Kit's Story Collection (American Girls Collection) (ISBN 1593690525)

An irresistible collection that will lift your spirits, and leave you cheering for the undeniably adorable Kit!:
MEET KIT - The year is 1934, and nine-year-old Margaret Mildred Kittredge - better known as "Kit" to her friends and family - is going through a lot of changes. The Great Depression is taking jobs away from more and more people everyday, and in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kit's father is feeling the heat. Before long, he must sell his car dealership, and join the ranks of the unemployed surrounding him. This brings about problems, for now Kit's family must worry about making the house payments on time, and sending Kit's older brother Charlie to college. But things look up when Kit's mother comes up with the idea to turn the family's private home into a boarding house - that way they can make money without leaving the house. But Kit's unsure of whether this is a good idea, especially when a sick boy named Stirling moves in, and lands Kit in hot water with his overprotective mother, and her very own burdened mother. 5 stars. KIT LEARNS A LESSON - Kit is upset that the "bothersome boarders" who have moved in with her family will be celebrating Thanksgiving with her. But when she finds that her father may have to leave his family behind, in an attempt to find a job in Chicago, Kit's thoughts quickly change, and she begins trying to come up with a way for her father to earn money, without going away. With the help of her best friend Ruthie, and an unlikely ally, who goes by the name of Stirling, Kit realizes that there is plenty of money to be earned right here in Cincinnati, and that maybe, just maybe, having a house full of boarders isn't the worst thing in the world. After all, if there are boarders in the house, Kit's father doesn't have to move away. 5 stars. KIT'S SURPRISE - Nine-year-old Kit Kittredge is growing more and more concerned about her family's welfare, now that the Great Depression is getting increasingly worse. The fact that Christmas is slowly creeping up, only brings more worry into her life, as Kit's best friend, Ruthie - whose family is doing quite well in the midst of disaster - is counting on Kit and her mother to accompany her and her mother on a lavish day-after Christmas excursion - a tradition that can't possibly continue this year. The idea makes Kit upset, and soon the two girls are no longer speaking. Now, with the extra free time on her hands, Kit has begun doing various odd jobs for her rich Uncle, and is pocketing the money, in an attempt to give it to her mother as a surprise on Christmas morning! 5 stars. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIT - Kit's tenth birthday is quickly creeping up, and while she would love to have a Robin Hood party like the one she saw in the newspaper, she knows that the Depression has left her family strapped for cash, and decides to put her party out of her mind. That is, until Aunt Millie shows up. Aunt Millie is an eccentric, thrifty woman, who helps to stretch the Kittredge budget quite far. However, within a few days of her arriving, Kit's mother becomes quite embarrassed by Aunt Millie's money-saving ways. Kit is unsure of what is embarrassing her mother. That is, until Aunt Milie shows up at her school, and announces to Kit's entire class that they are all invited to a Penny-Pincher Party to celebrate Kit's tenth year. Soon Kit is just as embarrassed of Aunt Millie as her mother, and wishes the kind old woman had never come to Cincinnati. 5 stars. KIT SAVES THE DAY - Ten-year-old Kit Kittredge can't stand the fact that she never has the chance to experience any adventure or excitement. With her older brother, Charlie, away in Montana with the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps), having all sorts of fun and adventurous times, Kit feels left out of the loop, and begins to realize that the Great Depression is seriously cramping her style. Especially when her parents demand that she help out in the garden, and with tons of different chores, when she could be upstairs, clacking away on her typewriter, creating the newspapers that she loves so much. So when a young hobo named Will appears on Kit's doorstep, with tales of the hobo jungle, and riding the rails, Kit feels that her life just got more boring. It seems that everyone is doing something exciting besides her. And when Will informs Kit that girls just a bit younger than Kit are seen riding the rails all the time, Kit begins to fume. What she wouldn't give to do something so daring. So when Kit convinces her parents to allow her and Stirling to visit the hobo jungle, with some snacks for Will and the other starving hobos, she has no idea what she will encounter. Soon she sees that the hobo jungle isn't as exciting as she thought, with people suffering, and children going hungry each and every night. But when an acquaintance of Will's dares her to hop the rails, Kit feels that it's her duty to take the dare, and hop the train, even though it's illegal. But then something unexpected happens. Something that makes Kit realize the error of her ways, and it's up to her to save the day before something terrible happens. 5 stars. CHANGES FOR KIT - The moment Margaret Mildred Kittredge "Kit" walks into her home that blustery February afternoon after school, her best friends Stirling and Ruthie alongside her, she knows that she's in for some changes. Wonderful changes. And she's absolutely right, for her mother presents her with a refurbished coat to keep her warm during the winter months, which instantly sets the wheels in Kit's mind moving. Kit decides that a homeless child at the nearby soup kitchen could probably use her old winter coat, and soon finds that her kindness has left a cold young girl quite happy. However, her own happiness is compromised when ornery Uncle Hendrick and his spiteful pup Inky come to stay with Kit's family as his broken ankle and wrist heal. Sadly, Kit is left with the responsibility of taking care of the cantankerous old man, who orders her to take dictation regarding letters about unemployed drifters, and hoboes, in general. It is while helping Uncle Hendrick that Kit comes up with the idea to write her very own letter to the editor of the local newspaper. A letter that doesn't put down drifters and hoboes, like the ones Uncle Hendrick makes her write. But, rather, one that informs Cincinnati residents of the misfortune and hard-times that these people have fallen on, and the hardships they must endure each and every day. Kit even goes so far as to illustrate how young, innocent children are being sheltered at the soup kitchen, owning less than a warm coat and shoes that keep their toes warm from the harsh wind. It is through this letter that Kit hopes to make a difference, and with her nose for news, there's no telling what she can do! 5 stars. It has been years since I've read through one of the entire AMERICAN GIRLS Collections of stories, but when I learned that Kit was a wannabe reporter, I knew that I would have a hard time resisting her adventures. I couldn't have been more right. From the very first tale in Kit's series, we are introduced to the nine-year-old girl, who is inquisitive, and bright, and possesses a nose for news. Living during the Depression, Kit's family has fallen on hard times, and must take in boarders in an attempt to make their mortgage payments each month. Throughout these six tales, we see Kit take on many daring adventures and predicaments, from hopping a freight train with a band of hoboes to writing a controversial letter to the editor of a widely read newspaper; and even entering the hobo jungle and local soup kitchens to volunteer her time. From book one, the reader falls in love with each and every character, from the fairytale loving, quirky Ruthie; to the oft-times sickly Stirling; all the way through to the teenage hobo, Will; and even ornery Uncle Hendrick and his yappy dog Inky. Each character leaves a lasting impression upon the reader, and gives you an in-depth look at the life and times of a family during the Great Depression. Accompanied is a short PEEK INTO THE PAST section which even gives you the opportunity to view pictures from the 1930's and '40's, and learn more about the children and adults who lived during that time. An irresistible collection that will lift your spirits, and leave you cheering for the undeniably adorable Kit! Erika Sorocco Freelance Reviewer

A delightful book -- a "must own" for young girls!:
Superb collection of the six volume stories about Kit, the young girl growing up in Cinncinnati in the years of the Great Depression. Wonderful to have a single hardcover volume with all the stories. Very good pricing, especially at Amazon. However, you should know that the historical sections found at the end of each of the six stories in the bookset are not included in this volume. Only one historical section is at the very end. Still excellent and super value. A book to be treasured!

Kit's Story Collection:
I was very pleased with the prompt service on my purchase. Every where else I checked was out of the book and Amazon had 1 in stock.

Kit's Story Collection:
I recently re-read this book and was blown away by how sophisticated the stories were. Kit is a fully believable, sweet girl whose dream is to become a reporter. Unlike other American Girls, like Elizabeth Cole, Kit is a three-dimensional character that is determined to bust all stereotypes about girly-girls. She writes a newspaper column, volunteers at a soup kitchen, hops a freight train, and even breaks out of jail in this very exciting volume. Highly recommended!

Great Value on AG Stories:
When shopping, I couldn't understand why the hard-cover AG story collections were less expensive then the paperback. I would think I was just dense, but my co-worker looked at the books and was also curious. We thought it was because the graphics on the hard cover are what I presume are the original AG graphics for Kit instead of the updated versions pictured on the paperback. It turns out that the hard-cover version are all of the stories bound in a single hard-cover book. I love having something more durable and am pleased with the savings so for me this was a great purchase. The stories are the same in either version of the books. It's really a matter of personal preference (and budget).