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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
This was traumatic. I knew that her friend died but I didn't know it happened in the first book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Grief
My 8 year-old daughter and I just finished reading this book together, and we absolutely loved it. The story prompted so much discussion - where exactly is Sweden? how do people get cholera? when will Kirsten's family speak in English? why would the steam engine catch on fire? I love books that make kids thirst for knowledge. Madeline was especially excited when Kirsten's family's ship docked in New York by Battery Park, because we just visited NYC this summer, and the landmarks were familiar to her. She also was fascinated when I told her that some of our ancestors were Swedish immigrants just like Kirsten.
This book might be a bit heavy for a young child to read on her own, but it was a great mother-daughter experience. We'll begin the next of the series tomorrow evening.
This book might be a bit heavy for a young child to read on her own, but it was a great mother-daughter experience. We'll begin the next of the series tomorrow evening.
Great history less on for the kids! Loved this book :)
First book I remember reading on my own that made me cry.
This was a great introduction to historical fiction for Emma. She enjoyed the story and is looking forward to reading more in the series. I had forgotten that Kristen's best friend dies. We didn't linger over that part, but I could see that many young children would be upset by that.
This review is from the perspective of a mother - I never read Kirsten's series as a child, so this is my first exposure to the American Girl pioneer girl.
I think the author does and excellent job portraying both the adventure and drama of life aboard a ship, the reality of illness and the tenuousness of life in the 19th century, the confusion of an early American city for an immigrant, and adjusting to life in the new home on the prairie. There are many similarities to Little House in the Big Woods, but unlike Laura, Kirsten has real responsibilities and the interconnectedness of a pioneer family is made very clear.
I look forward to sharing Kirsten's story with my daughter when she is a little older.
I think the author does and excellent job portraying both the adventure and drama of life aboard a ship, the reality of illness and the tenuousness of life in the 19th century, the confusion of an early American city for an immigrant, and adjusting to life in the new home on the prairie. There are many similarities to Little House in the Big Woods, but unlike Laura, Kirsten has real responsibilities and the interconnectedness of a pioneer family is made very clear.
I look forward to sharing Kirsten's story with my daughter when she is a little older.
me: oh how cute, kirsten made a friend
the friend: *dies of cholera*
the friend: *dies of cholera*
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Meet Kirsten: An American Girl by Janet Beeler Shaw – If you want to teach a really cool lesson on chain migration, the immigrant experience, and Scandinavian farming techniques settling the Midwest, this is a great book! Happy Reading!
As someone who's ancestors came to the Midwest from Scandinavia (Norway and Sweden) in the 1850s to farm I always felt a strong tie to Kirsten and when American Girl announced that they were bringing back Kristen (and all of the other original six) for the 35th anniversary I was over the moon. I am long past my playing with dolls stage but that doesn't stop me from collecting and displaying them and now Kristian can be apart of that :).
What came with the Kristen doll was this book, when I got American Girl dolls as a kid and went to the American Girl store the books never really interested me. All I really wanted was the doll and accessories. As I have grown up through I wish I had payed more attention to the books and wish I had even read some. For a book targeted at girls under the age of 10 this book does deal with strong subjects something that surprised me. I didn't expect to read about (in an American Girl book) the topic of death from illness nor did I expect to actually want to read her other books in her collection.
What came with the Kristen doll was this book, when I got American Girl dolls as a kid and went to the American Girl store the books never really interested me. All I really wanted was the doll and accessories. As I have grown up through I wish I had payed more attention to the books and wish I had even read some. For a book targeted at girls under the age of 10 this book does deal with strong subjects something that surprised me. I didn't expect to read about (in an American Girl book) the topic of death from illness nor did I expect to actually want to read her other books in her collection.