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molldollriv's review
4.0
Explores what life was like growing up in pioneer times in America through the lens of the American Girl doll Kirsten Larson, a Swedish immigrant. I like that the book gives equal attention to the Native Americans of the time as it does the white settlers.
daumari's review
5.0
I checked this out after watching Babbity Kate's 5 hour deep dive on the American Girl Kirsten, and it really is a strong complementary material to the immigrant/frontier world of 1854. Very well balanced with immigrant, pioneer, and indigenous life in Minnesota territory including a chapter on the Sioux uprising (which does not take place in Kirsten's books but would've been something that happened during her teenage years). Some sections remind me of the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness books which is neat.
I might look for the other Welcome to books later.
I might look for the other Welcome to books later.
littleseal's review
I'll give this book credit for talking a lot more about Native Americans than Kirsten's own books did (despite her being friends with Singing Bird). Honestly, it makes me wish yet again that they wrote the Kirsten series from Singing Bird's perspective instead of a mediocre white settler.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Genocide, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
panda_incognito's review
5.0
When I was a child, I missed out on reading this historical supplement series, because I had no idea that the library had it. I never ventured into the nonfiction section, apparently, and since the books were not shelved with the fictional American Girl books, I assumed that I did not have access to them. When I was a teenager, I discovered my mistake, but the only books I got around to reading were the Molly and Kit ones that a sibling had checked out. Recently, I found that only the Kirsten book is still available, and snatched up a copy.
This book is full of detailed information about Swedish immigration, pioneer life, Native American history, and issues related to slavery, which come up tangentially. This is truly an introduction into Kristen's world, not just her specific environment or life experiences, and I admire how the author managed to capture such scope while keeping the book simple for young readers. It is well-illustrated with both artwork reproductions and photographs, and covers lots of information, some of which was new to me.
I particularly admire how well the author incorporated Native American history. She distinguishes between the cultural practices and experiences of different tribes, instead of lumping all of them together, and even though she writes about their contacts with white settlers, she also writes about their independent lives. This book is far more thorough than I had imagined, and I appreciate how well it introduces readers to different groups. It is unfortunate that this book has now been out of print for years, but I would definitely recommend it, and will eventually pursue my own copy.
This book is full of detailed information about Swedish immigration, pioneer life, Native American history, and issues related to slavery, which come up tangentially. This is truly an introduction into Kristen's world, not just her specific environment or life experiences, and I admire how the author managed to capture such scope while keeping the book simple for young readers. It is well-illustrated with both artwork reproductions and photographs, and covers lots of information, some of which was new to me.
I particularly admire how well the author incorporated Native American history. She distinguishes between the cultural practices and experiences of different tribes, instead of lumping all of them together, and even though she writes about their contacts with white settlers, she also writes about their independent lives. This book is far more thorough than I had imagined, and I appreciate how well it introduces readers to different groups. It is unfortunate that this book has now been out of print for years, but I would definitely recommend it, and will eventually pursue my own copy.
soulkissed2003's review
5.0
When I was a little girl, that colorful American Girl catalogue that came in the mail every so often was one of my favorite things. Kirsten was one of the first three American Girls, and I read all the stories about her. So when my own daughter was learning about pioneers in America, we looked at the local library and found those stories I enjoyed as a girl, and this book that went into more details.
This book builds on the stories about Kirsten, but you don't really have to be familiar with the character to enjoy this book. This focuses more on the general experience of immigrants to America, who headed west once they arrived here by boat in the mid 1800s, rather than specifically on Kirsten's fictionalized story. Fans will find references to those stories, though, in the midst of historical details and brightly colored, informative photos and artwork.
Very enjoyable.
This book builds on the stories about Kirsten, but you don't really have to be familiar with the character to enjoy this book. This focuses more on the general experience of immigrants to America, who headed west once they arrived here by boat in the mid 1800s, rather than specifically on Kirsten's fictionalized story. Fans will find references to those stories, though, in the midst of historical details and brightly colored, informative photos and artwork.
Very enjoyable.
slimikin's review
4.0
Even for someone who hasn’t read any American Girl books, Welcome to Kirsten’s World, 1854 is a fun glimpse into a different time. It includes such topics as arriving on the frontier from the East or another country, building and working on the homestead, social activities and courtship, life as a Dakota, toys and clothing, other immigrants on the frontier, and conflict between the Dakota and the settlers. There are plenty of visuals, each accompanied by a brief caption or explanation that invites the reader to imagine life in 1854 Minnesota. I especially enjoyed the sections about what immigrants might have brought from their homelands and how pioneers and Dakota lived from season to season.
ifitsnotbaroque's review
5.0
Fascinating, maybe partially because I grew up in the same places talked about in the book.