A review by panda_incognito
Welcome to Kirsten's World · 1854: Growing Up in Pioneer America by Laszlo Kubinyi, Connie Russell, Susan Sinnott, David Henderson, Jamie Young
5.0
When I was a child, I missed out on reading this historical supplement series, because I had no idea that the library had it. I never ventured into the nonfiction section, apparently, and since the books were not shelved with the fictional American Girl books, I assumed that I did not have access to them. When I was a teenager, I discovered my mistake, but the only books I got around to reading were the Molly and Kit ones that a sibling had checked out. Recently, I found that only the Kirsten book is still available, and snatched up a copy.
This book is full of detailed information about Swedish immigration, pioneer life, Native American history, and issues related to slavery, which come up tangentially. This is truly an introduction into Kristen's world, not just her specific environment or life experiences, and I admire how the author managed to capture such scope while keeping the book simple for young readers. It is well-illustrated with both artwork reproductions and photographs, and covers lots of information, some of which was new to me.
I particularly admire how well the author incorporated Native American history. She distinguishes between the cultural practices and experiences of different tribes, instead of lumping all of them together, and even though she writes about their contacts with white settlers, she also writes about their independent lives. This book is far more thorough than I had imagined, and I appreciate how well it introduces readers to different groups. It is unfortunate that this book has now been out of print for years, but I would definitely recommend it, and will eventually pursue my own copy.
This book is full of detailed information about Swedish immigration, pioneer life, Native American history, and issues related to slavery, which come up tangentially. This is truly an introduction into Kristen's world, not just her specific environment or life experiences, and I admire how the author managed to capture such scope while keeping the book simple for young readers. It is well-illustrated with both artwork reproductions and photographs, and covers lots of information, some of which was new to me.
I particularly admire how well the author incorporated Native American history. She distinguishes between the cultural practices and experiences of different tribes, instead of lumping all of them together, and even though she writes about their contacts with white settlers, she also writes about their independent lives. This book is far more thorough than I had imagined, and I appreciate how well it introduces readers to different groups. It is unfortunate that this book has now been out of print for years, but I would definitely recommend it, and will eventually pursue my own copy.