What do you think?
Rate this book
American Girl: Kaya #1-3
Kaya: The Journey Begins
Kaya knows in her heart that her beautiful Appaloosa mare, Steps High, is the fastest horse in the herd. But when boasting leads to a daring bareback race, Kaya pushes Steps High too hard. She puts herself and the horse in danger and earns a terrible nickname for being untrustworthy. Kaya vows to be a girl her horse and her people can trust. When enemy raiders storm Kaya’s village, she tries to save Steps High but gets taken captive herself, along with her sister. All Kaya can think of is escape, but how? Includes gorgeous full-color illustrations and a “Looking Back” historical section.
112 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2014
20 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 29, 2016
I haven't read these since childhood. Educational, interesting, and most importantly, not a contact narrative. Most Native American fiction revolves around contact/conflict with whites. These stories reject that. They're simply about Nimiipuu life. They do away with the Euro-American lens and I really appreciate that.
May 29, 2015
I like that Kaya's stories are bundled in two volumes rather than six individual books. However I mis the illustrations from the old books
October 22, 2024
Wren says 5 out of 5⭐️
April 13, 2022
I enjoyed Kaya’s journey and adventures and found myself wanting more by the end of the second and final book. I strongly urge you to read both books and in order because you will not get much resolution or sleep after reading the first one. Kaya really blossoms and matures from book one to two. There is even a moment in the second book where she thinks about taking off on her own and finding her horse, Steps High (spoiler alert: Kaya loses Steps High in the first book). Instead of acting on impulse, Kaya thinks about what her future namesake, Swan Circling would do and chooses to ask for help later. American Girl books have a lot of these obvious lessons. What makes this one so special is that it was a lesson that took Kaya two books to begin to learn and understand. I also really enjoy Kaya’s family and am really impressed with how one of her sisters handles a big decision (sorry, that’s too much of a spoiler alert to divulge). I think it is most interesting that Kaya is encouraged not to pick berries until she is no longer consumed with grief for Swan Circling, and the reason for this is that her grief may negatively affect their food. I’m curious if this is rooted in truth and am ready to do a deeper dive into Nez Perce culture. Thankfully my library has lots of books on this subject!
October 22, 2020
Kaya es una niña de la etnia Nez Perce (1764) en éste primer libro se le enseña a pensar en los demás antes que ella ya que así es cómo sobrevive su pueblo. Me ha dejado con ganas de saber más sobre los Nez Perce.
August 31, 2020
Kaya came along my junior year of high school. I remember being quite pleased when she showed up in Sarah's catalog, but she was the first AG to depart from the Meet, Learns a Lesson, Surpise, Birthday, Saves the Day, Changes model I'd come to expect, and she only had like 2.5 real outfits with the others being pow wow outfits girls might wear today. So, I ended up not reading her books until now.
They're really great. Learning about the culture of this particular tribe (whom French colonists dubbed Nez Percé) was really fascinating. Kaya ends up being much more responsible than say MaryEllen and Felicity much earlier on, partially because her tribe and her survival deem it necessary. She still makes mistakes, but she does a better job of learning from their consequences and growing into someone one can depend on. It's really refreshing.
Also, AG went to great lengths to ensure that this was an accurate depiction of one specific culture, and it's really cool to see Kaya deal with different peoples, which can help young girls understand the diversity of first peoples that is often ignored.
In other words, it is ridiculous for someone to devalue Kaya for not having enough dresses.
They're really great. Learning about the culture of this particular tribe (whom French colonists dubbed Nez Percé) was really fascinating. Kaya ends up being much more responsible than say MaryEllen and Felicity much earlier on, partially because her tribe and her survival deem it necessary. She still makes mistakes, but she does a better job of learning from their consequences and growing into someone one can depend on. It's really refreshing.
Also, AG went to great lengths to ensure that this was an accurate depiction of one specific culture, and it's really cool to see Kaya deal with different peoples, which can help young girls understand the diversity of first peoples that is often ignored.
In other words, it is ridiculous for someone to devalue Kaya for not having enough dresses.
December 19, 2019
Kaya is a great character and this book really shows her bravery and intelligence. It’s a great adventure and very thought provoking all around a great book.
October 16, 2020
A wonderful story of a young girl coming into her own as a young woman.
Read
May 6, 2021This was soooooooooo amazing rn its my favorite book!!
November 14, 2021
Read this with my daughter who is nine. There are some pretty intense things such as kidnapping and death. Definitely a deep story.
June 18, 2022
I have always loved the American girl books ever since I was a kid. I love reading them now even as an adult. An easy one-sitting read and good story.
March 26, 2024
I need to give my Kaya a hug after reading this
![Profile Image for Amanda [Novel Addiction].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1415744673i%2F4886503._UX200_CR0%2C36%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
October 14, 2025
Heckin' nostalgia got me again. First it was Dear America books, now it's American Girl books. And dangit, I have to know what happens with her sister, so I need book two.
July 30, 2025
Average rating for this book: 2.85 stars (Achieved by averaging the ratings I gave each chapter)
Average rating for first 3 books in the original series: 2.33 stars (Achieved by averaging the ratings I gave each of the three books.)
A few years ago I went back and reread all of the original 6-book serieses for the historical American Girl characters; but I've never gotten around to reading the books that came out after American Girl rebranded their historical collection. As I suspected the books are simply all 6 books divided into two volumes.
In terms of comparisson between the two "sereises" I miss the pictures and family trees that were in the original 6-boook serieses, but I like how I don't feel silly breaking the book up into multiple days since the "Beforever" books are longer than the ~70 page length of the original books. Additionaly, I feel like this book didn't flow as well as the first three in the original series as there were no clear start and stop points in between chapters like there were in between books.
In terms of my opinions on the book/plot itself, I appreciate the fact that there is Native American representation in a children's book and I like how this book touches upon aspects of history and Native American culture. I also liked the slight romantic subplots that we got via Brown Deer's relationship with Cut Check and Swan Circling and Claw Neclace's love for eachother.
Lastly, I want to acknowledge how Kaya is arguably a bit of a complex character. Yes, she is selfish -part of what makes her annoying- but she is also resourceful, determined, and capable of being caring.
I look forward to rediscovering where this series goes!
PS: You might want to check the trigger warnings as this book was a bit rougher that I remember it being. The StoryGraph list some of them.
Average rating for first 3 books in the original series: 2.33 stars (Achieved by averaging the ratings I gave each of the three books.)
A few years ago I went back and reread all of the original 6-book serieses for the historical American Girl characters; but I've never gotten around to reading the books that came out after American Girl rebranded their historical collection. As I suspected the books are simply all 6 books divided into two volumes.
In terms of comparisson between the two "sereises" I miss the pictures and family trees that were in the original 6-boook serieses, but I like how I don't feel silly breaking the book up into multiple days since the "Beforever" books are longer than the ~70 page length of the original books. Additionaly, I feel like this book didn't flow as well as the first three in the original series as there were no clear start and stop points in between chapters like there were in between books.
In terms of my opinions on the book/plot itself, I appreciate the fact that there is Native American representation in a children's book and I like how this book touches upon aspects of history and Native American culture. I also liked the slight romantic subplots that we got via Brown Deer's relationship with Cut Check and Swan Circling and Claw Neclace's love for eachother.
Lastly, I want to acknowledge how Kaya is arguably a bit of a complex character. Yes, she is selfish -part of what makes her annoying- but she is also resourceful, determined, and capable of being caring.
I look forward to rediscovering where this series goes!
PS: You might want to check the trigger warnings as this book was a bit rougher that I remember it being. The StoryGraph list some of them.
February 22, 2017
Another great story from the Beforever American Girl collection, this time about Kaya from the Nez Perce Indian tribe. Lots of peril including a kidnapping that doesn't get full resolved in this book, guess I'm going to have to read the next one!
December 24, 2019
The Journey Begins
Kaya #1
By Janet Shaw
Kaya is constantly being told boasting is wrong, but she can't help it if the truths she tells sound like boasting. After all her Appaloosa mare is the most beautiful and the fastest horse in the herd. But when Kaya's boasting leads her to neglect her assigned task of watching her younger brothers all the children suffer as a result of her boasting and disobedience. Worse her actions have earned her a nickname she would rather not have.
When her sister Brown Deer is hurt, Kaya's quick thinking and Steps High speed are the only things that prevent a tragedy from occurring. But Kaya still bears the nickname that she despises.
When enemies raid their camp during the night Kaya fears that Steps High will be stolen away and she leads her sister Speaking Rain into danger. Worse both girls are captured and taken for from their family and friends. When they arrive in the raiders camp Kaya and Speaking Rain are put to work as slaves - is there any hope of rescue or escape? And with Speaking Rain's blindness is there any way the two girls could escape together? Or will Kaya be forced to leave her sister behind?
This book is set in 1764 and focuses on Kaya's way of life with the Nimiipuu, today we know them as the Nez Perce. The importance of following instructions is stressed as is the need to avoid boasting (which as Kaya proved leads to actions one later regrets). The story is well-paced and the characters well developed. The illustrations work well to help bring the story to life. There are 6 pages after the story portion of the book that focuses on what Kaya's world was like giving historical facts that will help the reader further understand the context of the story.
I received this book via Amazon's Vine Program with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion.
Kaya #1
By Janet Shaw
Kaya is constantly being told boasting is wrong, but she can't help it if the truths she tells sound like boasting. After all her Appaloosa mare is the most beautiful and the fastest horse in the herd. But when Kaya's boasting leads her to neglect her assigned task of watching her younger brothers all the children suffer as a result of her boasting and disobedience. Worse her actions have earned her a nickname she would rather not have.
When her sister Brown Deer is hurt, Kaya's quick thinking and Steps High speed are the only things that prevent a tragedy from occurring. But Kaya still bears the nickname that she despises.
When enemies raid their camp during the night Kaya fears that Steps High will be stolen away and she leads her sister Speaking Rain into danger. Worse both girls are captured and taken for from their family and friends. When they arrive in the raiders camp Kaya and Speaking Rain are put to work as slaves - is there any hope of rescue or escape? And with Speaking Rain's blindness is there any way the two girls could escape together? Or will Kaya be forced to leave her sister behind?
This book is set in 1764 and focuses on Kaya's way of life with the Nimiipuu, today we know them as the Nez Perce. The importance of following instructions is stressed as is the need to avoid boasting (which as Kaya proved leads to actions one later regrets). The story is well-paced and the characters well developed. The illustrations work well to help bring the story to life. There are 6 pages after the story portion of the book that focuses on what Kaya's world was like giving historical facts that will help the reader further understand the context of the story.
I received this book via Amazon's Vine Program with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion.
July 7, 2017
This is one of the more mature American Girl books we've read. Kaya is one of the tribe of Native Americans we now call Nez Perce. The story is told entirely from her point of view, with no references to dates or actual locations, but there are some notes explaining the setting and some of the vocabulary. Kaya encounters some serious challenges, including being kidnapped and the death of a friend, and the ending leaves some of this unresolved. She's a very likeable and brave character.
December 10, 2022
I liked how it was a combination of the first three books. It made them flow together, especially since I haven't read the second book in the series yet.
The second time I read it:
It was still just as good as the first time that I read it. I still loved it, I still felt good when Kaya saw the wolf, and I still felt sad when she had to leave her sister in enemy country
The second time I read it:
It was still just as good as the first time that I read it. I still loved it, I still felt good when Kaya saw the wolf, and I still felt sad when she had to leave her sister in enemy country
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
September 20, 2017Historical fiction, 2014. Kaya is a Native American, living in the west in 1755 (which means she isn't technically an American). Talks about her life and family growing up in her tribe. Relates to modern girls, often acts and speaks before thinking landing her in trouble.
February 19, 2015
LOTS of great history facts, and a GREAT adventure!
October 9, 2015
I mean, I knew all this bad stuff was gonna happen (I can remember some things), but I didn't think they'd happen so soon. I'm so sad.
January 6, 2016
I loved this American Girl book.
I want to read the next two books.
Kayak and Speaking Rain get captures and they have to find they're way home.
I recommend this book for only girls.
I want to read the next two books.
Kayak and Speaking Rain get captures and they have to find they're way home.
I recommend this book for only girls.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews