This is another in the American Girls series about Kaya'aton'my', a nine-year-old Native-American girl growing up among the Nez Perce people in 1764. After her many adventures, Kaya's life is settling back down, and she is even ending her period of morning for her mentor, Swan Circling. The only thing truly missing from her life is her horse, Steps High. When scouts return with the information that there is a herd of apparently escaped Nez Perce horses in the hill, her hope begins to burn bright. However, when Kaya finds is not what she expects, and great courage is needed.

This is the final, full-length Kaya book, and it is every bit as excellent as the others! My eleven-year-old daughter is now the proud owner of a Kaya doll, which she loves, like she loves this book! We both highly recommend this book to you!

"Changes for Kaya" is the sixth and last book about Kaya. In it, we see how she has changed. When the scouts deliver news that there is a rogue herd of Nimipuu horses in the mountains, Kaya and her father and Raven go investigate one day when they aren't involved in the hunt for elk. Kaya gets her beloved horse, but there's a forest fire in the mountains. Can she save herself--and her horse--in time before they get hurt by the fire? This is the only book I felt deserved 5 stars in the Kaya series. The rest have been lacking a little. This one is the best of the lot.

In "Changes for Kaya"(Book 6 in the series), readers see how Kaya has changed since the first book, "Meet Kaya". She is a courageous girl who has also learned to trust the wisdom of her elders and not rush impulsively into doing things for herself. She is learning to be patient and understand when it is time to get adult or tribal help. Her developing wisdom is rewarded when she has the opportunity to be reunited with her beloved lost horse and a new surprise-her foal! Earlier losses become gifts that bring her to a stronger sense of herself and her place in the tribe. She comes to the awareness that she is growing up and will soon be ready for her vision quest. With the lessons she has learned, she knows that she can face it with the patience and confidence of a leader.

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. In this book, Kirsten's father is spending the winter as a lumberjack, to earn extra money for the family. Kirsten helps too, by helping her brother Lars trap animals to sell their pelts. However, when Kirsten's heart overrules her head she brings home a raccoon. Disaster follows that ruins the family's fortune, but Kirsten learns that even through adversity things can turn out well.

This is another wonderful story, that captured my nine-year-old daughter's heart, and my own. With each review I heap praise on Renee Graef's illustrations, and this one is no exception; the illustrations are fantastic. If you have a young daughter, then you must consider buying the Kirsten books.

[For those adults interested in reading a scholarly book on the Swedish immigrants, please consider reading Swedish Exodus by Lars Ljungmark.]

I was six years old when I first got hooked on the American Girls, and "Changes for Kirsten" was the first book I read from the series. Maybe I'm biased by that, but now that I've read them all I think it is one of the best. In books this short it is hard to develop a character very well, but Shaw does an excellent job, and Kirsten's character comes through here more than in the first five books. Kirsten's well-meaning disobedience causes a terrible fire that destroys almost everything the Larsons own. We see the trials they endure as a result, but also the love that helps them through. Things seem to get worse when close family friends announce that they are moving away. Then Kirsten and her brother make a remarkable discovery in the woods and their luck changes. The Larson family has to start over, but a message of hope shines through, as the end of the book (and the series) brings a world of new beginnings to these brave pioneers.

Struggles with money, a wild raccoon, fire, and more! Discover what happens to Kirsten and her family in the wilderness of America!

"Happy Birthday, Kirsten!" takes place on the Minnesota frontier in 1854, where a 9-year-old girl named Kirsten Larson lives with her Swedish immigrant family. In this book, she and her friends plan on making a quilt for their teacher, Miss Winston. However, Kirsten is much too busy with her added chores to be an active part of the group. Not only that, but she's uncertain about whether or not she'll be able to celebrate her upcoming tenth birthday (she was unable to do so the previous year), because of her mother's pregnancy. Despite Kirsten's dilemmas, the story has a happy ending for everyone, involving a new sibling, a litter of kittens, and a barn-raising party.

For being such a small book (59 pages), "Happy Birthday, Kirsten!" has quite a bit of historical info, mainly in the last six pages, titled "Growing up in 1854." In addition, there are numerous bright and colorful photos and pictures on practically every page in this book, drawn by the talented Renée Graef. This is an ideal book/series for preteen girls who like historical settings. If you liked this book, then you'll probably enjoy the other Kirsten books in this American Girls series as well.

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. In this book, Kirsten's mother is pregnant, and that means that Kirsten must do her own chores, plus those that her mother can no longer perform. With her birthday coming up, and all of her friends having fun working on a quilt for their teacher, Kirsten finds that she must concentrate on the work that must be done. How will it work out for Kirsten?

This is another wonderful story, with an important lesson. In it, Kirsten (and the reader) learns about responsibility and working together. As always, Renee Graef's illustrations are wonderful, and the final chapter (on growing up in 1854) is interesting and informative.

[For those adults interested in reading adult historical fiction about Swedish immigrants, please consider reading The Emigrants by Vilhelm Moberg.]

It is springtime. Kirsten and her cousin Anna were beating rugs when they saw tornado clouds start to form. Everyone went into their cellar. Kirsten is turning ten in one month. She has to stay home from school because her mom is having a baby and needs help around the house. Kirsten is sad and angry because she thinks she will miss out on all the fun at school, especially making a quilt for their teacher. Find out what happens by reading the rest of this book.

My almost seven year old daughter has been enjoying AG books on tape and has had at least 20 read to her. Our favorites are the short stories though, because they can be read in one sitting and they have great project ideas geared to the age group. We bought the newest series on July 1 and have read four out of six of the short stories. These books will become favorites for sure, just as the first short story set books are still read over and over again. Thanks for the intro to history in an appropriate format for the early grades.

A bunch of little books for a bunch of little kids! a perfect christmas present for any young girl of any age! i know my little girl loves it!

This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Kaya'aton'my', a nine-year-old Native-American girl growing up among the Nez Perce people in 1764. In this book, when Kaya losses a footrace against a girl from another tribe, she becomes jealous; but things go from bad to worse when it turns out that this same girl has become friends with Kaya's sister, Speaking Rain. Eventually, though, Kaya realizes that her jealousy has gone too far, and when a crisis hits, Kaya learns that there is much to be gained by working together.

This is another excellent American Girl story. My twelve-year-old daughter is a great fan of Kaya, and I must admit that I like the stories as well. I like the lesson that Kaya learns in this story, plus I like the story and illustrations for themselves. This is a very good book, one that my daughter and I both highly recommend.

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. This book takes place during the
same timeframe as Changes for Kirsten, after the fire in their home,
and before the father returns from logging. When the two mothers and
Lars go into town to shop, Kirsten and her younger siblings and
cousins are left alone. Trouble comes in the form of a surprise
snowstorm that leaves the children snowbound. Now it is up to Kirsten
and her cousins to be responsible, and take care of themselves and the
baby.

This is another wonderful story, with a great lesson in
responsibility. As always, the illustrations are excellent and a real
addition to the story. The final chapter includes a group of newspaper
snowstorm stories from a 1888 newspaper, and then a number of ideas on
what to do during a snow day.

For those parents interested in reading
historical fiction about Swedish immigrants, please consider reading
The Emigrants series by Vilhelm Moberg.

This is probably one of the most enlightening books about farming on the Plains that I have read. Farmer DeLoach kept a daily diary of his thoughts about the weather, crop prices, World War I and it's affect on life on the Plains, and other "routine" occurances. Editor Neugebauer has enhanced the content by explaining and documenting the historical events that DeLoach wrote about. For example, when farmers were shipping grain overseas during WWI, he feared starvation for people in the U.S. if the Germans kept sinking the grain shipments, yet DeLoach said no one could talk about it because of the sedition acts that had been passed. Editor Neugebauer explains the sedition acts and farmer DeLoach's fears. In another example, DeLoach mentioned that the President of the U.S. had appealed to cotton gins to shut down in an attempt to drive the price of cotton up. The attempt failed because too much of the bumper crop had already been harvested, Neugebauer explained. I found the editor's notes to be very helpful and the pen and ink illustrations to be outstanding. This book *shows* the kind of effort and persistence early farming on the Plains required.

Finally, something real in Kaya's stories! Unlike Meet Kaya, I had no trouble with this one. The characters seemed to make a little more sense. The plot wasn't cardboard. The story was realistic. I couldn't put this one down! Janet Shaw does a better job of delveoping the characters in this book. I had no trouble telling who Kautsa and Two Hawks were, they were explained very well. The rest of the characters are still cardboard, though, which is why this one got 4 stars.

This is another in the American Girls series about Kaya'aton'my', a nine-year-old Native-American girl growing up among the Nez Perce people in 1764. In this book, when Kaya and her adopted sister Speaking Rain are captured by another tribe during a raid on their village, they face a life of slavery among a people whose language they don't understand. Kaya is determined to avoid this fate, but escape during the beginning of winter holds many dangers.

This is another excellent American Girls book (even better than the first Kaya story). My daughter loves Kaya, and greatly enjoyed this story. I liked the story and the illustrations, but loved the lessons that the book taught. Also, I must say that I was surprised at how alive is Kaya's faith in her religion. Religion is something surprisingly absent from most of the American Girls stories (the only other girl with a noticeable faith is Josefina). My daughter loved this story and so do I. We both recommend this book to you.

I was surprised that Pleasent Company had finally broken their traditional format for the Kaya series, but now I understand why, it is to show that the Indians, including Kaya's Nez Perce tribe have a very special place in our nation's past, present, and future.

Kaya's Escape is the 2nd book in the Kaya series and this time Kaya is faced with tremendous challenges as a neighboring tribe attacks while the warriors are away. Told to hide in the forest with her blind sister Speaking Rain, Kaya disobeys because she is worried for the safety of her horse, Steps High, and her one instinctive decision gets both her and her sister captured. Kaya feels very responsible as they are taken away, as slaves, from their homeland and does everything she can to help with the daily chores of her blind sister, to somehow make up for what she did, all the while hoping her father and the rest of the tribe will come and rescue them. When she learns that the people who captured them will soon be moving for the winter Kaya finally realizes she must escape with her sister or they are done for good and will never be able to return home. She befriends anther Indian slave boy and enlists his help in escaping. However, Kaya knows she must make a big decision, can she leave Speaking Rain behind, and go for help, for their is no way a blind girl could make such a journey? This story about Kaya was another success. I recommend all to read it, for it gives a unique experience on Indian life, during the period when the whites had not interfered with their culture.

"Kaya's Hero" is the third book of six in the Kaya stories. Kaya looks up to and would like to be friends with a woman by the name of Swan Circling, who is a highly respected warrior woman who married into the tribe. Only problem is, Kaya feels that she is not good enough, in a sense, to befriend Swan Circling, because of her nickname and because she left her sister, Speaking rain, as a slave. When Swan Circling dies, and Kaya is left with a very special gift, Kaya learns about second chances. The peek into the past section includes information on sek-le-waal, the Nez Perce equivalent to Christmas.

This is another in the American Girls series about Kaya'aton'my', a nine-year-old Native-American girl growing up among the Nez Perce people in 1764. In this book, Kaya finds a hero in the form of Swan Circling, a woman whose bravery puts her in a class by herself. Kaya looks for praise from Swan Circling, but is deeply afraid of what she'll think when she learns of the mistakes that Kaya has made.

This is another excellent Kaya story, and a great addition to the American Girls library. My eleven-year-old daughter and I both loved this book, for its lessons, its entertaining story, and its wonderful illustrations. Kaya is different than most of the other American Girls in that she actually evinces her religion, something I wish they could have worked in with all of the other girls. So, my daughter loved this book, and recommends it for your daughters, and I heartily agree!

In Kaya's Hero, the 3rd book in the series, Kaya is in awe at the bravery of a particular young woman in her tribe named Swan Circling. Kaya respects Swan Circling's fearlessness, and how she even goes with the men into battle. Kaya desperately wants to be friends with Swan Circling, but is afraid her past mistakes, which earned her the nickname "Magpie" might turn Swan Cirling away. As Kaya begins to know Swan Circling better she decides to tell Swan Circling the truth of her past, even if it mean jeoperdizing their new friendship. However, something terrible happens before Kaya can spill her feelings out. But with the tragedy, Kaya also learns a new lesson, and gets one of the most special gifts from Swan Circling. I liked this new Kaya book quite a lot, and it might turn into my favorite book in the series. You can really see how Kaya grows through this book, and Swan Circling seems like the perfect role model.