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American Girl: Samantha #5
Samantha Saves the Day: A Summer Story
While spending the summer at Grandmary's home on Goose Lake, Samantha and the twins Agnes and Agatha decide to visit the island where Samantha's parents were drowned during a storm.
65 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
13 people are currently reading
751 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Tripp
243 books412 followersValerie Tripp is a children's book author, best known for her work with the American Girl series.
She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York with three sisters and one brother. A member of the first co-educated class at Yale University, Tripp also has a M.Ed. from Harvard. Since 1985 she has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her husband teaches history at Montgomery College.
Right out of college, Tripp started writing songs, stories, and nonfiction for The Superkids Reading Program, working with Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl. For that series, Tripp wrote all the books about Felicity, Josefina, Kit, Molly, and Maryellen and many of the books about Samantha. She also wrote the "Best Friends" character stories to date, plays, mysteries, and short stories about all her characters.. Film dramatizations of the lives of Samantha, Felicity, Molly, and Kit have been based on her stories. Currently, Tripp is writing a STEM series for National Geographic and adapting Greek Myths for Starry Forest Publishing. A frequent speaker at schools and libraries, Tripp has also spoken at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, The New York Historical Society, and Williamsburg.
She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York with three sisters and one brother. A member of the first co-educated class at Yale University, Tripp also has a M.Ed. from Harvard. Since 1985 she has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her husband teaches history at Montgomery College.
Right out of college, Tripp started writing songs, stories, and nonfiction for The Superkids Reading Program, working with Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl. For that series, Tripp wrote all the books about Felicity, Josefina, Kit, Molly, and Maryellen and many of the books about Samantha. She also wrote the "Best Friends" character stories to date, plays, mysteries, and short stories about all her characters.. Film dramatizations of the lives of Samantha, Felicity, Molly, and Kit have been based on her stories. Currently, Tripp is writing a STEM series for National Geographic and adapting Greek Myths for Starry Forest Publishing. A frequent speaker at schools and libraries, Tripp has also spoken at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, The New York Historical Society, and Williamsburg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
May 29, 2020
here's the interesting thing about these books compared to the other American Girls - Samantha's family is //loaded//. where most of the other AG characters are middle-class or lower, we see through the Edwards how the elite lived in this time period. which is kind of a unique perspective of this time? usually, the vibes and stories are like Newsies; they're based around the lower rungs of society. Sam's family is rich and they don't try to hide it - though they are really good people so we can forgive them a bit, I guess xD
September 16, 2024
This book is one of the best in the Samantha series. Also, in my opinion, it is one of the best American Girl "saves the day" books overall, because Samantha has an adventure, keeps her wits about her, and saves the day with flair, rather than screwing everything up dramatically herself and then scraping things together in the end. It's fun to see how resourceful and courageous she was, and even though I remember finding this book somewhat scary as a child, I am impressed with how well the author raised the stakes without ever putting the story over the top.
This book is extremely well-plotted, and shows Valerie Tripp at her finest. In 65 pages, she introduces a convincing and likable new character, describes a vivid and memorable setting, takes Samantha on an emotional journey related to the early loss of her parents, dramatizes a vivid adventure, and then leads the story to a meaningful, emotionally satisfying conclusion. I was afraid that this book would seem cheesy and over-dramatic, but it was even better than I had remembered from when I was a child.
This is a great model for how to plot an effective adventure story with an emotional arc, and I especially enjoyed this as an adult, since the storyline related to grief and loss was so well-handled within the summer vacation adventure. I can see why this, alongside book six, made the biggest impression on me when I was younger, and I'm glad that it was part of my childhood.
This book is extremely well-plotted, and shows Valerie Tripp at her finest. In 65 pages, she introduces a convincing and likable new character, describes a vivid and memorable setting, takes Samantha on an emotional journey related to the early loss of her parents, dramatizes a vivid adventure, and then leads the story to a meaningful, emotionally satisfying conclusion. I was afraid that this book would seem cheesy and over-dramatic, but it was even better than I had remembered from when I was a child.
This is a great model for how to plot an effective adventure story with an emotional arc, and I especially enjoyed this as an adult, since the storyline related to grief and loss was so well-handled within the summer vacation adventure. I can see why this, alongside book six, made the biggest impression on me when I was younger, and I'm glad that it was part of my childhood.
December 21, 2024
“I’m proud to know you girls, he said. You really saved the day, young lady.” 📚☕
It’s vacation time at Piney Point for Samantha and all of her favorite people. We learn why Samantha is being raised by her Grandmary and what happened to her parents.
AND we learn about a possible suitor of Grandmary as well.
This one was a little nailbiter!
AND heartbreaking as Samantha gets into the nail biting predicament because she’s trying to bring back a memory she shared with her parents long ago. Ahhhh 😢
SO good.
My favorite of the series so far!
✨📚☕💙☕📚✨More in-depth reviews on my weekly Youtube videos.
January 22, 2020
This was always my favorite book in the Samantha series, and it’s still my favorite rereading them as an adult. There’s plenty of action and adventure, and Samantha goes on an emotional journey as she remembers her parents death. It’s excellent story-telling with vibrant characters!
December 21, 2024
I still miss Nellie. But at least Samantha didn't cause the problem here. Or at least not on purpose. *looking at you, Kit*
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September 9, 2024oh, to have a summer home in the mountains of New York, replete with log cabins, private islands, dusty attics, pine needles, waterfalls, pack baskets, silvery lakes, and a deeply tragic backstory *sighs* it's the generational wealth for me
February 11, 2023
this is one i remember so vividly from my childhood! the suspense!!
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July 10, 2022Revisited this summer read from childhood. I always loved Samantha’s stories the best. It was like opening a memory and experiencing something new all at once. I plan to revisit more!
February 1, 2019
Em loves these books! I figured they'd age well and I've been really pleased reading them with her, after loving them so much as a kid myself. Were newly 10 year olds really allowed to take a boat out themselves and ABLE to maneuver it in a storm?! My almost 9 year old wants to know, lol.
June 19, 2020
This was an interesting book, it was a good story and all, but it was sooo short! It’s like 2 pages long! Ok, I might be a little sarcastic. But seriously it is such a short book! This would be a good book for 6-9 year olds, but twelve year olds, nope.
July 25, 2021
Another good part of this series, this time involving trouble brewing during Samantha's quest to reconnect with the memory of her late parents. Agnes and Agatha were less annoying than in the last book, and I really enjoyed the subtle implications of romance for Grandmary.
June 19, 2020
Each of these stories have their own character enriching and building themes. They are wonderful books.
October 28, 2021
Evening reading with the kids.
June 25, 2022
I was in the edge of my seat! What a moment for Samantha, having to nearly live through the same incident that killed her parents, but being able to overcome it.
February 19, 2024
The drama scared me when I was a kid but good for Samantha and Agnes and Agatha's bravery!
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October 27, 2024connecting with her dead parents is very nice. unfortunately agnes and agatha are here so.
July 10, 2017
Wow that was an intense one!!
June 27, 2019
This is a really good book to read countryside.
April 17, 2024
“This is probably what it was like when my parents drowned” is just casually dropped and then NEVER ADDRESSED AGAIN.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2024
Nellie still absent, though admittedly it would have been tough to fit her into this plot.
I don't remember how I felt about Agnes and Agatha as a kid - only that it was the first time I'd encountered the name Agnes, and puzzled over how to say it. But now it annoys me that (a) they're basically interchangeable and (b) they're a little wild, yet also seem to need Samantha's leadership. I dunno, some friendships work that way, but this one just doesn't interest me that much.
I keep side-eyeing Admiral Archibald Beemis, too, who for some reason has a name that belongs in an Oscar Wilde play. He's basically an older version of Uncle Gard, which feels redundant and means Gard has nothing to do in this book. Meanwhile, Beemis is here to provide nautical jargon and .
Speaking of whom, I just keep thinking that
As an adult, the watercolors of tiny Samantha and her parents gave me all the feels - she looks just the age my daughter is now. Samantha's longing for memories and knowledge of her parents is palpable, and is really the heart of the book.
More Samantha babble:
Meet Samantha | Samantha Learns a Lesson | Samantha's Surprise | Happy Birthday, Samantha | Samantha Saves the Day | Changes for Samantha
Nellie's Promise
Samantha's Winter Party | Samantha and the Missing Pearls | Samantha Saves the Wedding | Samantha's Blue Bicycle | Samantha's Special Talent | Samantha's Short Story Collection
The Curse of Ravenscourt | The Stolen Sapphire | The Cry of the Loon | Clue in the Castle Tower
The Lilac Tunnel: My Journey with Samantha
I don't remember how I felt about Agnes and Agatha as a kid - only that it was the first time I'd encountered the name Agnes, and puzzled over how to say it. But now it annoys me that (a) they're basically interchangeable and (b) they're a little wild, yet also seem to need Samantha's leadership. I dunno, some friendships work that way, but this one just doesn't interest me that much.
I keep side-eyeing Admiral Archibald Beemis, too, who for some reason has a name that belongs in an Oscar Wilde play. He's basically an older version of Uncle Gard, which feels redundant and means Gard has nothing to do in this book. Meanwhile, Beemis is here to provide nautical jargon and .
Speaking of whom, I just keep thinking that
As an adult, the watercolors of tiny Samantha and her parents gave me all the feels - she looks just the age my daughter is now. Samantha's longing for memories and knowledge of her parents is palpable, and is really the heart of the book.
More Samantha babble:
Meet Samantha | Samantha Learns a Lesson | Samantha's Surprise | Happy Birthday, Samantha | Samantha Saves the Day | Changes for Samantha
Nellie's Promise
Samantha's Winter Party | Samantha and the Missing Pearls | Samantha Saves the Wedding | Samantha's Blue Bicycle | Samantha's Special Talent | Samantha's Short Story Collection
The Curse of Ravenscourt | The Stolen Sapphire | The Cry of the Loon | Clue in the Castle Tower
The Lilac Tunnel: My Journey with Samantha
June 5, 2014
Samantha couldn't be happier! She is with Grandmary at their summer home(Piney Point) in the mountains. To add to the excitement, Agnes, Agatha, Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia are joining them. And so is Grandmary's special friend and admirer, Admiral Archibald Beemis. Fishing, swimming, and exploring in their canoe occupy their sunny days. And on rainy days, the girls complete jigsaw puzzles, paint pictures, play cards and work on their wildflower scrapbooks. When Samantha finds a sketchbook of her late mother's vacation paintings, she and the twins decide to visit Teardrop Island. Samantha is aware that her parents had a tragic accident there, but what could happen on such a beautiful, peaceful day?
Samantha Saves The Day is the fifth book in the Samantha series. Cleverly illustrated by Dan Andreasen.
The "Looking Back" section of the book explores "America Outdoors in 1904." People in towns and cities wanted to escape to the mountains and seashores in the summer. Wealthy families often spent their entire summer at their vacation homes. They may have felt they were "roughing it", but servants made their lives easier.
John Muir, Sarah and James Philip and Theodore Roosevelt were active in early ecological movements.
Samantha Saves The Day is the fifth book in the Samantha series. Cleverly illustrated by Dan Andreasen.
The "Looking Back" section of the book explores "America Outdoors in 1904." People in towns and cities wanted to escape to the mountains and seashores in the summer. Wealthy families often spent their entire summer at their vacation homes. They may have felt they were "roughing it", but servants made their lives easier.
John Muir, Sarah and James Philip and Theodore Roosevelt were active in early ecological movements.
February 17, 2016
In this story Samantha and the others go to another home they have for the summer and it's there that Samantha finds out how her parents died, which was in part of the lake that the home is right next to. Samantha also finds a book of sketches that her mother made and she decides that she wants to visit the island where her parents, and apparently her, once had a lot of fun.
Cornelia's two sisters go with here and at first they do have a lot of fun on the island but then the weather turns really bad, their boat floats away, and the Admiral, one of the people staying at the house, is injured trying to rescue the girls.
So now the girls must rescue both themselves and the admiral, meaning they will have to row a boat through a portion of the lake where Samantha's parents had been killed by drowning, going through the same type of storm that ended up killing her parents.
Another good book in the series, including the usual historical section.
Cornelia's two sisters go with here and at first they do have a lot of fun on the island but then the weather turns really bad, their boat floats away, and the Admiral, one of the people staying at the house, is injured trying to rescue the girls.
So now the girls must rescue both themselves and the admiral, meaning they will have to row a boat through a portion of the lake where Samantha's parents had been killed by drowning, going through the same type of storm that ended up killing her parents.
Another good book in the series, including the usual historical section.
January 24, 2016
Good story, fun. Always good.
May 24, 2020
By far the best book in the core Samantha series. Samantha heads to the mountains for her summer vacation at Piney Point. She is joined by Grandmary, the twins, Gard and Cornelia, and Grandmary’s jolly British flame, the Admiral. It’s a fun filled time, but also tinged with sadness. Five years ago, Samantha’s parents had drowned on this very lake. Fittingly the spot where they perished was known as Teardrop Island (a bit cringeworthy, but I’ll let it pass).
What I enjoyed most here was the setting. I happened to read this outside on a beautiful spring day, with a cool breeze. I felt like I could be at Piney Point, and Piney Point sounds like a place I’d love to spend summer. There was a bit more excitement in this story as well, with the girls exploring the “wilderness”, and of course their daring canoe trip. The admiral was a nice character to shake things up and take some spotlight from one of the many maligned maids or servants in the series. Samantha and the twins made some foolish decisions throughout the book and seemed to face no punishment for it, but overall it contributed to the sense of adventure that made the book more exciting than the rest. And of course it was exciting to hear that Grandmary has a love interest.
It’s a little light on history, beyond “rich people liked to vacation in the country at the turn of the century”. The Peek into the Past section again doesn’t do much differentiation about the varied experience of Americans at the turn of the century. It would’ve been nice for them to make it a bit more explicit to young readers that Samanthas life wasn’t the norm.
What I enjoyed most here was the setting. I happened to read this outside on a beautiful spring day, with a cool breeze. I felt like I could be at Piney Point, and Piney Point sounds like a place I’d love to spend summer. There was a bit more excitement in this story as well, with the girls exploring the “wilderness”, and of course their daring canoe trip. The admiral was a nice character to shake things up and take some spotlight from one of the many maligned maids or servants in the series. Samantha and the twins made some foolish decisions throughout the book and seemed to face no punishment for it, but overall it contributed to the sense of adventure that made the book more exciting than the rest. And of course it was exciting to hear that Grandmary has a love interest.
It’s a little light on history, beyond “rich people liked to vacation in the country at the turn of the century”. The Peek into the Past section again doesn’t do much differentiation about the varied experience of Americans at the turn of the century. It would’ve been nice for them to make it a bit more explicit to young readers that Samanthas life wasn’t the norm.
April 20, 2021
Whoa, Val Tripp was coming in hot with this one. As with my book review for the 4th book, I would be remiss to note the total lack of Nellie - not even a mention of her former friend. But, with this book I can understand why Nellie isn't present as much. She can't take the time off work because she is one of the bread-winners in her family. Let that sink in when you compare it to the bougie lifestyle that Samantha leads.
Aside from my saltiness at the way Nellie has been cast aside, I am glad that we finally talk about Samantha's parents. In this book, Samantha gets to learn a bit more about her parents and connect with them when she sees her mother's sketchbook and visits some of the places where they brought Samantha when she was toddler.
Piney Point sounds like an idyllic spot to spend a summer vacation. I remember wanting to go there myself when I was a little girl, then going off into my own backyard in the hopes of a dramatic adventure. It reminds me of the time I spend now hiking and kayaking, and I think I appreciate the beauty of the scenes that Val created.
I'm also down for Admiral Archibald "Mr. Steal Your Grandmary" Beemis coming in for a little romance. Why should the youths have all the fun? Grandmary is a force to be reckoned with (see: shutting up the gossips in book 2) and woke (see: supporting women's right to vote in book 4). She's a catch. Honestly, if someone got on a series with Grandmary's side adventures, I'd be down for that.
Aside from my saltiness at the way Nellie has been cast aside, I am glad that we finally talk about Samantha's parents. In this book, Samantha gets to learn a bit more about her parents and connect with them when she sees her mother's sketchbook and visits some of the places where they brought Samantha when she was toddler.
Piney Point sounds like an idyllic spot to spend a summer vacation. I remember wanting to go there myself when I was a little girl, then going off into my own backyard in the hopes of a dramatic adventure. It reminds me of the time I spend now hiking and kayaking, and I think I appreciate the beauty of the scenes that Val created.
I'm also down for Admiral Archibald "Mr. Steal Your Grandmary" Beemis coming in for a little romance. Why should the youths have all the fun? Grandmary is a force to be reckoned with (see: shutting up the gossips in book 2) and woke (see: supporting women's right to vote in book 4). She's a catch. Honestly, if someone got on a series with Grandmary's side adventures, I'd be down for that.
October 12, 2020
I like when Samantha goes to Penny Point for the summer, it seems like a park. When her grandmother is napping, Samantha finds one of her mother's sketch books in the attic. Samantha tells her cousins about some of her family history. She can find a few of her mother's sketches that were based on the time when they went to Teardrop Island - which is a small island off of the big island (that looks like a duck) in the lake. I didn't like that Samantha said she wouldn't go to Teardrop Island with her cousins, but I did like finding out why she wouldn't go. When her parents were alone in a boat on their way to the island, they got caught in a storm and it capsized their boat and they drown. I'm glad that Samantha was finally persuaded to go to the island and find the waterfall that her mother had sketched. They rescued the Admiral who came after them when they were out in a store but I didn't like that he was hurt. Samantha and the other girls got through the passage that had killed her parents. It was a relief that they all got back safely from the island with the Admiral and had a good rest of their summer. - age 9
October 21, 2023
Samantha and the twins head to the family's summer home, Piney Point. The twins want to go to Teardrop Island, but Samantha never wants to go because her parents drowned in the rocky waters around it. On a rainy day, the girls go play in the attic and find Samantha's mother's sketchbook with beautiful paintings of the island. Samantha barely remembers and decides she wants to go. After a long day of exploring the island (where they didn't tell the adults they were going), their boat had drifted away. The Admiral comes to get them and falls on a rock, the girls save him and get back to the house, saving his life.
I enjoyed learning about Samantha's grief. Her parents died 5 years previous but we never heard about them until now. We learn why Samantha wanted to name her doll from the first book Lydia - after her mother. Grandmary says she would like to go back to the island with Samantha to see all the places in her daughter's sketchbook. I remember Grandmary being a stuffy old lady, but now that I'm n adult, I see how kind she is.
I enjoyed learning about Samantha's grief. Her parents died 5 years previous but we never heard about them until now. We learn why Samantha wanted to name her doll from the first book Lydia - after her mother. Grandmary says she would like to go back to the island with Samantha to see all the places in her daughter's sketchbook. I remember Grandmary being a stuffy old lady, but now that I'm n adult, I see how kind she is.
March 15, 2019
This book was about how Samantha got stuck in a storm and saved her and her friends from the storm. Samantha and her family were spending a peaceful summer at Piney Point until she and her aunt Cornelia's twin sisters Agnes and Agatha decided to go to Teardrop Island. They got stranded in a storm and Samantha brought them home safely. I liked the part when Samantha saved the day. Samantha's friend, the Admiral tried to save them but he hit his head on a rock going to Teardrop Island so Samantha used a boat to bring him home safely. Her friends helped her work hard to bring the Admiral home safely. A doctor looked at him.
January 19, 2021
One of the first books I remember reading on my own. I picked up on one day in 2nd grade b/c I was done with my homework and bored and my teacher had the wisdom to leave library books upfront on the chalkboard shelf to visually entice us. Started me on a journey of reading all of the books in the American Girl series, exposing me to history lessons about WWII and the Great Depression, social justice issues like child labor and slavery, and cultural knowledge about Hispanics, Native-Americans, and European-American pioneers. Would highly recommend any American Girl book, this one stood out b/c I connected with the bravery and spunkiness of the protagonist.
February 12, 2022
Book 4 was the most exciting of the series thus far. I could really feel Samantha's loss when she was looking at her mother's sketchbook. I'm not surprised she changed her mind about going to the island. I do wish the girls had left a note or something, however, to let people know where they were. The Admiral had the sense to figure it out. I'm not sure why everyone says Samantha saved the day. I'd say Samantha and the twins saved the day. Agatha and Agnes did all the hard work rowing the boat.
Poor Grandmary. The fright she must have felt knowing Samantha was out on the water in a storm and the bad memories it must have stirred. This was a very emotional story.
Poor Grandmary. The fright she must have felt knowing Samantha was out on the water in a storm and the bad memories it must have stirred. This was a very emotional story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews