Kaya's Story Collection (The American Girls Collection) by Janet Beeler Shaw (2004-09-01)

I purchased the book for a book club my daughter is in and so far we have only read the 1st chapter. I read it aloud to all my children and my oldest son is more interested in the story than my daughter is. So far this has been a good book. Love the hard cover and the thick pages, really get your monies worth.

Engaging and fun. Especially if you have any interest in native american history, Kaya's adventures will keep you turning the page. I was dissapointed only when I finished the last book. I wish they would do a series on girls of other tribes too, like maybe the Sioux, Cherokee or Navajo.

Last Christmas, just after she turned 5, my daughter received the present she wanted most--the complete set of Kaya books, her first experience of the American Girls. We began reading them together right away, and she loved them. While the reading level is higher than most of the American Girls books, she had few problems with comprehension as I read the text aloud. She began using many of the Nez Perce words she learned from the story--for some time, her daddy became "Toe-Ta" and I was "Eetsa." Another reviewer complained about the Native American religious beliefs scattered about the text. I found these to be in context for the character (after all, what would one expect given the culture and the time?), and when our faith differs from what is written in the book, it made for some good discussion. Kaya is a character who comes across as real--she makes mistakes, she has doubts, frustrations, and fears. What makes her a great character is that she learns from her mistakes and meets her fears head on with courage. Katie and I look forward to reading more American Girls books together over the years. Our introduction to them has made us eager for more.

My nine-year-old daughter and I read the Kaya stories several months ago. Now I'm ordering an extra set for her school library.This is one of the two or three best American Girl series. The stories couldn't be more gripping and believable; and Kaya couldn't be more delightful. The stories also do a wonderful job of teaching about the Nez Perce.Now, placing my order, I'm stunned to discover that your two featured reviews are critical of these books. Very idiosyncratic reactions. Go to the children's section of any bookstore and ask the staff what their customers think. Girls love these stories.Also, you might include in your "If you liked this book . . ." listings Kathleen Ernst's "Trouble at Fort LaPointe."Fie on the reviewers who panned Kaya. They're mistaken.

Pleasant Company has broken the mold of the format they have always used for their traditional American Girl stories in order to bring their readers a Native American character with courage, pride, and cultural integrity. You will not find school lessons, birthday parties, or Christmas celebrations in this series because they are all a product of European culture. What you will find in this series are stories that are full of fresh ideas for both the American Girl series and other similiar historic fiction for this age group.The characters and the setting vividly draw you into the 1764 world of the Nez Perce. All of the stories are fast paced with interesting and original plots and characters. Because of the low predictability of the plot and the unfamiliarity of the setting, I would highly recommend these books for readers over age 8, and not younger. The first few books are particularly difficult to read. As an adult reader, I periodically had to reread a sentence or two to pick up on why or how something a few sentences later had occured. I found that Books 3-6 did get easier to read then the the first two books were, but this is still not a series for young children.What I liked the most about the Kaya series was watching the development of her character. She makes poor choices in the first book because she does what is right for herself instead of looking after others. As the series progresses, you see Kaya learn from her mistakes and develop her own character from one who is immature to one who possesses many admirable qualities. She deals with many losses and changes with courage and by the last book, she is greatly rewarded for it. She learns to be more patient, to listen to the wisdom of her elders, and to make better choices for herself that include looking after others. These are all important messages for today's youth that I have not seen often in children's books. Kaya is a likable character in an interesting world and it is a pleasure to see her grow into her potential.