Kit's Friendship Fun

by American Girl (Editor), Jennifer Hirsch, Michelle Jones

Crafts, recipes, and games are designed to give a sense of the 1930s, or the period setting for books in the American Girls collection which feature the character named Kit.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2002

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book focuses on crafts, recipes and activities that were popular with children like Kit, Ruthie, and Stirling in the early 1930s.

The book opens with Kit's Life and Times - a brief overview of what it was like to live in her era and what children found important. From there we split into five sections (see below). Each section has a different theme and contains a few recipes, activities or crafts to go along with the theme.

I liked the recipes selected - it had a good mix of familiar and unique flavors - but some of them felt a bit unrealistic for Kit's situation. In a situation where her family is struggling to get bread, would they really make club sandwiches (which use an extra layer of bread in the middle) or have access to coconut to make Ambrosia?

The crafts were a bit of a hit and miss. I liked their connection to the core material BUT a lot of them required you to buy specialty items (craft disks for yo-yos? Special chemicals for the sun pictures?). But they were still rather neat!

The activities were great and if I were still a camp counselor, I could see myself implementing quite a few of them.

Boarding House Breakfast - This section focuses on Kit's morning routine with her (very) busy household!

--Oatmeal with Peaches (love this throwback to Kit's story!)
--Ambrosia (a fruit salad with oranges and shredded coconut)
--Goldenrod Eggs (kind of an egg salad on toast)
--Waffles
--Banana Fritters (bananas battered and fried)
--Mosaic Tile Trivet (a nice craft using stained glass pieces)
--Sew a Patch (how to patch up your clothes like Aunt Millie)

In the Backyard - Here we move the party outside. Aunt Millie does her best to rework the family's small plot of land to an area that can produce and sustain them. And we have a few fun crafts too!

--Sun Print Greeting Card (using the sun and shadows to make shapes)
--Scrapbook (made from old paper and manila folders)
--Clutch Purse (using scrap fabric)
--Fruity Freezer Jam (simple jam, not shelf stable)
--Club Sandwiches (double decker sandwiches)
--Apple Kuchen (a cake with apples on top)
--Iced Fruit Tea (using fruit juice and tea bags)
--Backyard Games (variety of fun games to play)

Radio Night - we learn a little about how important the radio was to people in Kit's era, and some things you can do centered around it.

--Create a Radio Show
--Cincinnati Chili (served with spaghetti noodles!)
--Bread Pudding (a good way to use up stale bread)
--Baseball Pennant (Kit would love this one)
--Yo-Yo (made from craft disks?)
--Jigsaw Puzzle (stocky foam board with a photo on top, cut into pieces)
--Marble Maze (using a paper plate, cut small divots to guide your marble to)

Up in the Attic - Kit's attic bedroom is truly iconic. And this section focuses on things that Kit and her friends would do in the attic

--Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (an absolute classic of a cookie)
--Checkerboard Sandwiches (different flavored bread cut and arranged)
--Vanilla Milk Shake (delicious!)
--Scottie Pillow (to commemorate her time with Inky)
--Lamp Shade (very DIY chic)
--Tommy-Walkers (stilts made of cans)
--Paper Box (origami style)
--Desk Blotter (a fancy thing to write on)
--Pencil Holder (using an old can)
--Antics in the Attic (various games and activities)

Care and Share - this section focuses on Kit's need to help others in her family and community - and it includes things that you could do as well.

--Flour Sack Napkin (reusing old fabric to make something new)
--Glazed Carrots
--Baked Macaroni and Cheese
--Roast Beef Hash
--Banana Cake
--Checkerboard (how to make one from scratch)

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Pleasant Company originally published companion books with craft ideas and recipes related to each American Girl character, Kit was not yet part of the lineup. As a result, I thought that there wasn't a book like this for her, and I am pleased to have learned otherwise. I found a nice copy of this cheaply on ThriftBooks, and absolutely loved it.

This book has a similar approach and format to the original Pleasant Company companion books, but it combines the cooking and craft ideas into one volume, and also includes ideas and instructions for other games and activities, such as creating and recording your own radio show with friends. Just like with the other books, this one includes historical sidebars and reproduced photographs, and the book clearly connects its content to children's experiences during the Great Depression.

One thing that is different about this book is that it includes photos of real girls on many pages. However, even though the references to Kit's friendship fun involve both Ruthie and Stirling, the real-life photographs show a total of ZERO guy friends having fun with the girls. Come on! Lots of these activities have cross-gender appeal, and since Kit's friendship with Stirling was such a significant part of the series, I wish that this book had included real-world nods to guy friends.

I also think that the book should have been organized differently, with all of the recipes together. They are interspersed throughout everything else, so if people are trying to make multiple recipes at once, or aren't interested in the food, they are going to have to repeatedly flip past the parts that aren't relevant to them, instead of having together categorically.

Still, neither of those critiques are enough to prevent me from giving this book five stars. I really enjoyed it, and I appreciate the wide range of realistic, interesting menu options, crafts, and games that can help kids learn about history and have fun with their family or friends. I would definitely recommend this to American Girl fans, and to teachers, homeschool parents, and others who are looking for creative ways to make history come alive.

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great way to explore the times of the great depression with recipes, crafts and games.