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Summary: Fourth Kirsten Book in the American Girls Series
Review: "Happy Birthday, Kirsten!" takes place on the Minnesota frontier in 1854, where a 9-year-old girl named Kirsten Larson lives with her Swedish immigrant family. In this book, she and her friends plan on making a quilt for their teacher, Miss Winston. However, Kirsten is much too busy with her added chores to be an active part of the group. Not only that, but she's uncertain about whether or not she'll be able to celebrate her upcoming tenth birthday (she was unable to do so the previous year), because of her mother's pregnancy. Despite Kirsten's dilemmas, the story has a happy ending for everyone, involving a new sibling, a litter of kittens, and a barn-raising party.For being such a small book (59 pages), "Happy Birthday, Kirsten!" has quite a bit of historical info, mainly in the last six pages, titled "Growing up in 1854." In addition, there are numerous bright and colorful photos and pictures on practically every page in this book, drawn by the talented Renée Graef. This is an ideal book/series for preteen girls who like historical settings. If you liked this book, then you'll probably enjoy the other Kirsten books in this American Girls series as well.
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Summary: Kirsten's first birthday celebration in America.
Review: It is springtime. Kirsten and her cousin Anna were beating rugs when they saw tornado clouds start to form. Everyone went into their cellar.Kirsten is turning ten in one month. She has to stay home from school because her mom is having a baby and needs help around the house. Kirsten is sad and angry because she thinks she will miss out on all the fun at school, especially making a quilt for their teacher. Find out what happens by reading the rest of this book.
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Summary: A great story with a lesson
Review: This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Kirsten Larson, a nine-year-old girl from Sweden, whose family has moved to frontier Minnesota of 1854. In this book, Kirsten's mother is pregnant, and that means that Kirsten must do her own chores, plus those that her mother can no longer perform. With her birthday coming up, and all of her friends having fun working on a quilt for their teacher, Kirsten finds that she must concentrate on the work that must be done. How will it work out for Kirsten? This is another wonderful story, with an important lesson. In it, Kirsten (and the reader) learns about responsibility and working together. As always, Renee Graef's illustrations are wonderful, and the final chapter (on growing up in 1854) is interesting and informative. [For those adults interested in reading adult historical fiction about Swedish immigrants, please consider reading The Emigrants by Vilhelm Moberg.]
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