Kit Learns a Lesson: A School Story

American Girl: Kit #2

by Valerie Tripp, Walter Rane (Illustrator)

Kit hopes her father will find a new job soon so that things can return to the way they were before—with no boarders in the house and no long list of daily chores. But a visit to a soup kitchen shows Kit just how much the Depression has changed everything.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Fiction, Historical, Middle Grade, Juvenile, Chapter Books

67 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

Valerie 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.

Reviews

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me, looking at Stirling: baby boy. baby.
Me, looking at Roger: evil.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The great AG marathon continues. Reading this for the first time as an adult, here's what stands out:

Okay, we all knew from the jump that Dad wasn't really having fancy business lunches all the time, right? I didn't put together that he was at a soup kitchen until Kit and co. arrived with the wagon, but I really should have.

The Depression is hitting home for Kit, and she's grumpy about it: she hates sharing her home with boarders. She keeps them at arms' length (in exactly the way I would have done at her age) and is sloppy at her chores, telling herself the boarders will all be gone soon, when Dad finds a job. 

The arc of this book is Kit's realization that Dad's unemployment is not going to be a short-term problem. Both Dad and Stirling try to hide exactly how bad their situations are, but it all comes out in the end. Fortunately, when all the pieces on the table are rearranged slightly, Kit is able to come up with a solution that makes things a little better for nearly everyone.

(Tangent: Mr. Peck gets the short end of the stick here - here, move out of the guest room and into a modified sleeping porch that you have to share with a teenager. I suppose without more boarders, the Kittredges would loose their home and all the boarders would have to find somewhere else to live anyway. Seems like any number of hard up families would be willing to take on a single boarder and he could find a situation that wouldn't require sharing a room, but I have zero knowledge of the Cincinnati real estate scene in 1932.)

One of the nice developments is that Stirling starts to come out of his shell, hinting at a growing friendship between Kit and Stirling, who we now see has hidden depths: artistic talent, but also a capacity for sly mischief, the ability to keep a secret, and a good sense for when it's time to stop keeping that secret.

Last thing: I sure hope Dad will have time to mend that leaky roof while he's in construction mode. Kit takes the drips in her attic in stride, but they stress me out a little.


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

[Morgan's Endless Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one as well! I remember the Thanksgiving scene and the soup kitchen scenes vividly from when I was a kid. Kit had a pretty good arc here.

Also, Sterling was precious. Love him.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oof. Things are getting angsty up in here! Lowkey wanna wallop Roger; what a little a**hole.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I last read this book in 2011, I gave it four stars, but now that I have read it again, I am giving it five, because this is absolute perfection. In sixty-seven pages, this book further develops its characters and the series plot, addresses the heart-wrenching realities of the Great Depression, and realistically portrays how a nine-year-old girl would process and deal with her family's situation.

Only, it's better than that. It doesn't just show how a girl would cope with the Great Depression. It shows how Kit, specifically, would deal with everything happening around her. The characters in this series are incredibly vivid, and this never becomes a generalized historical introduction. It is grounded in the specific emotions and situations of its central characters, and it's like reading about real people.

The American Girl series is a huge part of why I majored in history in college. It shaped my interests and my priorities, but it's not something that I just fondly look back upon and feel grateful for. It's something I still actively love, because even after four years of history education, I still think that this is peak historical fiction, and an ideal way to teach children about the past.

Also, I love how honest this book is about Kit's internal challenges. Her intense emotions, negativity, and criticism towards others are all totally understandable, given her circumstances, and the series explores her emotional growth and ongoing maturity while also giving her the space to vent, fume, and get in a snit about things. The book doesn't glorify bad attitudes, but honestly portrays the emotional challenges that Kit experienced in her very difficult circumstances.

The historical note in the back is also direct and honest, addressing how the Great Depression impacted schools and education. Many families couldn't afford lunches for their children, or coats in the winter, and families often uprooted and moved repeatedly while seeking work. Also, school boards cut teachers' pay and axed less essential programs, and one notable teacher committed suicide because of how it affected him. This historical note whitewashes absolutely nothing, and I really appreciate this, because even though it's hard to read about horrible things, it's essential to understanding history and navigating the harsh realities of today.

I never imagined that I would love Kit and her book series even more as an adult as I did as a child, but I absolutely do. I cried at the unforgettable plot twist halfway through, and I marveled over how well-written and tightly plotted this is. This is peak historical fiction, and brings the time period to life so vividly that I can't imagine having ever had any other introduction to this era of American history.

[Ev · Rating 5 out of 5]

if i ever catch roger out on these streets it’s on sight

[Laura Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never a dull moment. Kit gets a real-life lesson about the depression after discovering her father at the soup kitchen. We see Kit mature a bit as she makes sacrifices and comes up with ideas to help her family make a little more money. The author does a good job of showing the hard times people faced. I like the way Kit and Stirling's friendship progresses and grows in this series. I also loved Kit's way of dusting at the beginning. A fun, light moment in an otherwise serious story. The historical notes are always a plus, too. Excellent illustrations.

[Hannah Showalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

the soup kitchen scene has been burned so vividly in my mind for the last fifteen years, just as powerful as an adult!

[RaspberryRoses · Rating 5 out of 5]

kit is aggro to stirling for no reason to me. she's so funny.

but like... the scene at the soup kitchen... okay valerie tripp you've got hands. i see you.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this with my 5 and 10 year old girls. Pretty good, will continue the series.

[Iwi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is when I was like I need a Sterling doll. But alas.

The dad at the soup kitchen shocked me as a kid 😵‍💫

[Reah N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one seemed darker than the other American Girl books I’ve read recently.
In Meet Kit: An American Girl 1934, Kit’s dad loses his job. Kit’s family now takes on boarders to help make ends meet. The entire story is filled with a harsh reality of the Great Depression, hunger, fear and uncertainty, frank discussions about whether or not Kit’s family will be okay (her parents don’t know), Kit being bullied about Stirling living in her house (though, I guess, that could just be taken as a normal part of school) and desperate, hungry people going to soup kitchens. Stirling’s father abandoned him and his mother. At the end of the story, Kit and Stirling take food to the soup kitchen and discover that her own father was going there kitchen every afternoon, and bringing back food for the family.
The ending, too, leaves us with a pretty big question mark. Kit’s family finds a temporary solution but at the end of the day, their situation isn’t much different than it was at the beginning of the book, if anything, Kit realizes it’s more bleak than she realized. The main thing that changes is her attitude and she feels that everything will be okay. Which in itself seems like a great lesson.
This book was full of great lessons about endurance during hard times, friendship, and making the best of challenging situations. It just felt darker than most of the other American Girls books, so just make sure your child is ready to handle all these themes.

Content:
People are hungry. Kit’s dad loses his job and goes to a soup kitchen for food. Fear. Kit’s not sure her family will be okay. Stirling’s dad abandoned his family. The notes at the end mention that a teacher committed suicide after his pay was cut.
One of Kit’s boarders has a boyfriend. Kit and Stirling are teased about living in the same house, kids say they’re married and make kissing noises.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story starts out for a wish: that Kit's Dad would get a job. But as the story goes on, she revises her wish to be more specific. It's Thanksgiving, but what can Kit give thanks for? Her Dad doesn't have a job, and she has to deliver food to a soup kitchen. But by the end of the story she learns to help be part of the solution instead of just wishing.
It really, really, REALLY irked me, though, that during the school scene, they were taught that the Pilgrims made a feast to thank the Indians. Sure, they were grateful to the Indians (which was why they came to the feast) but the real reason they gave thanks was that God had given them a feast.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's honestly iconic that this is willing to show that sometimes things were worse than they seemed in having Kit's dad's and Stirling's secrets revealed. I also love that Kit stands up for Native Americans and this emphasizes that people don't lose their jobs because they're bad people, it just happens.

[Olde American Spirit · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You have to be very careful what you say in a wish. Otherwise it’ll come true, but not the way you meant it to. That happens a lot in fairy tales.” 📚☕

In book two, Kit is not pleased with all the changes her family is having to endure because of the financial upheaval of the 1930s. This one is a little sad but also endearing.

Why does there always have to be that one mean kid [in stories & real life] ?? ugh
Sympathy, humility, and servanthood lessons are wonderful in this one.

Squeaky clean and wholesome.


Stay tuned for more in-depth monthly book reviews on my cozy YT channel. 💙☕📚

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This handled talking about the depression really well - especially the shame associated with it. Most people were in the same boat but there was a lot of pride not to show how bad-off you were. To me, it didn’t click why people felt they had to hide it until you saw the class bully run his mouth and be a jerkwad. Then you understood why people felt so shamed even though it was no fault of their own.

[Little Seal]

(I have probably read this book before as some of it sounded familiar, but I can't say for sure)

I'm gonna be honest, Roger was a pain in the butt and I'm glad he had feathers glued to his pants, lol

[Timothy Coons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept my kids quiet on a road trip. 4 stars

[Nickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one more than the first one! The plot felt a little more coherent and Kit’s story is starting to feel a little more real. Would’ve loved more Ruthie content though.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enjoyable! I can’t believe there were some twists that took me by surprise lol.💜

I loved when Kit told the mean boy “listen here, birdbrain” 😂

[•Kait• •Boers• · Rating 5 out of 5]

roger is a bitch

[Bulk Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Kit definitely learned more than one lesson in this book, and they were all pretty heavy for a nine year old.

Most importantly, she learns not to be judgmental. I adore her growing relationship with Stirling. Initially she wrote him off because he wasn’t her idea of what a guy friend should be. Then in this book, she is resentful and embarrassed by his presence in her house. In fact, she feels that way about all the boarders. That shocking twist when she realizes her family is just as poor and down on their luck as the rest of them is a great one. All along, she should’ve been thankful for the boarders for keeping her family afloat.

I think I needed to reread this at this point in my life. I work in a very poor area, and it can be frustrating to deal with people who are so needy and often dealing with their own problems (which they then project onto you.) I often try to remind myself that I am one bad day away from all that, but it’s still hard. This book reminded me to be grateful that I have a job, and for all of my other blessings as well.

[Holly Letson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
--------------
Kit Kittredge is a tough pill to swallow. She is a self-centered brat that lives in a fantasy world, and it makes her really hard to like. She refuses to accept real-world problems, and refuses to believe that her *perfect* family can be affected by them. She also refuses to accept the boarders in her family's house as well.

However, when reality slaps her straight in the face, she finally wakes up and removes the rose-colored film from her eyes. She finally realizes that jobs are not available for her father in Cincinatti and that her family has the boarders because of how poor they truly are.

I think that both her friend, Ruthie, and the boarder son, Stirling, played a wonderful part in turning Kit away from her bratty self-centered ways and got her onto the proper path. I enjoyed the ending, where Kit suggested everyone work together. I can only hope that she continues on in such a nice way.

[Deborah Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! It really encapsulates the hardships felt during the depression. From the accounts that my great-grandmother told me of the time, most families basically went through so much and I actually felt like Kit develops a lot as a character here. On a side note, it is awesome how it takes place during one of my favorite holidays-Thanksgiving!!

[Luna]

I loved it

[Lyric Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is OK. I like how at the beginning kit has a wish that her dad will get a job and then as the book goes on she changes her wish. I like the newspaper too.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

“‘The Pilgrims would've starved to death if it weren't for the Indians,’ she said. ‘The Indians taught the Pilgrims to plant corn and gave them supplies and help. I think that was pretty nice of the Indians, considering that the Pilgrims had barged into their land where they'd been living happily by themselves for a long time.’ As Kit spoke, she realized that this year, more than ever before, she had tremendous sympathy for the Indians. She knew how it felt to have a bunch of strangers living with you and eating your food and expecting your help when you didn't want them there in the first place!”

Indigenous rights icon Kit Kittredge.



For real though, this book is such a perfect example of how hard the original American Girl books went despite being children’s books. This one in particular grapples with some pretty mature topics—one of Kit’s friends’ father abandons him and his mother and the Looking Back historical note section mentions a teacher who killed himself during the Depression because his program was cut. I appreciate that; I respect kids’ literature that doesn’t talk down to their audience.

[Lucius Malfoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, this is one of the most accurate portrayals of poverty I have ever read.

Novels either tend to either glamorise poverty or to twist the impoverishment of their characters into some form of poverty pornography, but Kit Learns a Lesson does neither of these things. Kit's family is poor in a way that is desperately realistic. The twin emotions of dread and hope that go hand in hand with poverty are explored so succinctly here in this little novel. The five stages of grief--denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance--that the sacrifices which go along with having no money trigger in a person are brilliantly explored here too.

In saying all this, the novel isn't the least bit dour. Kit, Ruthie, and Stirling are a winning trio and watching as Kit comes to accept and then like Stirling leads to an excellent emotional catharsis at the conclusion of the book. That's not really a spoiler, by the way.

It is a gem of a novel.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

This is one of the AG stories that stuck with me from my childhood. It truly shows how children navigate difficult times and try to make life better for the adults around them.

Although a big part of this book is Kit adjusting to having boarders at home, I think Stirling’s B plot is the standout story. He receives a letter in the mail from his father, who has left his mother and him behind to find work. Inside the letter is $20 and hardly anyone can believe it—and it makes his mother hopeful that her husband has found work. However, later in the story, after Kit sees her dad at the soup kitchen, Stirling reveals he sent the letter to himself and the money was given to him by his dad before he left. He has no idea where he is and just wanted to bring hope to the household.

I think this is both a heartbreaking and heartwarming story about the hardship these children are going through, and the lengths they’ll go to make things seem better, even for a little bit.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book on the continuing life and times of "Kit" Kittredge, a 9 year old living in Cincinnati. We find the Kittredge home filled with borders and the family still struggling to make ends meet. Although Kit helos our, she'd much rather see them not living with her.
Surprisingly, there is a part about the misconceptions of those who are not yet effected by the Great Depression against those that are. I like that even though this is a book for younger readers, it doesnt white wash what was going on at that time. I still find the look into the past pages are included so they can more easily understand the times are included.