Puzzle of the Paper Daughter: A Julie Mystery (American Girl Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Kathryn Reiss (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: American Girl Mysteries

Julie discovers a mysterious note written in Chinese. She brings it to her friend Ivy to translate, and learns that the note once belonged to Ivy's grandmother, from long ago when she was a girl immigrating from China to San Francisco. The note promises great treasure, but it doesn't quite make sense--it's almost as if the writer was sending a secret message in code. Soon after the discovery of the note, Julie's and Ivy's beloved dolls are stolen. Who would do such a thing, and why? Seeking clues, Julie and Ivy search all over Chinatown and even visit the immigration station on Angel Island. Gradually, Julie realizes that in order to find the doll thief, she must figure out the real message hidden in the Chinese note.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-5–While helping her mother in her secondhand shop, Julie finds a mysterious note written in Chinese. That night, she and her friend Ivy discover that their beloved dolls are missing. While searching through San Francisco's Chinatown for them, the girls discover a connection between the note and their missing dolls. Now Julie is focused on solving this mystery rather than preparing her bedroom for an unwanted visitor. Though set in 1974, the story relies heavily on Chinese immigration to Angel Island in the early 20th century and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which is why there is a focus on “paper daughters” (children that legal immigrants claimed as their own in order to help them enter the country). The “Looking Back” section at the end of the book offers more information on Angel Island and what Chinese immigrants were forced to endure during this time, while the story itself also touches on family issues.Elizabeth Swistock, Jefferson Madison Regional Library, Charlottesville, VA
© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: American Girl (March 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593696663
• ISBN-13: 978-1593696665
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 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: #428,821 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:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hidden History, April 7, 2010

By 

AUPoohBear "aupoohbear" (New England, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Puzzle of the Paper Daughter: A Julie Mystery (American Girl Mysteries) (Paperback)

Julie finds an old note written in Chinese hidden inside the lining of an old jacket Ivy's grandmother donates to Gladrags. The note unlocks a key to a mystery surrounding Ivy's grandmother's past. It also opens up a discussion about Ivy's family history and her grandmother's experience coming to California in 1915. Julie and Ivy are excited about the idea of trying to reunite Ivy's grandmother with someone from her past, but then Ivy and Julie's Chinese dolls are stolen. Julie and Ivy are determined to get their dolls back and find out who took them and why. Julie begins to suspect that the theft of the dolls and the mystery of Ivy's family's past are connected. Meanwhile, Julie also has to deal with changes to her own household and learn to be welcoming to newcomers.

Julie's subplot moves the story along and introduces her to another change in her family life that she's not happy about. She acts selfish and bratty at first until she learns to put herself in other people's shoes.

I liked this book a lot because I learned something new about Chinese immigration. Angel Island and the west coast immigration experience isn't something I knew much about. I was fascinated by the paper daughter mystery of the title more than who stole the dolls and why. I figured out the WHY pretty quickly and the WHO before Julie did. It was pretty obvious and the ending was kind of fairy tale corny but not terrible. The 70s references weren't just tossed in to make it seem historical like in her core series, but are an integral part of the scene. I especially liked the description of the phone on the wall ringing, because I think that's something that many kids today are not familiar with. I also liked how the book shared more about Ivy's family background and was populated by her friends and family.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Book, May 17, 2010

By 

AG girl "Molly" (Virginia USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Puzzle of the Paper Daughter: A Julie Mystery (American Girl Mysteries) (Paperback)

This I feel is the best Julie book written. Its a very good mystery but you also learn about history. Its well written and you have to really think to figure out the who done it. My daughter loved and highly recommends it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not just for young people, September 10, 2011

By 

Mark E. Salva - See all my reviews

This review is from: Puzzle of the Paper Daughter: A Julie Mystery (American Girl Mysteries) (Paperback)

I was browsing in the children's section of my local book store and came across a display of American Girl Mysteries. This one caught my eye because it involved shedding light on America's treatment of Chinese immigrants and the mystery involved dolls. While clearly aimed at a younger reading audience, I found it enjoyable as an adult reader. The setting and characters were intriguing and the idea of two people being reunited after 40+ years was heart warming. As a bonus the protagonist grew to empathize with someone other than herself. A sweet read!