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American Girl: Kit #4
Happy Birthday, Kit: A Springtime Story
Kit's tenth birthday is approaching, but the chances of having a celebration are pretty slim. There's no time to plan a party and no money either, since Dad still doesn't have a job. When Aunt Millie comes for a visit, Kit finds new reasons to hope. With her thriftiness and good ideas, Aunt Millie seems to be able to do anything — but usually in the most unexpected way!
69 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
11 people are currently reading
554 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Tripp
273 books439 followersValerie Tripp is a children's book author, best known for her work with the American Girl series.
She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York with three sisters and one brother. A member of the first co-educated class at Yale University, Tripp also has a M.Ed. from Harvard. Since 1985 she has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her husband teaches history at Montgomery College.
Right out of college, Tripp started writing songs, stories, and nonfiction for The Superkids Reading Program, working with Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl. For that series, Tripp wrote all the books about Felicity, Josefina, Kit, Molly, and Maryellen and many of the books about Samantha. She also wrote the "Best Friends" character stories to date, plays, mysteries, and short stories about all her characters.. Film dramatizations of the lives of Samantha, Felicity, Molly, and Kit have been based on her stories. Currently, Tripp is writing a STEM series for National Geographic and adapting Greek Myths for Starry Forest Publishing. A frequent speaker at schools and libraries, Tripp has also spoken at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, The New York Historical Society, and Williamsburg.
She grew up in Mount Kisco, New York with three sisters and one brother. A member of the first co-educated class at Yale University, Tripp also has a M.Ed. from Harvard. Since 1985 she has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her husband teaches history at Montgomery College.
Right out of college, Tripp started writing songs, stories, and nonfiction for The Superkids Reading Program, working with Pleasant Rowland, the founder of American Girl. For that series, Tripp wrote all the books about Felicity, Josefina, Kit, Molly, and Maryellen and many of the books about Samantha. She also wrote the "Best Friends" character stories to date, plays, mysteries, and short stories about all her characters.. Film dramatizations of the lives of Samantha, Felicity, Molly, and Kit have been based on her stories. Currently, Tripp is writing a STEM series for National Geographic and adapting Greek Myths for Starry Forest Publishing. A frequent speaker at schools and libraries, Tripp has also spoken at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, The New York Historical Society, and Williamsburg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
May 9, 2020
Aunt Millie is so iconic, though. Also I legitimately wanted the teal feed sack dress when I was 9.
July 29, 2021
[Rereading the American Girl books in quarantine to feel something 4/7]
9-year-old me would have sold all my earthly possessions for Kit’s chicken-feed sack dress.
9-year-old me would have sold all my earthly possessions for Kit’s chicken-feed sack dress.
October 29, 2024
Aunt Millie is really fun, but she really should have asked Kit before coming to her class....
March 19, 2021
This part of Kit’s story always holds fond memories for me. My family knows how much I adore Kit and growing up I thought I was her for the most part.
What makes this story so special? Grace- the old Bassett Hound. My grandma adopted a Bassett hound (she wanted company around the house when her Boston terrier passed) from another family who couldn’t afford to keep her any longer. The dog’s name? Gracie.
Whenever I read this book, I think of the fond memories my grandma (who is as sweet as Aunt Millie) and Gracie (my very own Grace) and I think of the summer I was Kit: typewriter, dog and all
What makes this story so special? Grace- the old Bassett Hound. My grandma adopted a Bassett hound (she wanted company around the house when her Boston terrier passed) from another family who couldn’t afford to keep her any longer. The dog’s name? Gracie.
Whenever I read this book, I think of the fond memories my grandma (who is as sweet as Aunt Millie) and Gracie (my very own Grace) and I think of the summer I was Kit: typewriter, dog and all
March 11, 2023
all these years later and i still think the feed sack dress is the cutest item of clothing to exist
November 14, 2024
It’s Kit’s birthday, but this book is really about Aunt Millie – and in the process, it tells us a lot about Kit’s parents. Dad was an orphan taken in by Millie and her husband in rural Kentucky. From there, we can connect the dots: Presumably he grew up and went to seek his fortune in the big city of Cincinnati, where he did well as a car salesman, married a nice young lady, bought a nice house on credit in the flush of the 1920s and had two kids. Clearly Mother – who hates to look poor, who loves to host fancy lunches for her garden club – grew up in a family more like Ruthie’s. We can clearly see where Kit’s embarrassment about being poor comes from.
But Aunt Millie is intensely practical and she’s here to teach Kit and co. how to make the most of what they have. She knows how to get good deals by being friendly to the butcher or the rag man (a different kind of social capital than Mother’s garden club). She sees the value of a vegetable garden and a chicken coop, and she can get extra wear out of sheets and shirts.
All that is useful, but what’s lovely to see is how Kit reacts to her. Because they’re already close, Kit treats most of her advice like magic, even (along with Ruthie and Stirling) recording it in a book. I love seeing that tight intergenerational bond. Yes, there is a bit of a blow-up near the end – conflict has to come in somewhere, and this one is rooted in differences that we’ve seen simmering all the way through. But we also have the perfect peace offering already prepared.
It isn’t spelled out, but one key takeaway from the ending is the importance of communicating what you want and what you find upsetting. Like Ruthie’s attempt to help in Surprise, Aunt Millie is trying to do something nice, but gets tripped up by triggers that Kit hasn’t managed to explain to her. Fortunately, Kit finds a way to apologize much more quickly this time. Character growth, y’all.
Another sign of growth: I really liked that Stirling has clearly become part of the gang in the months since Learns a Lesson. He and Ruthie stay in the background this time around, but the duo is now a trio, and it’s really good.
Lastly, since this is a birthday book, of course we have animals. The chickens make their entrance, but the real star is Grace. Unlike most other AG dogs – Bennett, Jip, Caro, Tatlo, all male puppies – Grace is an older dog, and the note Kit finds makes it clear that she is female. Grace and Lone Dog make an odd pairing, but they’re the two AG dogs who feel most like characters rather than props. I love how she comes by her name – I love Aunt Millie’s sense of humor in general – and I love that after all the commotion when she first arrives, she and the chickens promptly become friends.
More Kit babble
Meet Kit | Kit Learns a Lesson | Kit’s Surprise | Happy Birthday, Kit | Kit Saves the Day | Changes for Kit
Really, Truly Ruthie
Kit’s Home Run | Kit’s Tree House | Kit’s Short Story Collection
Danger at the Zoo | Midnight in Lonesome Hollow | A Thief at the Theater | Missing Grace | Intruders at Rivermead Manor | The Jazzman’s Trumpet | Menace at Mammoth Cave
But Aunt Millie is intensely practical and she’s here to teach Kit and co. how to make the most of what they have. She knows how to get good deals by being friendly to the butcher or the rag man (a different kind of social capital than Mother’s garden club). She sees the value of a vegetable garden and a chicken coop, and she can get extra wear out of sheets and shirts.
All that is useful, but what’s lovely to see is how Kit reacts to her. Because they’re already close, Kit treats most of her advice like magic, even (along with Ruthie and Stirling) recording it in a book. I love seeing that tight intergenerational bond. Yes, there is a bit of a blow-up near the end – conflict has to come in somewhere, and this one is rooted in differences that we’ve seen simmering all the way through. But we also have the perfect peace offering already prepared.
It isn’t spelled out, but one key takeaway from the ending is the importance of communicating what you want and what you find upsetting. Like Ruthie’s attempt to help in Surprise, Aunt Millie is trying to do something nice, but gets tripped up by triggers that Kit hasn’t managed to explain to her. Fortunately, Kit finds a way to apologize much more quickly this time. Character growth, y’all.
Another sign of growth: I really liked that Stirling has clearly become part of the gang in the months since Learns a Lesson. He and Ruthie stay in the background this time around, but the duo is now a trio, and it’s really good.
Lastly, since this is a birthday book, of course we have animals. The chickens make their entrance, but the real star is Grace. Unlike most other AG dogs – Bennett, Jip, Caro, Tatlo, all male puppies – Grace is an older dog, and the note Kit finds makes it clear that she is female. Grace and Lone Dog make an odd pairing, but they’re the two AG dogs who feel most like characters rather than props. I love how she comes by her name – I love Aunt Millie’s sense of humor in general – and I love that after all the commotion when she first arrives, she and the chickens promptly become friends.
More Kit babble
Meet Kit | Kit Learns a Lesson | Kit’s Surprise | Happy Birthday, Kit | Kit Saves the Day | Changes for Kit
Really, Truly Ruthie
Kit’s Home Run | Kit’s Tree House | Kit’s Short Story Collection
Danger at the Zoo | Midnight in Lonesome Hollow | A Thief at the Theater | Missing Grace | Intruders at Rivermead Manor | The Jazzman’s Trumpet | Menace at Mammoth Cave
July 24, 2020
This is a really fun book, and it might be my favorite of the American Girl birthday books. It has a strong plot and satisfying character arc, introduces lots of new elements to the story, and brings in the incredibly vivid, memorable character of Aunt Millie. I could never forget her country background and penny-pinching ways, but I didn't fully realize how much fun it was going to be to read this book again through the lens of modern movements. Aunt Millie is the ultimate zero waste queen!
One thing that I didn't remember is that Aunt Millie was not a biological relative. I thought that she was Kit's dad's aunt, but she was actually his adoptive mother, because when his parents died, she and her husband took him in. I didn't remember that at all, and was extremely interested in this backstory tidbit now, especially because of the contrast between his upbringing as an orphan in a poor coal-mining town in Kentucky and his wife's status as a society lady in Cincinnati. How did they end up together? When did they meet? It's such an interesting potential story, but alas, I will never know the details, unless I decide to write fan fiction about it.
That's such a testament to the quality of the American Girl books, though. Usually, childhood favorites lose some of their luster when you reread them in adulthood, but I'm just like, "Wait. In addition to this being great, I want MORE. I want the backstory about all the adults!" This series is so well-crafted, with so many colorful and memorable characters, and they all seem like real people. The parents and other grown-ups aren't just stock characters that fulfill roles, but could be the subjects of their own novels.
Also, Grace is a fabulous fictional dog. Dogs, like small children, are often presented as being Extremely Cute and So Funny in fiction, but then rarely are. The characterization of Grace is appealing, realistic, and hilarious, and she truly becomes part of the family. I love the different details related to the pet adoption, and Grace is probably my favorite fictional dog, along with Hound from the Jeanne Birdsall Penderwicks series.
One thing that I didn't remember is that Aunt Millie was not a biological relative. I thought that she was Kit's dad's aunt, but she was actually his adoptive mother, because when his parents died, she and her husband took him in. I didn't remember that at all, and was extremely interested in this backstory tidbit now, especially because of the contrast between his upbringing as an orphan in a poor coal-mining town in Kentucky and his wife's status as a society lady in Cincinnati. How did they end up together? When did they meet? It's such an interesting potential story, but alas, I will never know the details, unless I decide to write fan fiction about it.
That's such a testament to the quality of the American Girl books, though. Usually, childhood favorites lose some of their luster when you reread them in adulthood, but I'm just like, "Wait. In addition to this being great, I want MORE. I want the backstory about all the adults!" This series is so well-crafted, with so many colorful and memorable characters, and they all seem like real people. The parents and other grown-ups aren't just stock characters that fulfill roles, but could be the subjects of their own novels.
Also, Grace is a fabulous fictional dog. Dogs, like small children, are often presented as being Extremely Cute and So Funny in fiction, but then rarely are. The characterization of Grace is appealing, realistic, and hilarious, and she truly becomes part of the family. I love the different details related to the pet adoption, and Grace is probably my favorite fictional dog, along with Hound from the Jeanne Birdsall Penderwicks series.
August 3, 2025
Rereading all of the Kit books has been so fun but this one has been my favorite so far and definitely gave me the most nostalgia feels. Aunt Millie is iconic and waste-not-want-not was seared into my brain as a child reading these books hahaha
September 29, 2022
Sheltering for the hurricane has given me a chance to read some more nostalgic books, and the happy birthday American Girls were ones I used to read every year for my birthdays. A great lover of Shakespeare, Aunt Millie comes to the Kittredge household to stay and help the family save money during the Depression. Kit's dog Grace also gets introduced for the first time-yay!
November 9, 2024
This is a book of High Highs and some Low Lows, but mainly the Highs.
Aunt Millie is an *excellent* character. She feels so fully realized - we've known Of her through Kit's middle name, but now we get to see just why she's so important. I love that she gets to have the character traits of both "thrifty country woman" and "well-read Shakespeare fan". She's got depth!
And I loved the commentary on how the family - particularly Mom and Kit - feel shame for their poverty. 1/3rd of the country is going through the same thing, and yet they still are conditioned to feel this deep embarrassment and desire to hide their circumstances. It's not subtle per se, but it's also not as on-the-nose as some of AG messaging has been in the past.
But also... a) I have never been fond of the AG animal companions, and this is no exception. Grace is far from the worst of the bunch, but I'm still not inclined to be fond of a dog whose primary purpose in the plot is to cause problems around the house. b) I think it's weird that Kit is the only one who has to apologize?? Like Aunt Millie I love you. But it's weird to go in front of her entire class to invite them to a party, and it's weird to not ask Kit about the theme first.
Aunt Millie is an *excellent* character. She feels so fully realized - we've known Of her through Kit's middle name, but now we get to see just why she's so important. I love that she gets to have the character traits of both "thrifty country woman" and "well-read Shakespeare fan". She's got depth!
And I loved the commentary on how the family - particularly Mom and Kit - feel shame for their poverty. 1/3rd of the country is going through the same thing, and yet they still are conditioned to feel this deep embarrassment and desire to hide their circumstances. It's not subtle per se, but it's also not as on-the-nose as some of AG messaging has been in the past.
But also... a) I have never been fond of the AG animal companions, and this is no exception. Grace is far from the worst of the bunch, but I'm still not inclined to be fond of a dog whose primary purpose in the plot is to cause problems around the house. b) I think it's weird that Kit is the only one who has to apologize?? Like Aunt Millie I love you. But it's weird to go in front of her entire class to invite them to a party, and it's weird to not ask Kit about the theme first.
October 29, 2024
In book four, Kit’s Aunt Millie blows in like a breeze and in a very short amount of time, changes everything with her wise, penny-pinching ways. Sometimes Kit thought she was brilliant. Sometimes, Kit was embarrassed.
I enjoyed all of Aunt Millie’s Southern antics and wise ways, but sometimes she went a little far….
Squeaky clean and wholesome.
Stay tuned for more in-depth monthly book reviews on my cozy YT channel. 💙☕📚
I enjoyed all of Aunt Millie’s Southern antics and wise ways, but sometimes she went a little far….
Squeaky clean and wholesome.
Stay tuned for more in-depth monthly book reviews on my cozy YT channel. 💙☕📚
June 8, 2008
I learned that It takes courage to be an americangirl.. And that kit is a realy amazing girl she is smart, and intelligent, and a brave girl..
Read
August 2, 2022I love this book for Aunt Millie, the beautiful green dress, and GRACE! I am still insulted they call Grace HOMELY. That dog is a beautiful creature.
I prefer the original cover for this book, but the newer cover is cute too.
I prefer the original cover for this book, but the newer cover is cute too.
August 2, 2022
Aunt Millie is such a fucking icon.
August 6, 2022
Honestly thought this one was a little boring.
Read
March 21, 2024I think this was one of my favorites back in grade school.
It’s my favorite in the series so far. I love Aunt Millie.
It’s my favorite in the series so far. I love Aunt Millie.
August 18, 2024
grace is the best character ever to exist in a book.
September 15, 2025
GRACE MY BELOVED
November 4, 2025
Love this one but also lady, how can you invite her whole class to a birthday party you're going to throw and then get your feelings hurt and try to leave before the party. Like she's nine, chill out.
December 4, 2025
My favorite so far!
So many fun tips and tricks. But also begging an important question and exploring the answer.
Good! I'll read this again, someday!
So many fun tips and tricks. But also begging an important question and exploring the answer.
Good! I'll read this again, someday!
July 11, 2024
Knocking off a star for the Basset Hound slander. Basset Hounds are adorable, not homely 😠
September 8, 2016
I loved it
August 5, 2014
This one of my top books
October 19, 2022
The best Kit book so far, largely because of Aunt Millie. I think this is the one Kit book that really concentrates on the necessary thriftiness that defines popular imagination about the Depression. Kit and her friends are initially fascinated by Aunt Millie's money saving ideas, but Kit eventually reflects her mother's embarrassment at not being able to keep up appearances. The ending is a little neat, with Kit's entire class also being enthralled by Aunt Millie and her penny pinching, which seems a bit of a fantasy to me. Then again, probably almost every single student in the class is experiencing at least as much hardship as Kit's family.
A side note about the peak into the past: I'm 99% sure that the glassware on the last page is actually uranium glass. I recently started a small collection of uranium glass, and it is extremely cool. I know there wasn't space here to note how amazing this stuff is, so I wanted to encourage readers to check it out on their own. It glows!
A side note about the peak into the past: I'm 99% sure that the glassware on the last page is actually uranium glass. I recently started a small collection of uranium glass, and it is extremely cool. I know there wasn't space here to note how amazing this stuff is, so I wanted to encourage readers to check it out on their own. It glows!
January 28, 2018
The depression has hit Aunt Millie and temporarily comes to stay, she has unique ways of living which no one in Kits house are used too. Though soon enough Kit becomes fascinated by her thrifty ways of saving money and re-using products that can be saved and re-functioned. Her mother struggles with the embarrassment of what she was doing and soon Kit feels as her mother does. But without her they feel lost and would miss her help and realise these ways to help were really clever and they shouldn’t be embarrassed.
It was a cute book, I liked all the things she was teaching the family to do to scrimp and save; and how Kit admired everything (until she felt embarrassed) and documented all in her book.
It was a cute book, I liked all the things she was teaching the family to do to scrimp and save; and how Kit admired everything (until she felt embarrassed) and documented all in her book.
November 17, 2022
Kit's story continues when Aunt Millie from Kentucky arrives and teaches the family thrifty ways to stretch their limited budget. Kit also rescues an abandoned older dog and celebrates her birthday. Aunt Millie reminded me a bit of Minnie Pearl for some reason. She knows a lot about Shakespeare, thriftness, gardening. etc. but despite being a school teacher she doesn't recognize Kit's shame at being poor after being upper middle class and there is a quickly resolved conflict where it appears that Aunt Millie might leave. Good for middle grade fans of historical fiction. Lovely illustrations.
September 28, 2022
You would think Kit would learn to be nice after her cruel remarks hurt those she loved in the previous 3 books, but alas, she does it again.
I liked her aunt Milly and it was nice to see the creativity those in the 1930s started using to male new things or make ends meet. The kids even made a book to take notes on Kit's aunt's idea. Kit didn't like her classmates knowing these things about her home life but she realized there was nothing shameful about it!
Her gave through her a fun little party. I think a party where you both learn AND have fun is always a great idea 😄
I liked her aunt Milly and it was nice to see the creativity those in the 1930s started using to male new things or make ends meet. The kids even made a book to take notes on Kit's aunt's idea. Kit didn't like her classmates knowing these things about her home life but she realized there was nothing shameful about it!
Her gave through her a fun little party. I think a party where you both learn AND have fun is always a great idea 😄
December 31, 2023
Very much enjoyed this Kit book. Aunt Millie is a fun character to add to the story and she reminds me of my grandmother, who was incredibly frugal, and probably learned many of her tricks during the Depression. She was notorious for her frugality until she passed away at the age of 95. It’s easy to imagine Aunt Millie being the same way. 😊 Every family needs an Aunt Millie! And even in these modern times, some of these tricks could still come in handy…
April 9, 2024
I am loving each book more and more as I read the series. Freakin LOVE Aunt Millie and her amazing thrifty ideas. And I love Kit too of course! I related to her as a kid and I still relate to her as an adult, but in a different way. I do not remember that Kit had chickens and this is the book with the chickens and I FREAKIN LOVE IT. Aunt Millie is amazing, the story is amazing, I just love it. I love everything that happens in this book.
September 8, 2024
This one was so cute! I think it was more of what I was looking for in this series. It showed ways they were saving money and making money. It also did a much better job showing why they were so embarrassed to be seen as poor. I figured with them taking in borders that all the neighbors would know, but this made me realize that they had been doing a good job keeping their troubles hidden. I love Aunt Millie and hope she stays for the rest of the series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews