Welcome to Kirsten's World, 1854: Growing Up in Pioneer America (American Girls Collection)

Rating:
Summary: ONE STAR IS TOO MUCH!
Review: I absolutely loathed this book out of all of the books in the series. It spends too much time jumping back and forth between the pioneers and the Native Americans! I did not like the setup at all, to the point where I would rather not buy this book, even if it completes my collection of American Girls Collection books. If you want a book that jumps around too much between two worlds and does not give a good idea of either world, feel free to pick it up. But there are plenty of other books out there on Pioneers and Native Americans, many of which probably make more sense!

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: This is a wonderful book that introduces children to history in a simple and interesting way. As a teacher, I would highly recommend it. It offers a mixture of photographs, drawings and text. I personally liked the back and forth style of the book. I think the point is to show how that the lives of the pioneers and Native Americans were definitely connected as well as to illustrate how their lives compared and contrasted. The format makes it very user friendly.

Rating:
Summary: An Historical Scrapbook
Review: Whether you are a fan of the American Girls Collection or not, this book is historically accurate and delightful. The story tracks Kirsten's family's journey from Sweeden to the New World using primary source documents like photographs, newspaper articles, letters, and artifacts. Gathered together like a museum exhibit, the information is layered so that readers of different ages and interest levels can engage in Kirsten's life on the prairie, where she lives in a sod dugout and interacts with the local Native Americans and settlers from all over the world. This is a great book for in the classroom or in the home!