Kit: Read All about It

American Girl: Kit #1-3

by Valerie Tripp

Kit Kittredge has a nose for news -- but she never dreamed that the news stories about the hard times of the Depression would become her own story. First Mother's bothersome friends move in with the Kittredges. Then Dad loses his business, and Kit's family could lose their house! Things look hopeless, but a clever idea might let her family keep their home. Can Kit help pull it off? The first book in Kit's stories is richly illustrated in full color and includes a peek into Kit's world in 1934.

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

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2014

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

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Amanda Potts · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 for the nostalgia of it all

[Bridget Nygren]

I got this book with my AG doll, Kit on Christmas morning many years ago!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Kristi Dahlstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Rdschislergmail.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Rebecca Kinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still some of my childhood favorite stories from AG.

[Kathryn Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to read the Kit books again after listening to the American Girls podcast... the perfect dose of resilience and nostalgia.

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book, I recommend it. This book really tells the story of people who struggled during The Great Depression. Its a really quick read.

[Gil-or (readingbooksinisrael) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Aubrey Leger · Rating 4 out of 5]

a classic featuring kit

[Natalie epps · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it is great for people that like when a future looks bleak, but turns out good.

[Lex · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Brittany Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.8

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a throwback read for me. Not much to say other than this was a classic when I was a kiddo

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book with some edumacation snuck in :)

(I WILL NOT complain about the giant stinking plot hole at the end lol.)

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still as good as when I read her as a child.

[Rebecca Grabill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and sweet and full of memorable and surprising characters.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this with my five year old. Reminded me so much of my American Girl books I read in the 90s!