Kirsten's Surprise: A Christmas Story; 1854

Can you imagine moving from Sweden all the way to America? In this book, Kirsten's Surprise, Kirsten, Mama, Papa, Lars and Peter do! But on the trip to get their trunks from Sweden that they left in the general store, a storm hits! Guess what happens next? Kirsten's Surprise is one of the thrill-seeking books in her series. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes books that have bravery, courage and excitement all wrapped into one book

This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Kirsten Larson, a nine-year-old girl from Sweden, whose family has moved to frontier Minnesota of 1854. With Christmas approaching, Kirsten is excited about introducing her cousins to the Saint Lucia celebration. She has a dress that is just right for it in the family's trunk that is in storage. The day before Saint Lucia Day, Kirsten's father decides to go get the trunks, and Kirsten is just dying to go with him. However, as the Minnesota skies open and a winter storm descends, she finds that her help is more needed then she could have imagined.Once again, I must commend the author and illustrator on a job well done! This book is wonderful, with the added bonus of a chapter on Christmas on the frontier in 1854. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.[For those parents interested in reading historical fiction about Swedish immigrants, please consider reading The Emigrants series by Vilhelm Moberg.]

My daughters and I love the American Girl series of books, so perhaps we're biased, but Kirsten's Surprise is one of our favorites. Despite the hardships of her new life in Minnesota, Kirsten is still a child, longing for her beloved doll, which is in storage in town, and the St. Lucia gown that will make Christmas seem like Christmas. The ensuing trek to get the trunk and return home through a blizzard is exciting, and a wonderful glimpse of the life of pioneers.