one associates with the American Girls books. My daughter loves the stories, while I like the lessons that the author gently weaves throughout the book. My daughter and I both highly recommend this book to you.

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Birthday, January 6, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Happy Birthday, Josefina! (American Girl) (Paperback)

This is an excelent book about a nine year old girl who is turning ten in the season of birth (Spring). She faces a hard situation that may take someone's life. A sad but also happy book about life then in 1824 on a New Mexican ranch.