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American Girl: Kirsten #2
Kirsten Learns a Lesson: A School Story
Kirsten has a hard time in her new American school because she doesn't speak English very well. Miss Winston, her new teacher, is strict & not very understanding. Things get worse when Miss Winston comes to live with the Larson family. Kirsten's only escape is playing with her secret friend Singing Bird, the Indian girl. When Singing Bird suggests running away forever, Kirsten must decide where she belongs. Kirsten does learn some important lessons in school, but she learns something even more important about herself.
88 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
January 24, 2026
"I'm not really worried," she said softly. But she was dizzy, the way she'd felt on the ship just before she was seasick.
Kirsten, along with her family, voyaged over the ocean, took the train across America, and walked the final distance to Uncle Olav's farm...but now she has her greatest challenge yet: School.
"Kirsten sighed. 'But I can't do what you do. I only speak a little bit of English, and I can't read a word of it. I won't fit in at all.' "
But when she does go to school, it's so much worse than she imagined. She can't understand half of what the teacher is saying and her words come out all jumbled.
"Ah! You will speak English in school, Kirsten. And you will begin with the easiest lessons...Do you understand?"
Kirsten nodded.
"Say, 'I understand, ma'am,' " Miss Winston reminded her.
It's humiliating. But at least she has her cousins to keep her company and her secret friend, Singing Bird.
Singing Bird and Kirsten bumped into each by chance and while neither of them could speak English, they found a way to communicate.
"When Kirsten came back to the stream after supper, the doll cake was gone. In its place was the green wing feather of a duck, stuck into the sand like a little flag."
But soon even Kirsten's secret friend isn't enough to keep her worries at bay. The schoolmistress, Miss Winston, is coming to stay at the farm, Kirsten must memorize a poem and recite it in front of the class, and one of her few friends might be leaving.
How could Kirsten ever feel at home in this new country when everything is going wrong?
This one was a really solid follow up to Meet Kirsten - I feel like we were able to see a lot of character development for Kirsten as she is faced with challenge after challenge.
My heart ached for her when she spoke of having to memorize the poem and then the anxiety she felt over speaking English in front of the other school children.
I think Singing Bird's presence in this book worked fairly well. As with any early pioneering book, the author must strike a balance between portraying the thoughts and feelings of the pioneers and our modern understanding of culture. Pioneers didn't have our same resources, and thus relied upon word-of-mouth for forming many of their opinions.
That can be seen in Kirsten's cousins, her teacher and even her Mama's lack of understanding regarding their native neighbors. It is unfortunate, but realistic.
I appreciated how Kirsten relied on her own experience with Singing Bird to form an opinion and how this book didn't shy away from the negative effects of the settlers on Singing Bird's family.
One thing that did confuse me about this book was the lack of grief over Marta. She passed in a rather traumatic way in book 1. While Kirsten grieved in that first book, I would expect that sadness to carry more over into this book but Marta's death isn't really mentioned in a significant way this book or subsequent ones.
Overall, I feel like this was a satisfying continuation of Kirsten's story and I cannot wait for the next one.
A Peek into the Past
Like all of the main and mini Kirsten Larson books, this one has a mini historical section at the back called a Peek into the Past.
In this Peek into the Past, we learn about school in the pioneering days. Farm children worked in the spring and fall, so school was strictly in the summer and winter - but even then, students would frequently skip school to help their families. All the students had a singular teacher who used different books based on how advanced the children were.
More reviews in the Kirsten-verse
Main Series:
Meet Kirsten - ★★★★☆
Kirsten Learns a Lesson - ★★★★☆
Kirsten's Surprise - ★★★★★
Happy Birthday, Kirsten - ★★★★☆
Kirsten Saves the Day - ★★★★☆
Changes for Kirsten - ★★★☆☆
Kirsten's Boxed Set - ★★★★☆
Short Stories:
Kirsten on the Trail - ★★★☆☆
Kirsten and the New Girl - ★★★★☆
Kirsten Snowbound - ★★★★★
Kirsten and the Chippewa - ★★★★☆
Kirsten's Promise - ★★★★★
Kirsten's Short Story Collection - ★★★★☆
Mystery Book:
The Runaway Friend - ★★★★★
Kirsten's Historical and Activity Books:
Kirsten's Cookbook - ★★★★★
Kirsten's Craft Book - ★★★★★
Kirsten's Theater Kit - ★★★★☆
Welcome to Kirsten's World · 1854 - ★★★★★
Additional Historical and Activity Books Featuring Kirsten:
American Girl Cross-stitch - ★★☆☆☆
The American Girls Cookbook - ★★★★★
The American Girls Party Book - ★★★★★
American Girl Sweet & Savory Treats Cookbook - ★☆☆☆☆
Everything I Need to Know I Learned From American Girl - ★★★☆☆
Minute Mysteries - ★★★★☆
Minute Mysteries 2 - ★★★★☆
The Official American Girl Cookbook - ★★★★☆
Additional Picture Reader Books
Happy Birthday! - ★★★★☆
Happy Holidays! - ★★★★★
My First American Girl Boxed Set - ★★★★☆
Time for School! - ★★★★☆
August 18, 2022
This was just as cute as I remember it!! Beware of light spoilers in this review. We get to know Kirsten and her family a bit better in this book. We also get to know her teacher more, whose name escapes me now… but I thought it was fun to read about Kirsten’s school experiences!! I can’t imagine being in one classroom with all the grades at once. But that’s how it was in Kirsten’s time, which is just so interesting to me.
I was also glad that it took a good amount of effort on Kirsten’s part to begin learning English. I feel like many books gloss over it as though learning English is easy, which it most definitely is not. She also struggles with a few other things in this installment and I think it makes the story seem more real.
I recommend this to American Girl lovers who enjoy a good MG/elementary read. You learn some things and have fun at the same time!! Win win!!
I was also glad that it took a good amount of effort on Kirsten’s part to begin learning English. I feel like many books gloss over it as though learning English is easy, which it most definitely is not. She also struggles with a few other things in this installment and I think it makes the story seem more real.
I recommend this to American Girl lovers who enjoy a good MG/elementary read. You learn some things and have fun at the same time!! Win win!!
January 27, 2025
I liked all the new school vibes but the old teacher and the new one were absolutely scary. ekkk
Felt bad for Kirsten and related with her in her shyness and keeping things to herself. Her new friend, Singing Bird was sweet.
It was interesting!
✨📚☕💙☕📚✨More in-depth reviews on my Youtube Wrap Up videos.
Felt bad for Kirsten and related with her in her shyness and keeping things to herself. Her new friend, Singing Bird was sweet.
It was interesting!
✨📚☕💙☕📚✨More in-depth reviews on my Youtube Wrap Up videos.
January 21, 2025
Miss Winston is terrifying, Kirsten needs a hug, and Singing Bird is precious.
January 24, 2012
If you read my reviews, you know I am a fan of the American Girls series for girls. I enjoyed this one but felt that it was two storylines when it should have been one. These are small-chapter books and dividing the narrative up this way means neither topic gets the attention that it deserves. Since this book is called Kirsten Learns A Lesson: A School Story, the book should have been just that, life for a young immigrant girl going to a rural school in 1854. School life at that time is so completely foreign to young readers now that more details about Kirsten's school life would have been interesting and educational. The second storyline was also good, though needed its own book in this American Girls Series. Kirsten befriends a Native American girl. Even though spoken communication was next to impossible, these two young girls from very different back grounds, became friends. Both story lines were good, just not enough "meat" for either of them in the one book.
December 15, 2021
I enjoyed reading these books with my niece when she was little and it's fun to revisit Kirsten. Her series is one of my favorites in the American Girl canon.
I recently read "The Children's Blizzard" about the fatal storm in the Dakotas during the late 18th century. "Kirsten Learns a Lesson" does a good job of describing the life of a frontier schoolteacher, both in the story and in the endnotes. I also appreciated Kirsten's friendship with Singing Bird. Kirsten seems to realize that making Minnesota her home means Singing Bird is losing her home. I definitely think there is empathy and a dawning awareness on Kirsten's part. The author does not shy away from difficult subjects such as Singing Bird's displacement and, in the previous book, Marta's death. This series has plenty of teachable moments for children.
I recently read "The Children's Blizzard" about the fatal storm in the Dakotas during the late 18th century. "Kirsten Learns a Lesson" does a good job of describing the life of a frontier schoolteacher, both in the story and in the endnotes. I also appreciated Kirsten's friendship with Singing Bird. Kirsten seems to realize that making Minnesota her home means Singing Bird is losing her home. I definitely think there is empathy and a dawning awareness on Kirsten's part. The author does not shy away from difficult subjects such as Singing Bird's displacement and, in the previous book, Marta's death. This series has plenty of teachable moments for children.
May 1, 2026
I read this aloud to my 1st grader. We really enjoyed this second book in the Kirsten series. It did give me some good talking points on honesty.
Personally, I didn’t like that Kirsten sneaks around her parents to meet with her friend. I get that during that time they probably would have said no. We talked about that. BUT I also know many kids read these books alone, and dishonesty is not a character trait we should be parading as ok. I wish there had been a conversation between Kirsten and her parents about that.
I did like how Kirsten’s view of her teacher changed. Miss Winston was a bit over the top but it was made clear she really did want her students to succeed. No kid wants to work harder by nature, but I was glad her teacher wasn’t excessively cruel and Kirsten didn’t give up.
Content to consider/discuss for parents: dishonesty, hiding things from parents, friend moving away
Personally, I didn’t like that Kirsten sneaks around her parents to meet with her friend. I get that during that time they probably would have said no. We talked about that. BUT I also know many kids read these books alone, and dishonesty is not a character trait we should be parading as ok. I wish there had been a conversation between Kirsten and her parents about that.
I did like how Kirsten’s view of her teacher changed. Miss Winston was a bit over the top but it was made clear she really did want her students to succeed. No kid wants to work harder by nature, but I was glad her teacher wasn’t excessively cruel and Kirsten didn’t give up.
Content to consider/discuss for parents: dishonesty, hiding things from parents, friend moving away
May 14, 2025
Is there really any greater feeling than picking up a childhood favorite and being reminded of why you fell in love with the book (and series) in the first place? Probably not!
I’ll admit that I picked this up because it came with Kirsten’s school outfit from American Girl (the re-released outfit is too cute by the way), but I’m so glad that I read this (well re-read for the millionth time). As a child, Kirsten was one of my favorite historical characters from American Girl, I thought her story of coming to America and surviving hardships was incredibly inspiring. As an adult, I still believe that but now have an even deeper appreciation for the historical accuracy and life lessons American Girl teaches.
In this book, Kirsten, who has the inability to speak English, is starting school in America. Kirsten is struggling to assimilate and learn English, so school is harder for her than her classmates. I really enjoyed seeing Kirsten evolve throughout the short book and watch her find the courage to speak up, learn poems, another language and embrace other cultures (not just American culture, but Native American culture as well).
Additionally, friendship is another important theme in this book. Kirsten befriends a Dakota Girl, Singing Bird. Although there is a bit of a language barrier, they quickly become friends, sharing parts of their lives together. I thought their friendship was beautiful and a great reminder that we are all more alike than we are different. Seeing people from two very different backgrounds coming together was wonderful to read about. Too often we hear more about what divides us than what unites us, so this was a welcome change.
I will be honest that this book does deal with some heavy topics, such as the US government’s treatment of Native Americans, but the topics are dealt with in an age-appropriate way. Without giving spoilers, the ending is on the sad side but is necessary in order for the story to be historically accurate.
I recommend this book to children and adults interested in history and people interested in the first-generation immigrant experience.
I’ll admit that I picked this up because it came with Kirsten’s school outfit from American Girl (the re-released outfit is too cute by the way), but I’m so glad that I read this (well re-read for the millionth time). As a child, Kirsten was one of my favorite historical characters from American Girl, I thought her story of coming to America and surviving hardships was incredibly inspiring. As an adult, I still believe that but now have an even deeper appreciation for the historical accuracy and life lessons American Girl teaches.
In this book, Kirsten, who has the inability to speak English, is starting school in America. Kirsten is struggling to assimilate and learn English, so school is harder for her than her classmates. I really enjoyed seeing Kirsten evolve throughout the short book and watch her find the courage to speak up, learn poems, another language and embrace other cultures (not just American culture, but Native American culture as well).
Additionally, friendship is another important theme in this book. Kirsten befriends a Dakota Girl, Singing Bird. Although there is a bit of a language barrier, they quickly become friends, sharing parts of their lives together. I thought their friendship was beautiful and a great reminder that we are all more alike than we are different. Seeing people from two very different backgrounds coming together was wonderful to read about. Too often we hear more about what divides us than what unites us, so this was a welcome change.
I will be honest that this book does deal with some heavy topics, such as the US government’s treatment of Native Americans, but the topics are dealt with in an age-appropriate way. Without giving spoilers, the ending is on the sad side but is necessary in order for the story to be historically accurate.
I recommend this book to children and adults interested in history and people interested in the first-generation immigrant experience.
Read
January 8, 2020This book is a joke! (THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS)
Kirsten doesn't speak English, but then goes to school and doesn't seem to have any trouble understanding her teacher--who's speaking English?
THEN, Kirsten makes friends with a Native American girl by exchanging gifts with her. Cut to some time later, and THEY CAN COMMUNICATE. Even though they speak different languages. No difficulty for Kirsten, apparently. But we get NO information on how they learned to speak to one another.
Singing Bird, Kirsten's friend, takes Kirsten to her village to meet her father. Then HER FATHER SPEAKS TO KIRSTEN. Are they speaking English? What??
Finally, after all this, I thought, "Ok, they're going to tie it together by having Kirsten realize that learning English is important because it's worth it to learn to communicate with people you want to be friends with, even if it's difficult." NOPE. Kirsten learns English when her teacher gives her a poem to memorize about being on a boat! Because apparently, that's like her strongest memory, even though, by all accounts, the voyage to America was HORRIBLE, and also HER FRIEND MARTA DIES ON A BOAT!! Which also she apparently has no trauma from!!
In summary, ridiculous.
Kirsten doesn't speak English, but then goes to school and doesn't seem to have any trouble understanding her teacher--who's speaking English?
THEN, Kirsten makes friends with a Native American girl by exchanging gifts with her. Cut to some time later, and THEY CAN COMMUNICATE. Even though they speak different languages. No difficulty for Kirsten, apparently. But we get NO information on how they learned to speak to one another.
Singing Bird, Kirsten's friend, takes Kirsten to her village to meet her father. Then HER FATHER SPEAKS TO KIRSTEN. Are they speaking English? What??
Finally, after all this, I thought, "Ok, they're going to tie it together by having Kirsten realize that learning English is important because it's worth it to learn to communicate with people you want to be friends with, even if it's difficult." NOPE. Kirsten learns English when her teacher gives her a poem to memorize about being on a boat! Because apparently, that's like her strongest memory, even though, by all accounts, the voyage to America was HORRIBLE, and also HER FRIEND MARTA DIES ON A BOAT!! Which also she apparently has no trauma from!!
In summary, ridiculous.
May 25, 2012
This book attempts to deal with Kirsten's struggles in school because of her language barrier, but whenever it is plot-convenient, Kirsten can communicate perfectly well with both English-speaking Americans and Native Americans. I remember being confused by this as a child, and I thought I was missing something. Nope, it was just a plot hole.
Although the primary conflict in this book is about Kirsten's challenges adjusting to school in a new country, a subplot involves her developing friendship with a Native American. This aspect of the story, and part of the "peek into the past" section, address the impact that European immigration had on native populations. That is worthwhile, but the book as a whole is scattered and lackluster. Even though I remember enjoying it as a child, I'm not impressed now.
Although the primary conflict in this book is about Kirsten's challenges adjusting to school in a new country, a subplot involves her developing friendship with a Native American. This aspect of the story, and part of the "peek into the past" section, address the impact that European immigration had on native populations. That is worthwhile, but the book as a whole is scattered and lackluster. Even though I remember enjoying it as a child, I'm not impressed now.
October 12, 2022
3.5 stars
I enjoyed Kirsten's interactions with Singing Bird, and her cousins. I like that she realizes where she belongs.
She does lie in this story and it's never found out or dealt with, so I'm taking half a star off for it.
I enjoyed Kirsten's interactions with Singing Bird, and her cousins. I like that she realizes where she belongs.
She does lie in this story and it's never found out or dealt with, so I'm taking half a star off for it.
March 5, 2025
{March 2025 Reread}
miss winston does not pass the vibe check
miss winston does not pass the vibe check
October 29, 2019
Rereading as an adult again.
I hadn't made this connection before, but like Molly's multiplication bee, Kirsten utterly dreads having to recite her poem. (I would have been totally game for both - Samantha energy?)
I love that Miss Winston switches poems after they bond over the ship in a bottle. Miss Winston feels like she owes a lot to both the later Little House books (These Happy Golden Years especially) and Sarah, Plain and Tall, but (plot twist!) the latter was published in 1985 and this in 1986, so likely that's a coincidence - they would have been in production at the same time.
Anyway, here's Kirsten in her first days at an American school and learning English in earnest. We know she went to school in Sweden, so it's a little odd that she seems to struggle to form letters as Anna teaches her "dog." It's the same alphabet...
Math isn't really mentioned (fair, we only have 64 pages and a whole lot of story), but it would have been neat to see Kirsten really comfortable with arithmetic, which likely would come more easily than reading in a new language.
Like the first book, this one bites off a lot. From first meeting Singing Bird, we zip straight to "they were already the best of friends," with a lot of adventures only mentioned in passing. (That becomes VERY convenient later in the series when we need to explain why only Kirsten knows a place.) but it feels like we're missing out on a whole other book here. (I forget, maybe there are short stories that fill some of this in.) (LATER: There are not.) It's unclear exactly how many days or weeks have passed, as is how she gets the time to run off with Singing Bird, and where everyone else thinks she is.
Shaw's handling of all things Native American is a little uncomfortable, though I have to admit, I don't know what the right solution would be. She's clearly trying to first present the slurs and limited understanding that Kirsten hears from white people, then color in a fuller picture with actual Native characters. Miss Winston calls them savages, which you expect from the period. Lisbeth and Anna offer a slightly broader picture in the vein of "some people say X, some people say Y," and even note that new farms are affecting Native hunting lands. Presumably they don't have much direct experience, so I'm tempted to call this the best we could hope for?
Unfortunately, when we do meet Singing Bird properly, we hear a lot about the trinkets she and Kirsten exchange, and we get a good description of her appearance, her movement, her village - but we never get much of a feel for her personality. She's curious, generous and likes to explore, I guess? It doesn't feel like much. And the rest of her village - coming out to marvel at Kirsten while her father intones nobly about what a good friend Kirsten has been - feels cliche.
What I don't know is how this would have felt in 1986 - before Dances With Wolves and all of that - at the time, would this have felt like a subversion of 1960s Western tropes?
Anyway, it all makes me curious to see what Shaw did 15 years later in the Kaya books, which I've never read. (Added later: Now I have.)
Last note on the book at hand. The grown-up brain thinks that it's absolutely, utterly ridiculous to picture Kirsten actually leaving with Singing Bird, but as a daydream, it works - and anyway, the point is her realization that this place has actually started to feel like home.
More Kirsten babble
Meet Kirsten | Kirsten Learns a Lesson | Kirsten’s Surprise | Happy Birthday, Kirsten | Kirsten Saves the Day | Changes for Kirsten
Kirsten on the Trail | Kirsten and the New Girl | Kirsten Snowbound! | Kirsten and the Chippewa | Kirsten’s Promise | Kirsten’s Short Story Collection
The Runaway Friend
I hadn't made this connection before, but like Molly's multiplication bee, Kirsten utterly dreads having to recite her poem. (I would have been totally game for both - Samantha energy?)
I love that Miss Winston switches poems after they bond over the ship in a bottle. Miss Winston feels like she owes a lot to both the later Little House books (These Happy Golden Years especially) and Sarah, Plain and Tall, but (plot twist!) the latter was published in 1985 and this in 1986, so likely that's a coincidence - they would have been in production at the same time.
Anyway, here's Kirsten in her first days at an American school and learning English in earnest. We know she went to school in Sweden, so it's a little odd that she seems to struggle to form letters as Anna teaches her "dog." It's the same alphabet...
Math isn't really mentioned (fair, we only have 64 pages and a whole lot of story), but it would have been neat to see Kirsten really comfortable with arithmetic, which likely would come more easily than reading in a new language.
Like the first book, this one bites off a lot. From first meeting Singing Bird, we zip straight to "they were already the best of friends," with a lot of adventures only mentioned in passing. (That becomes VERY convenient later in the series when we need to explain why only Kirsten knows a place.) but it feels like we're missing out on a whole other book here. (I forget, maybe there are short stories that fill some of this in.) (LATER: There are not.) It's unclear exactly how many days or weeks have passed, as is how she gets the time to run off with Singing Bird, and where everyone else thinks she is.
Shaw's handling of all things Native American is a little uncomfortable, though I have to admit, I don't know what the right solution would be. She's clearly trying to first present the slurs and limited understanding that Kirsten hears from white people, then color in a fuller picture with actual Native characters. Miss Winston calls them savages, which you expect from the period. Lisbeth and Anna offer a slightly broader picture in the vein of "some people say X, some people say Y," and even note that new farms are affecting Native hunting lands. Presumably they don't have much direct experience, so I'm tempted to call this the best we could hope for?
Unfortunately, when we do meet Singing Bird properly, we hear a lot about the trinkets she and Kirsten exchange, and we get a good description of her appearance, her movement, her village - but we never get much of a feel for her personality. She's curious, generous and likes to explore, I guess? It doesn't feel like much. And the rest of her village - coming out to marvel at Kirsten while her father intones nobly about what a good friend Kirsten has been - feels cliche.
What I don't know is how this would have felt in 1986 - before Dances With Wolves and all of that - at the time, would this have felt like a subversion of 1960s Western tropes?
Anyway, it all makes me curious to see what Shaw did 15 years later in the Kaya books, which I've never read. (Added later: Now I have.)
Last note on the book at hand. The grown-up brain thinks that it's absolutely, utterly ridiculous to picture Kirsten actually leaving with Singing Bird, but as a daydream, it works - and anyway, the point is her realization that this place has actually started to feel like home.
More Kirsten babble
Meet Kirsten | Kirsten Learns a Lesson | Kirsten’s Surprise | Happy Birthday, Kirsten | Kirsten Saves the Day | Changes for Kirsten
Kirsten on the Trail | Kirsten and the New Girl | Kirsten Snowbound! | Kirsten and the Chippewa | Kirsten’s Promise | Kirsten’s Short Story Collection
The Runaway Friend
Read
March 13, 2020I have no recollection of the happenings in this book, and that is a good thing because wowwwwwwww is this book fucked or what. First of all, Miss Winston's little grammar lesson is HILARIOUS but also HORRIFYING; well played, Janet Shaw. But really, this is a whole lot of nonsense. Why is this called Powderkeg School? Why is Kirsten alternately terrible and gifted and then terrible again at English, instead of a slow curve of learning like would actually be realistic? What the fuck is with "secret Indian friend" and that nonsense? I'm not going to even go into names like Singing Bird and Yellow Hair because it's so fucking pedestrian and basic that calling it problematic is giving it too much credit. White people are fucking obsessed with "Indian names" and I cannot. Singing Bird, by the way, also goes from knowing literally no English to being able to communicate in short sentences after interacting with a girl who doesn't speak English herself. A wha? The plotting in this story is so uneven that it's like Shaw and Pleasant Rowland were playing a game of Exquisite Corpse and they never bothered to go through and smooth out the disjointed bits after they got to the end.
So not even by American frontier romanticist nonsense standards is this good; it's bad because it's every bit as trite and problematic as you'd expect from the white capitalist institution that made it, but it's also just bad on all technical levels. Blehh. Now I see why I didn't like Kirsten growing up.
So not even by American frontier romanticist nonsense standards is this good; it's bad because it's every bit as trite and problematic as you'd expect from the white capitalist institution that made it, but it's also just bad on all technical levels. Blehh. Now I see why I didn't like Kirsten growing up.
May 28, 2020
Personally, I think it would have been a lot better if Kirsten really did run away...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2020
Singing Bird is such a sweetheart
November 27, 2024
this book sets out to talk about two things. the process of learning a new language and the relationship between pioneers and Native Americans. it fails at doing both of them sadly.
July 30, 2026
Very good! We continue Kirsten's journey. She's not perfect, but she's a sweet, curious, brave girl.
Good historical note! I learned things.
Good historical note! I learned things.
Read
November 12, 2023i think about kirsten everyday she was My american girl
February 25, 2026
my poor homegirl was so nervous but i’m so glad she persevered and got to read a poem she related to more! kirsten is my homegirl 4L. best american girl
January 16, 2016
This is one of the few books in the series where it's actually best to read the historical section first and then the story. The historical section does a good job in explaining how schools were run in Kirsten's time and it's extremely different from the way things are done now.
In this story Kirsten is going to start school but she speaks very, very little English and has a lot of trouble in class, especially when the teacher assigns her a poem to memorize and recite in front of the others.
Another plotline is when Kirsten makes friends with a young Indian girl who lives nearby. They get along very, very well and trade a number of different items with each other. Kirsten is even able to meet the girl's father in their teepee. (Which really goes to show that the hatred against the Native Americans was taught the young people; until they were taught that, they could regard each other as potential friends.)
This is a very good story in the series.
In this story Kirsten is going to start school but she speaks very, very little English and has a lot of trouble in class, especially when the teacher assigns her a poem to memorize and recite in front of the others.
Another plotline is when Kirsten makes friends with a young Indian girl who lives nearby. They get along very, very well and trade a number of different items with each other. Kirsten is even able to meet the girl's father in their teepee. (Which really goes to show that the hatred against the Native Americans was taught the young people; until they were taught that, they could regard each other as potential friends.)
This is a very good story in the series.
May 17, 2018
I love how this one continues to expand on the the theme of the challenges an immigrating family faces. Specifically the challenge of learning English and how intimidating it can be. For young readers, who only know their own experiences, this is going to teach real empathy. Hell, for an adult it does that. There's also some very interesting commentary the pioneers relationships with indigenous peoples and how their farming affected their food supply.
Read
April 16, 2026Well I guess I am rereading this series! This was my favorite, or at least the one that stuck with me the most. I remember her friendship with the little Indigenous girl, them leaving presents for each other--a green button on a piece of green thread, a tiny basket woven from grass, a little doll with a leaf for a skirt--I lived in the woods growing up and there were no other little girls anywhere near, so for me this was such a beautiful fantasy. I am also someone who growing up loved school and had a teacher for a Mom so this one really spoke to me.
July 3, 2021
A sweet story about Kirsten adjusting to school on the frontier without being proficient in English and also making friends with a local Native American girl, which shows her the impact settlers have on the lives of those on whose land they now live. The only thing that surprised/disappointed me about it was that the historical notes at the end only covered the school aspect of the plot.
October 8, 2025
I think Kirsten is the first white fictional character I read who actually saw Native Americans as people and chose to not fear them which is a much needed perspective. I liked this book a lot especially the fact that school didn't come easily to Kirsten (though also definitely didn't seem like an easy way to learn a new language!)
October 14, 2026
I liked the first book better, but this one was still very interesting!! My favorite part is the looking back section! (If you were wondering why I finished the book early, it's because i just wanted to know what happened😂)
January 10, 2019
I think meet Kirsten was a good book because Kirsten learned to read in English. But she also lied to her parents by saying that she was going to practice her poem when acually she was just going to meet a friend.Plus she was leaving school to go meet the same friend Singing Bird.She had to sneak because her family did not like indians.
December 4, 2024
why am I crying in the club rn
September 15, 2026
Sometimes you find you learn more as you use it!
April 17, 2024
Rereading the American Girl books one series at a time. There were some interesting and troubling narratives in this one. Kirsten can’t speak English, is berated by her mean school teacher who then comes to live with them, and then dreams of running away and living with her Native American friend, Singing Bird. Somehow Singing Bird and Kirsten are able to speak to each other while they have no shared language. I love the depiction of Kirsten’s emotions and her anxieties about speaking in school, which I found relatable. I was never into this character much as a child so I am enjoying rereading it!
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