I loved that this book was set in the ‘70’s! It gave me a nostalgic feeling to read about watching Captain Kangaroo, Saturday morning cartoons, taking all-day bike rides and staying out until dark (with no adult supervision!) The newspaper headlines at the beginning of each chapter, mostly about the Watergate scandal, were reminders of the historical events taking place.
Nellie is fourteen in the summer of 1974, the only girl among three brothers. Her father, being a big fan of U.S. presidents, named the boys after the carvings on Mt. Rushmore, The family has a trip planned to go camping there, a life-long dream of their dad’s; the money is saved and the gear already bought. Then, things fall apart... their mother leaves without warning, the money disappears, and Nellie’s dad takes to his bed in total depression. Nellie now has to be the glue that holds what’s left of the family together. She wonders why this responsibility falls to her, just because she’s the only daughter...
If I were to recommend a book to middle-graders with a strong, determined female protagonist, this would be a great one. This historical details could make for some good family discussions, also.

New Englanders, especially those from Boston, will be pleased to see their neighborhoods in this historical fiction from Kalmar. Nellie is wrestling with a lot of things, not the least of which is her mother leaving the family. She would do anything to make things better. The family was going to be taking a trip to Mt. Rushmore, but someone stole the money her Dad put aside for it. Now how will her family go to this amazing site together? And how will they pay for it. Nellie will get into lots of scrapes trying to hep her family.

What I loved the most about Stealing Mt. Rushmore is the main character, Nellie. This story is set in the 1970's during the Watergate scandal and President Nixon's impeachment. Nellie lives with her dad and three bothers, George, Tom, and Teddy. Sadly, their mother just up and left them without saying goodbye. Nellie cannot believe she would just leave so she takes it upon herself to try to figure out why... meanwhile she learns that her mom didn't only leave without saying goodbye, but she also stole "Mt. Rushmore" aka $500 they had stashed to go on a trip of a lifetime. This causes Nellie's dad to go into recluse-mode and never leave his bedroom for days. Nellie feels like she has to take care of everyone, and that she needs to find a way to get $500 so they can still go on their trip to Mt. Rushmore.

During the time where Nellie's father goes MIA Nellie really shows how strong and brave she truly is. She also stands up to her father when he assumes that Nellie has to do the chores around the house, even though her brothers are just as capable. Even though I was not born in the 70's Kalmar does a wonderful job writing in this time period with related-references. The mother really was something else. I could not believe how downright rude she was and heartless... However, I know that the family dynamics are sadly realistic. i think this will be a great story for kid's who want to read about a resilient young girl!

Nellie has just reached the point in her life where her biggest fear should be worrying about losing her best friend to boys, but instead she’s still reeling from her mother’s sudden abandonment and the spiral of depression her father has fallen into because of it. Luckily, their family has already planned a summer vacation: a road trip from their home in Boston all the way to see Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, and Nellie thinks this is exactly what the family needs to get away from the drama not only taking over their home, but America in general as the entire nation is captivated with Watergate.

When the 500$ for their trip goes missing, Nellie discovers that it was her older brother George who had given it to their mother to pay for an apartment. Nellie calls her mother, but she has little interest in speaking to her daughter and says the money is gone. It’s up to Nellie to come up with the money and save the family before it’s too late.

This was a wonderful story on the meaning of family and what really matters in life. It accurately displays the hardships of a child taking care of their siblings when the parents neglect them for a variety of reasons. Nellie is portrayed as a strong heroine who steps up to the plate when the going gets tough and is easy to connect with as a reader. As the climax happens and a handful of events culminate into a stressful and potentially dangerous situation, the bonds of family shine through just when they need to. Despite the family never making the trip to Mt. Rushmore, this is a perfect summertime book.

This was gritty and sad and more about family social issues than the 70s. The father’s depression and parent abandonment are real issues that so many kids deal with as they end up having to hold the family together. Nellie showed a lot of spunk trying to earn money to replace what was stolen. The ending was satisfying because they got to be together camping and move on as a family without the mom. Dad realized he was leaving a lot to Nellie and planned to change that.

This book is full of descriptive treasures that transport the reader back to a 1974 Boston neighborhood. Nellie Sanders lives with her father, older brothers George and Tom, and younger brother Teddy. Her mum has recently left the family, leaving Nellie to watch Teddy during the day, while her dad is at work. The situation gets worse when her father falls into a depressive state upon finding out that Nellie's mum took the $500 they'd been saving for their trip to Mt. Rushmore. Nellie steps up to take care of the family while also finding ways to earn extra money to replace the money her mum took.
Merits: Nellie is full of spunk and tenacity and sure to win over hearts of young readers. The small details of daily life and historical events, like Watergate, add to creating a vivid sense of life in the 1970s.
Verdict: This is a great addition to classroom libraries in grades 4-6.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group: Feiwel & Friends for the e-ARC.

It's the early 1970s and Nell's father, a Vietnam War vet, is trying to come to keep his family afloat with his pay as a short-order cook. Things at home are very unhappy, and as the story opens, Nell's mother has just abandoned the family which sent her father in a spiral of depression. As her father came to terms with his wife leaving, he discovers she also stole the $500 he had scrimped and saved in order to take his kids on a road trip to see Mt. Rushmore. Nell, as the only daughter, cares for her two younger brothers and the home and desperately seeks ways to earn money to replace the missing funds and still go on the trip, which she sees as a means to bring her family back together.

My favorite thing about this book is watching Nell's awareness of her own strength and steadfastness unfold. As a 13-year-old, she is dealing with so many things: her mother's absence and the expectation she should pick up the household chores where her mother left off, puberty, her best friend turning "alien" and paying attention to boys, begging her older brother to stay in the home after his betrayal to the family came to light, and dealing with her father's crippling depression.

I also loved the honesty of the characters and that the fact that even though this story had a happy ending, it wasn't a perfect ending. Things would continue being hard for this family, but as they all processed and coped with the mother's leaving, there was peace in knowing they would stick together and everything would be okay.

Nellie’s life is upended the summer of 1974: her mother has run off with the $500 her family had saved to visit Mt Rushmore, and her devastated father is distracted by the political upheaval caused by President Nixon’s looming impeachment. His behavior is increasingly violent and despondent. Nellie finds comfort and safety in her daily horoscope, and Nancy Drew mysteries. She devises several creative plans with her friend Maya to raise the money herself, hoping the trip to South Dakota will reunite her splintered family. Inspired by the Women’s Liberation movement, she begins to question her role in her home and her agency in her family. The author presumes a certain amount of knowledge about the politics of the 1970s and uses terminology that might be lost on younger readers, such as “commies” and “subpoena.” The author’s note at the end provides helpful historical and contextual information, but arrives too late. Furthermore, the narrative introduces several topics without providing opportunities for Nellie to work through and understand them in a meaningful way: racism, body image, alcohol-fuelled physical violence, to name a few. The rich political backdrop is enhanced by the use of real headlines from the Boston Herald American and will appeal to fans of historical fiction. “Stealing Mount Rushmore” is a family drama that attempts to navigate the complexities of politics, change, and disappointment but unfortunately misses the mark with poor execution and character development. This book includes some mild language.