Meet Kirsten: An American Girl, Book One (The American Girls Collection)

ISBN 0590437879 - As a newly converted fan of the American Girls books, Meet Kirsten was a pleasant read for me. I do have some problems with it, but I'll save those for last. Kirsten and her family arrive in America from Sweden in 1854. On the ship, she's made a great friend in fellow traveler Marta, but they are separated in New York when Kirsten's family goes on a day before Marta's. New York is loud, dirty and crowded with people who speak languages Kirsten doesn't recognize - a problem when she becomes separated from her father. Traveling by train, steamboat and even on foot, the family faces challenges all the way to Minnesota, where they join Uncle Olav and his family. ***SPOILER ALERT*** I was very curious about how realistic the story could be without a death aboard the crowded ship. When the family disembarked and everyone was still alive, I was disappointed (for the lack of reality) and relieved (because it is a childrens' book). Reality returned with a death (I won't say who) along the way across the country and I was rather surprised that they handled it well. If your child is apt to be upset by the death of a character that they identify with, please read the book before handing it over. The illustrations are average and rather bland, with one exception being the burial. The informative pages at the back, filled with historical facts, keep the book from being too much of a sell-the-dolls tool. - AnnaLovesBooks

My preschooler is ready for chapter books, but most chapter books are either meant for beginning readers, with a controlled vocabulary, or are meant for older kids, with content that isn't appropriate for a four-year-old. The Kirsten books are both appropriate read-aloud material for preschoolers on up, with good stories, clear plot lines, simple yet not controlled vocabulary. Using the story of a little girl to teach historical fiction leads to discussions about different time periods, often leading us to do further research about modes of transportation, geography, farm life, immigration, etc. My daughter really enjoys these books, and so do I. If her dad reads a chapter, I find myself going back and reading it so I know what I missed! A previous reviewer was upset by the use of Swedish words. The only Swedish words in the first book were "Tak" which means "thank you" and was clearly understood using context clues, and her names for her grandparents, which my daughter found no more confusing than her friends' names for their grandparents: Nanny and Pappy, Granny and Pop Pop, Grammie and Grampie, etc. Yes, Marta dies. Yes, Kirsten gets lost in the city. Yes, the family faces hardships. What family doesn't? But the message is that the Larson family sticks together, works hard to overcome their difficulties and make a better life for themselves. The parents clearly love the children, the children love and respect the parents, and they all understand the importance of working together for the good of the entire family. Along with the Little House on the Prairie books, this series is wholesome and educational while being fun and enjoyable.

I read a book that was an American girls book. I liked the book because it was full of excitement. It's about a girl named Kristen. She came from Sweden to live in American with another family.In the family was Kirsten's friend. I liked these books. Do you think all of them well make it? I recomend this to girls who love sad stories.

Kirsten Larson is my favorite out of the American Girls collection. I read all the books in Kirsten's series and I liked this one the best. My favorite part is when Kirsten meets all her American family members. I think she was very brave to be able to go all the way to the United States when she was only nine years old. I'm eleven and I know that I would have been scared to do that, especially in the year 1854.