According to Kit

Kit has lived her entire life on a Vermont dairy farm. Her life is one constant routine. It starts with the morning milking and chores and ends with the same at night. The only variety is her dancing. Things change a bit the fall she turns fifteen. When a crazy kid in her high school science class takes out a knife and cuts another student, Kit's mother decides she's had it with public education. She pulls Kit from the high school and tells her she will be homeschooling from now on. But homeschooling for the daughter of busy farmers turns into Kit taking care of her own learning. At first it seems like fun, but things get boring pretty quickly. Math means helping her mother with the farm accounting, science is helping with the chores and milking and listening to her father's schemes to increase revenue for the farm. She reads a lot and decides to keep working on the research she started at school for a project about bats that fascinates her. Physical education is, of course, her dance classes. One benefit of the homeschooling deal with her mother is that her dance classes increase to three times a week. Being around her parents 24/7 doesn't always bring out the best in everyone. Kit is fairly certain that her mother tries to be as mean as possible by complaining and finding fault in everything. Her father attempts to calm the waters between mother and daughter, but often the only escape Kit can find is heading down to her grandfather's trailer or going up into the haymow to dance away the stress. ACCORDING TO KIT by Eugenie Doyle is the story of one year in the life of a young girl whose dreams of an exciting future don't fit with her dairy farm lifestyle. As her day-to-day story unfolds, readers get to know Kit and will admire her determination to make her dreams of dancing as important to her mother as they are to her. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

I have decided to begin writing this book review before I have completed the novel. I think I am doing this because I want to write of my impressions about this story before I get too far into the plot line to forget my initial thoughts. I am only about half-way through the text and to speak to the interest that this story holds for me, I would rather be reading right now than writing this review! One of the things I like best about the novel is that the "voice" of the main character, Kit, speaks loud and clear. I feel like I am actually listening to a teenage girl speak as I read. In my day job is as a high school science teacher, I often overhear students speaking much like Kit to one another. On occasion, I have even had a conversation with a teen much like what Kit has with the numerous characters in the story. The conversational pieces between Kit and her mother are reminiscent of my own conversations with my mother when I was a teenager. This book really brings a realistic touch to the experience of a teen in contemporary times. Right now, I am hoping that the story has a happy ending and Kit finds her way and becomes a successful, happy dancer. However, as is true in life and as I believe this author will be true to the reality of the dreams of the teen years. Kit may not wind up being a famous dancer, but I think she will learn much from this critical time in her life and she will evolve into a woman of character. I just completed reading the novel and I must admit; I am surprised by the climax and the ending of this unique story. I am actually pleased that Kit had the opportunity to try for a position at the Academy in Montreal. However, I am still shocked by the audacity of her dance teacher and the way that he treated her. Doyle drops many hints that the dance teacher, Luis holds nothing but contempt for Kit and her family's lifestyle. However, it is interesting to consider that he wouldn't have had any trouble in having sexual contact with such a young and impressionable girl. This story meets the issue of inappropriate sexual advances head-on and lets young readers know that this behavior is not simply an invitation to engage in this sort of activity, but that it is wrong. I applaud the author for taking a bold step to address this situation in her text. It is unexpected and well dealt with by the main character. Teen readers need more books like this to read and to be assured that others have experienced similar situations and have dealt well with them.

ACCORDING TO KIT is a pleasure to read for its language, characters, story, compelling sense of place and the animating power a passionate interest can become in the life of an adolescent. Doyle deftly illuminates the intricacies of a mother - daughter relationship. I'm neither a dancer nor a farmer, but by the end of the book, I wanted to try both! Doyle makes accessible the two worlds of dairy farming and ballet dance and somewhat magically shows their connection as metaphor and ritual. This is an ideal book for anyone who was ever a 15 year old girl, or is currently or soon to be one. Perfect for mother - daughter book clubs. Doyle's second novel continues in the strong tradition of STRAY VOLTAGE. Can't wait for the next one!

This novel depicts the challenges faced by a young woman as she comes of age on a dairy farm in Vermont. Though the novel belongs to Kit, as it is written from her perspective, it is also about her mother, her grandmother, and her beloved dance teacher. So, it will appeal to all ages. It is especially relevant for dancers, those who appreciate dance, farmers, and those who appreciate farms. My favorite aspect of this book is the way that Doyle describes both farming and dancing--she uses language to beautifully convey the way in which these forms of movement express emotion. It is incredibly moving.

This was a really good story. Kit is a believable and likable girl who struggles with some fairly typical challenges of teen years. She is a strong, independent girl who makes good decisions in the heat of the moment. Because of the complexity of the mother-daughter relationship and these characters, I think mothers should read this as well as their daughters. Dancers would especially enjoy it since Kit is a ballerina, but I'm not a dancer and I still loved it.