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American Girl: Kit #1-3
Read All About It: A Kit Classic Volume 1
Kit Kittredge has a nose for news, but having to give up her bedroom and move to the attic isn’t the best news she has ever heard! How will Kit make the most of her new location? Then, with chores piling up, Kit starts to feel a little grumbly, but she soon realizes just how fortunate her family really is. She even comes up with an idea to help her family earn more money. And helping her uncle makes it possible for Kit to save a little money, too. Will Kit’s savings be enough to pay for something important?
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 28, 2014
About the author
Valerie Tripp
278 books474 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 30 reviews
August 20, 2026
This review is for the 2014 Beforever relaunch of the Kit Kittredge Series (Read All About It: A Kit Classic).
This is the first of the Beforever relaunch duology and contain almost the entirety of the first three books of Kit's original series: (Meet Kit 1934, Kit Learns a Lesson, and Kit's Surprise).
The only additions are transitional paragraphs to help smooth the bumps as we go from book 1 to book 2 and then from book 2 to book 3.
And (of course) this volume completely does away with the GORGEOUS illustrations from the original books. We do still get the "typewriter" format for Kit's newspaper articles but no other variations in the book.
AND the "historical section" at the back of the book is a shortened version cobbled together from the three original books.
I am going to be completely honest, if I hadn't had read the first three books, I wouldn't have been too upset by the changes in the "Classic" editions. The story is still really solid whether it is broken up into three books or combined into a single volume.
I still adore Kit and her various adventures. My heartstrings are still tugged. And I still learned quite a bit from the historical section.
But...and this is a big 'but' so let me say it again: BUT I do know how great this series is and I can't go back.
The illustrations breath so much character into these stories, and all the little drawing from Stirling makes it so much fun to read.
The robust historical sections at the back of the book are FANTASTIC. They even have real photographs of people, places, and things from that era. It really hits home just how closely Kit's life aligned with the "real" world.
And (this is me being petty but oh well) the QUALITY of the paper is just so much higher in the old books.
It's not too bad, but gosh dang do I miss what used to be the standard for the books.
This is the first of the Beforever relaunch duology and contain almost the entirety of the first three books of Kit's original series: (Meet Kit 1934, Kit Learns a Lesson, and Kit's Surprise).
The only additions are transitional paragraphs to help smooth the bumps as we go from book 1 to book 2 and then from book 2 to book 3.
And (of course) this volume completely does away with the GORGEOUS illustrations from the original books. We do still get the "typewriter" format for Kit's newspaper articles but no other variations in the book.
AND the "historical section" at the back of the book is a shortened version cobbled together from the three original books.
I am going to be completely honest, if I hadn't had read the first three books, I wouldn't have been too upset by the changes in the "Classic" editions. The story is still really solid whether it is broken up into three books or combined into a single volume.
I still adore Kit and her various adventures. My heartstrings are still tugged. And I still learned quite a bit from the historical section.
But...and this is a big 'but' so let me say it again: BUT I do know how great this series is and I can't go back.
The illustrations breath so much character into these stories, and all the little drawing from Stirling makes it so much fun to read.
The robust historical sections at the back of the book are FANTASTIC. They even have real photographs of people, places, and things from that era. It really hits home just how closely Kit's life aligned with the "real" world.
And (this is me being petty but oh well) the QUALITY of the paper is just so much higher in the old books.
It's not too bad, but gosh dang do I miss what used to be the standard for the books.
September 5, 2026
This review is for the 2020 abridged & illustrated version of Kit's Story.
For the curious: Kit's story began with six original volumes (published in 2000). Those books were grouped into a duology and relaunched as the 2014 Beforever version. The series was re-relaunched in 2020 as abridged and edited.
Now if you are curious why they would re-relaunch the books - something to keep in mind, the Beforever version used cheaper paper and got rid of all the illustrations from the original books. Bit of a bummer there.
Kit's story is one of the best written ones that I've read so far and I was SO nervous going into the 2020 version because the abridged & edited books tend to be a bit rough with the edits.
But I can honestly say that it worked fairly flipping well. The page quality is right back up again and they included most of the illustrations in the story.
That being said, there were things that were shortened and skipped - like Kit's room redecoration was shorter, Kit doesn't explain her money issues to Ruthie, one of Uncle Hendrick's scenes was cut, some of the school story stuff was skipped, and some Inky scenes where cut as well.
However, as I read the book, I really didn't pick up on the missing elements. I knew they were cut but it didn't feel like anything was missing from the book.
The story still flowed really well and I still felt the really big emotional moments from the story.
The one thing that I did really miss was not having all of the historical content at the back of the books. We still get some of the information and the photographs of the historical people, places, and things are included, but the section was heavily edited and I miss the longer sections from the original 6 books.
Overall, from the abridged books I've read - this is one of the best.
For the curious: Kit's story began with six original volumes (published in 2000). Those books were grouped into a duology and relaunched as the 2014 Beforever version. The series was re-relaunched in 2020 as abridged and edited.
Now if you are curious why they would re-relaunch the books - something to keep in mind, the Beforever version used cheaper paper and got rid of all the illustrations from the original books. Bit of a bummer there.
Kit's story is one of the best written ones that I've read so far and I was SO nervous going into the 2020 version because the abridged & edited books tend to be a bit rough with the edits.
But I can honestly say that it worked fairly flipping well. The page quality is right back up again and they included most of the illustrations in the story.
That being said, there were things that were shortened and skipped - like Kit's room redecoration was shorter, Kit doesn't explain her money issues to Ruthie, one of Uncle Hendrick's scenes was cut, some of the school story stuff was skipped, and some Inky scenes where cut as well.
However, as I read the book, I really didn't pick up on the missing elements. I knew they were cut but it didn't feel like anything was missing from the book.
The story still flowed really well and I still felt the really big emotional moments from the story.
The one thing that I did really miss was not having all of the historical content at the back of the books. We still get some of the information and the photographs of the historical people, places, and things are included, but the section was heavily edited and I miss the longer sections from the original 6 books.
Overall, from the abridged books I've read - this is one of the best.
December 26, 2017
3.5
I love how a popular doll is sold with a book and there are more books in the series. Little girls can get to know their doll's character better, but they can also learn solid historical details and facts that are brought out in the stories. This book is about Kit an her family. It is set during the Great Depression and it shows the financial struggles, sorrow, and self identification that can change when you loose the normal life that you once knew. My reason for a 3.5 star rating is only because I can't say it makes the best read aloud. These books are probably better for children that can read them independently.
I love how a popular doll is sold with a book and there are more books in the series. Little girls can get to know their doll's character better, but they can also learn solid historical details and facts that are brought out in the stories. This book is about Kit an her family. It is set during the Great Depression and it shows the financial struggles, sorrow, and self identification that can change when you loose the normal life that you once knew. My reason for a 3.5 star rating is only because I can't say it makes the best read aloud. These books are probably better for children that can read them independently.
January 24, 2017
An American Girl book made me cry again! Kit's story takes place during the Great Depression and she has to deal with a lot of hardship. Interesting commentary on fantasy's roll in helping people cope with their situations.
February 4, 2024
4 for the nostalgia of it all
October 11, 2026
Love this book! American Girl stories are definitely what instilled my love for reading (and writing) historical fiction. Very well written and highly recommend!
October 23, 2024
Set in 1934 in Cincinnati, Ohio, this first volume of stories about nine-year-old Kit Kittredge is a story of ingenuity, resilience and heart in the face of challenging circumstances. Like other American Girl series set in historical periods, Kit's stories focus on the Great Depression of the 1930s, offering insights into the unemployment, hunger and housing insecurity faced by so many during that period. As Kit's father faces the failure of his business and a seemingly endless search for a new job, their family takes in boarders to earn money for their mortgage. Kit types her own newspaper in her attic room, and navigates the mixed feelings of sharing her house with strangers who become like family. Kit's story is an honest, funny, and heartwarming view of a difficult period of American history, one that allows children and adults alike a view into the challenges and resilience of the generations who lived through the Great Depression.
Kit's stories are significant to me because she is the exact age of my own grandmother, and some of her circumstances, such as taking in boarders for extra money, mirror my grandmother's childhood during the Great Depression. Though children reading this book likely have younger grandparents than mine, I would use this book as a jumping-off point for a family research project, in which students would interview older members of their family to learn what life was like when they were children. This could culminate in a writing assignment or a visual project that students could share with one another, giving them a chance to learn more about their own family heritage and take pride in sharing it with one another.
Kit's stories are significant to me because she is the exact age of my own grandmother, and some of her circumstances, such as taking in boarders for extra money, mirror my grandmother's childhood during the Great Depression. Though children reading this book likely have younger grandparents than mine, I would use this book as a jumping-off point for a family research project, in which students would interview older members of their family to learn what life was like when they were children. This could culminate in a writing assignment or a visual project that students could share with one another, giving them a chance to learn more about their own family heritage and take pride in sharing it with one another.
February 13, 2026
[Local Library’s 26 in 2026 Reading Challenge | #16: Read a Children’s Book]
As an American Girl fan since childhood, I was never really that drawn to Kit, but I decided to finally give her a chance for this reading challenge. Good thing I did, because this was a really fun (and interesting) read !
In chapter 6, Kit is in school and the teacher is relating people helping each other during the depression to how the pilgrims and the natives “helped” each other during the first Thanksgiving, which I immediately recognized was a pretty outdated view on the whole thing, but one could argue that the whole story itself is purposefully ‘outdated’, so I suppose you could let it slide.
The Beforever books (and the Beforever rebranding as a whole) is pretty commonly disliked by longtime AG fans. The six books each character’s series originally contained are split and compiled into two “Classic” Volumes (alongside a choose-your-own-adventure style third book), There are no illustrations, and the “Looking Back” chapter, a portion in the original books after the main story that contains historical information regarding the character’s time period, is now a couple of pages titled “Inside [Character]’s World”. Personally I don’t despise the Beforever books, since the stories themselves are still the same, but I can’t deny that all the changes make them a bit less charming than the originals. Maybe I’ll check out the second book at some point :)
As an American Girl fan since childhood, I was never really that drawn to Kit, but I decided to finally give her a chance for this reading challenge. Good thing I did, because this was a really fun (and interesting) read !
In chapter 6, Kit is in school and the teacher is relating people helping each other during the depression to how the pilgrims and the natives “helped” each other during the first Thanksgiving, which I immediately recognized was a pretty outdated view on the whole thing, but one could argue that the whole story itself is purposefully ‘outdated’, so I suppose you could let it slide.
The Beforever books (and the Beforever rebranding as a whole) is pretty commonly disliked by longtime AG fans. The six books each character’s series originally contained are split and compiled into two “Classic” Volumes (alongside a choose-your-own-adventure style third book), There are no illustrations, and the “Looking Back” chapter, a portion in the original books after the main story that contains historical information regarding the character’s time period, is now a couple of pages titled “Inside [Character]’s World”. Personally I don’t despise the Beforever books, since the stories themselves are still the same, but I can’t deny that all the changes make them a bit less charming than the originals. Maybe I’ll check out the second book at some point :)
January 23, 2022
I didn’t realize this was a compilation of three books until we were in the middle, but they’re knit together pretty seamlessly. Reading about The Depression seems appropriate right now. Kit’s frustration with the unfairness of big societal issues beyond her control is relatable. I think the author successfully sets up the conflict between FDR’s New Deal and hands-off economic policies.
May 22, 2018
I always enjoy Kit's stories. You can definitely tell where the previous books ended and were combined into one novel. It's kind of awkward with three climaxes in one book. I miss the illustrations and the history at the end.
April 16, 2019
It was nice reading with the kids & talking about times when people had it so hard they had to leave their comfort zones to make ends meet. We talked about the value of hard work, giving, & receiving.
October 5, 2018
Still some of my childhood favorite stories from AG.
November 27, 2020
I decided to read the Kit books again after listening to the American Girls podcast... the perfect dose of resilience and nostalgia.
June 14, 2021
Good book, I recommend it. This book really tells the story of people who struggled during The Great Depression. Its a really quick read.
November 17, 2022
a classic featuring kit
December 30, 2023
I think it is great for people that like when a future looks bleak, but turns out good.
February 23, 2025
I first read this 25 years ago, and I still love it just as much, if not even more than I did as a child.
July 14, 2025
This was such a fun read! I remember my love for these books at a young age, and I wanted to revisit them since my niece has been loving them too. It's a quick and easy read, but it brings back such nostalgia.
July 2, 2026
Wait cute.
October 29, 2024
This was a throwback read for me. Not much to say other than this was a classic when I was a kiddo
March 9, 2020
Kit is the American Girl doll from 1934. In Kit: Read All About It!, her first book, she has to deal with her father’s job loss, her home becoming a boardinghouse, and that her friend’s family doesn’t seem to be affected by the Great Depression. It’s great historical fiction for middle grade age kids. The end gives some extra factual information about the Depression and how life was in the early 1930s. I recommend this book for kids who like history.
September 11, 2016
I am officially going to start reading these books with my 6-year old niece. While it is obviously written for children, this book is WELL-written. This is my third book in the American Girl historical series (to coincide with my 3rd historical doll in the collection) and it is my favourite so far. Kit is spunky, brave and smart. She is also thoroughly human, allowing things like pride and jealousy to get in her way. She isn't perfect, but the point is that she always learns from her mistakes. This volume also boasts a memorable cast of secondary characters and solid portrayals of life in the Great Depression. Highly recommended for children.
January 2, 2015
This is a great story for girls in the target audience (9-10 or so). It gives you a peek into what life was like during the Depression. At the same time, Kit has to deal with other things: learning to help around the house, dealing with disappointment and change, how to react when you have a fight with your friends, etc. All of these lessons are taught in such a way that kids probably won't realize they've learned anything.
December 28, 2015
A lovely, well-written tale about a young girl growing up in the depression. Written for tweens, but good enough that I read it all in one go. I was pleased to learn that the main character, Kit, was bored with pink and frills, loved baseball and newspapers, while her best friend loved to read about princesses and fairy tales. There are many ways to be a girl.
December 26, 2014
Cute book with some edumacation snuck in :)
(I WILL NOT complain about the giant stinking plot hole at the end lol.)
(I WILL NOT complain about the giant stinking plot hole at the end lol.)
September 15, 2015
Still as good as when I read her as a child.
December 26, 2015
Cute and sweet and full of memorable and surprising characters.
January 31, 2018
Just finished this with my five year old. Reminded me so much of my American Girl books I read in the 90s!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews