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American Girl: Kit #1
Meet Kit: An American Girl 1934
Kit longs for a big story to write in her daily newspaper for her Dad—that is, until she's faced with news that's really bad. When Mother's friends lose their house and come to stay with her family, it's nothing but trouble for Kit. Then Kit's dad loses his business, and things go from bad to worse. Will life ever be the same again?
70 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2000
About the author
Valerie Tripp
278 books470 followersValerie 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 368 reviews
May 7, 2020
On a "meh" kind of day, throwbacks are the best cure. I'm 100% continuing this re-read, and I'm 100% counting these to my reading challenge. I feel no shame.
May 23, 2011
Somehow, I worked as a children's librarian for 5 years without reading an American Girl book. Not once. I handed plenty of them out, however, and knew all about the dolls and the wardrobe of matching accessories that seemed more like a cult than a collection. The stories sounded like nice, wholesome little historical fiction books that had some educational value. But since I only ever took notice of them when they were sitting on the shelf, all that I knew for certain was that their white covers got really, really filthy (thank goodness they've been reissued).
So when I decided to expose my daughter to an American Girl this summer, I had no idea who to choose. My daughter is only four, and I didn't want to read something to her that was so over her head that she would get bored. Plus, some topics were just too heavy for her to absorb yet. Still, I needed to start somewhere, and although I consider Barbara Park a genius, I could not bear the thought of reading all of the Junie B. Jones books again.
I chose Kit because 1) she lives in Cincinnati, a place my daughter can relate to, and 2) Kit's family falls upon hard times during the Depression, and I felt like Little Lady Fauntleroy was having one too many tantrums about not getting her way about toys, T.V. time, etc. I was pleasantly surprised, as I started reading the book, that Kit is not so much a girly-girl as her sweater set might suggest. Right away, Kit complains about her pink, newly remodeled bedroom, and I realized my daughter had a kindred spirit in Kit.
The book gave way to good conversation, such as the concept of boarders, a mortgage, and the kinds of sacrifices that must be made when money is tight. I sort of glossed over the chapter that dealt with the historical relevance of Kit's story, although my daughter was very, very moved by the idea that some children fell asleep in school because they did not have enough to eat. Finally, all of my growling about finishing dinner made some sense to her.
While I appreciated the "moral of the story," my daughter loved Kit's sassiness. She pouts, she wants things her way, she gets into trouble. Like I said, kindred spirits.
All in all, our (my) first foray into the American Girl series was a good one. My daughter was anxious to start book 2 the moment we closed book 1. And dare I say it? I think I am, too.
So when I decided to expose my daughter to an American Girl this summer, I had no idea who to choose. My daughter is only four, and I didn't want to read something to her that was so over her head that she would get bored. Plus, some topics were just too heavy for her to absorb yet. Still, I needed to start somewhere, and although I consider Barbara Park a genius, I could not bear the thought of reading all of the Junie B. Jones books again.
I chose Kit because 1) she lives in Cincinnati, a place my daughter can relate to, and 2) Kit's family falls upon hard times during the Depression, and I felt like Little Lady Fauntleroy was having one too many tantrums about not getting her way about toys, T.V. time, etc. I was pleasantly surprised, as I started reading the book, that Kit is not so much a girly-girl as her sweater set might suggest. Right away, Kit complains about her pink, newly remodeled bedroom, and I realized my daughter had a kindred spirit in Kit.
The book gave way to good conversation, such as the concept of boarders, a mortgage, and the kinds of sacrifices that must be made when money is tight. I sort of glossed over the chapter that dealt with the historical relevance of Kit's story, although my daughter was very, very moved by the idea that some children fell asleep in school because they did not have enough to eat. Finally, all of my growling about finishing dinner made some sense to her.
While I appreciated the "moral of the story," my daughter loved Kit's sassiness. She pouts, she wants things her way, she gets into trouble. Like I said, kindred spirits.
All in all, our (my) first foray into the American Girl series was a good one. My daughter was anxious to start book 2 the moment we closed book 1. And dare I say it? I think I am, too.
November 14, 2024
The great AG marathon continues. Reading this for the first time as an adult, here's what stands out:
Until a few days ago, Kit was the earliest-released character whose books I'd never read. By the time Kit came out in 2000, I saw her in the catalog, thought "Cool, they did the 1930s!" and went back to my fantasy books with dragons on the cover and my piles of homework and whatever else I was doing that year.
So now, more than 20 years later, I'm finally ready to meet Kit properly.
As I write this, I've read only the first three Kit books, and I'm fuzzy on Josefina, so this might be premature, but: this may be the best series Valerie Tripp has written for American Girl. The setting is vivid, the characters feel real, there's danger, friendship, rivalries, dreams, and clever solutions.
Plus, it turns out that Kit loves Robin Hood, so clearly she and I were always going to get along swimmingly.
Kit strikes a perfect balance between being self-centered in the way kids are and being conscientious about wanting to help her family. Tripp makes her grumpy or frustrated moments feel relatable instead of annoying, and in general, she's a lot of fun to spend time with.
I love Ruthie, too. In contrast to Molly's Linda and Susan, where you really have to look to find details that differentiate them from each other, or from Molly, Ruthie and Kit are an opposites-attract friendship. Ruthie is girly and likes fairy tales and princesses. Kit likes baseball and Robin Hood, and doesn't feel comfortable with the pink, frilly decor her mother has chosen for her room. But they like writing newspapers together, they understand each other, and they just like each other's company, despite their different interests. I wonder whether the Best Friend line was starting to take shape behind the scenes as Tripp was writing Kit, because Ruthie is so perfect for it: she's a big part of Kit's stories, but she is a clearly distinct character from Kit.
I also want to applaud both the story itself (largely via Charlie, who is clearly a great big brother) and the Peek Into the Past section at the end for doing a really impressive job of explaining the stock market crash and the Depression at an eight-year-old's level. Tough stuff, but this book pulls on its boots and gets to work.
Worth noting: Although the year on the cover is 1934 (to fit with the pattern at the time that all AG historical characters were set in a year ending in 4), Tripp hints early on that we are not actually in 1934 just yet. On page 5, we're told that the Depression began "about three years ago" - suggesting this is August 1932. That's confirmed outright in the Peek into the Past section at the end. I wish they'd had the guts to just break the pattern and put the starting year on the cover, but there it is.
More Kit babble
Meet Kit | Kit Learns a Lesson | Kit’s Surprise | Happy Birthday, Kit | Kit Saves the Day | Changes for Kit
Really, Truly Ruthie
Kit’s Home Run | Kit’s Tree House | Kit’s Short Story Collection
Danger at the Zoo | Midnight in Lonesome Hollow | A Thief at the Theater | Missing Grace | Intruders at Rivermead Manor | The Jazzman’s Trumpet | Menace at Mammoth Cave
Until a few days ago, Kit was the earliest-released character whose books I'd never read. By the time Kit came out in 2000, I saw her in the catalog, thought "Cool, they did the 1930s!" and went back to my fantasy books with dragons on the cover and my piles of homework and whatever else I was doing that year.
So now, more than 20 years later, I'm finally ready to meet Kit properly.
As I write this, I've read only the first three Kit books, and I'm fuzzy on Josefina, so this might be premature, but: this may be the best series Valerie Tripp has written for American Girl. The setting is vivid, the characters feel real, there's danger, friendship, rivalries, dreams, and clever solutions.
Plus, it turns out that Kit loves Robin Hood, so clearly she and I were always going to get along swimmingly.
Kit strikes a perfect balance between being self-centered in the way kids are and being conscientious about wanting to help her family. Tripp makes her grumpy or frustrated moments feel relatable instead of annoying, and in general, she's a lot of fun to spend time with.
I love Ruthie, too. In contrast to Molly's Linda and Susan, where you really have to look to find details that differentiate them from each other, or from Molly, Ruthie and Kit are an opposites-attract friendship. Ruthie is girly and likes fairy tales and princesses. Kit likes baseball and Robin Hood, and doesn't feel comfortable with the pink, frilly decor her mother has chosen for her room. But they like writing newspapers together, they understand each other, and they just like each other's company, despite their different interests. I wonder whether the Best Friend line was starting to take shape behind the scenes as Tripp was writing Kit, because Ruthie is so perfect for it: she's a big part of Kit's stories, but she is a clearly distinct character from Kit.
I also want to applaud both the story itself (largely via Charlie, who is clearly a great big brother) and the Peek Into the Past section at the end for doing a really impressive job of explaining the stock market crash and the Depression at an eight-year-old's level. Tough stuff, but this book pulls on its boots and gets to work.
Worth noting: Although the year on the cover is 1934 (to fit with the pattern at the time that all AG historical characters were set in a year ending in 4), Tripp hints early on that we are not actually in 1934 just yet. On page 5, we're told that the Depression began "about three years ago" - suggesting this is August 1932. That's confirmed outright in the Peek into the Past section at the end. I wish they'd had the guts to just break the pattern and put the starting year on the cover, but there it is.
More Kit babble
Meet Kit | Kit Learns a Lesson | Kit’s Surprise | Happy Birthday, Kit | Kit Saves the Day | Changes for Kit
Really, Truly Ruthie
Kit’s Home Run | Kit’s Tree House | Kit’s Short Story Collection
Danger at the Zoo | Midnight in Lonesome Hollow | A Thief at the Theater | Missing Grace | Intruders at Rivermead Manor | The Jazzman’s Trumpet | Menace at Mammoth Cave
October 25, 2024
I love Kit.
January 4, 2024
Kit was my top American Girl when I was a kid and I wonder if her wanting to be a reporter had anything to do with planting seeds for my own love of writing later on in life. She also has a love for adventure and Robin Hood that really appealed to me then and even now upon rereading.
Really loved revisiting this one and it made me want to go rewatch the movie too (which even though the plot is nothing like the books the characters are all so clearly themselves and I highly recommend it).
‼️Content‼️
Language: gosh
Really loved revisiting this one and it made me want to go rewatch the movie too (which even though the plot is nothing like the books the characters are all so clearly themselves and I highly recommend it).
‼️Content‼️
Language: gosh
November 3, 2018
I have decided to pick this series up because someone nominates it for Yuletide pretty much every year. Anyway, this was cute and Kit is a Reds fan, so I seem to have made a good decision.
September 25, 2025
Taking it back to the early days with this one. Kit is fabulous.
October 7, 2021
This was cute! My first American Girl read and tbh the dolls do these books little justice.
May 13, 2025
Why yes, I'm 27 and still reading american girl. Read what you like too :)
January 6, 2026
If I have read this collection before, I don't have any recollection of it. I'm 66 years old at this reading, had parents and relatives and personal friends who were old enough to remember the Great Depression and forever be marked and shaped by it.
The Kitt Collection of books by American Girl covers the Great Depression, and is set in Cincinnati, Ohio. Kit lives in a large house with her parents and older brother Charlie, who is preparing to attend college. The collection is written for middle grade students, and Kitt is eight years old when we first meet her.
Kitt is a normal, average, real girl growing up in a normal, real family during times that forever shaped those who lived through them. Kitt is about to transition from a normal, self centered girl to a spunky, helpful girl who helps see her family through.
It is an ordinary day in Kit and her friend Ruthie's life... they are upstairs writing a newspaper for her father covering the day's events. They have heard about the depression, but to their knowledge, it has yet to touch them personally...until they go downstairs to fix a plate of goodies Kit's Mom had prepared for her garden club. One of the members talks about moving with her 8 year old son to Chicago to join her husband who is there looking for work. Kitt's Mom responds to the unexpressed call for help ... advice... understanding by an invitation.
I like Kitt. She is not a girlie girl; she is more of a tomboy. Like all children, she focuses on events as they impact and touch her...she wants attention and focus on her. However, when Charlie explains the changes her parents are "hiding" from her... when she sees her beloved parents struggle to be brave, she begins to grow up and smell the roses/coffee.
Like other teachers, and library clerks , I had heard of,and recommended, American Girl books, but I had read very few. The Kit collection is worth the read, in my opinion.
The Kitt Collection of books by American Girl covers the Great Depression, and is set in Cincinnati, Ohio. Kit lives in a large house with her parents and older brother Charlie, who is preparing to attend college. The collection is written for middle grade students, and Kitt is eight years old when we first meet her.
Kitt is a normal, average, real girl growing up in a normal, real family during times that forever shaped those who lived through them. Kitt is about to transition from a normal, self centered girl to a spunky, helpful girl who helps see her family through.
It is an ordinary day in Kit and her friend Ruthie's life... they are upstairs writing a newspaper for her father covering the day's events. They have heard about the depression, but to their knowledge, it has yet to touch them personally...until they go downstairs to fix a plate of goodies Kit's Mom had prepared for her garden club. One of the members talks about moving with her 8 year old son to Chicago to join her husband who is there looking for work. Kitt's Mom responds to the unexpressed call for help ... advice... understanding by an invitation.
I like Kitt. She is not a girlie girl; she is more of a tomboy. Like all children, she focuses on events as they impact and touch her...she wants attention and focus on her. However, when Charlie explains the changes her parents are "hiding" from her... when she sees her beloved parents struggle to be brave, she begins to grow up and smell the roses/coffee.
Like other teachers, and library clerks , I had heard of,and recommended, American Girl books, but I had read very few. The Kit collection is worth the read, in my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2026
"This is supposed to be a newspaper, not a snoozepaper."Kit Kittredge and her best friend, Ruthie, couldn't be more opposite. Ruthie is a girly-girl - a lover of fairytales and princesses - while Kit is a tomboy - rereading Robin Hood while dreaming of her own tree house.
But the two girls understand each other and love to write together. They spend their summer making newspapers about life in the neighborhood during the 1930s...but they are struggling to find something to write about.
But then the great, dramatic change does happen. And suddenly Kit's world turns upside down in more ways than she could ever imagine.
"I wish something would happen around here. Some dramatic change."
Oh my gosh. SUCH a great start for an American Girl series - seriously, my favorite of Valerie Tripp's series so far.
What really stood out to me is how realistic she wrote Kit, the friendship, and how well the author explained the impact of the Great Depression.
Kit was a wonderfully three-dimensional character. I felt like I could see myself in her actions and reactions, and honestly, it felt like she was real.
I loved how the author created that balance between a realistic child reacting to the stressors of living in the Great Depression and someone who wanted to empathetic and grown-up about what was happening.
The friendship between Kit and Ruthie really was perfect. I liked how the two characters played off of each other, but they also had a mutual respect and admiration. Not all friends need to like the same things to have a long-lasting friendship.
Sometimes the friends in the American Girl series are just kinda meh (*cough* *cough* Linda and Susan from Molly's books (seriously, I read the whole series twice and I still can't tell them apart)) but not in this case!
And finally, I was just so impressed by the way the author conveyed the seriousness of what Kit's family was going through - I teared up multiple times as I saw Kit lose some of her childlike innocence about the world as she realized just how precarious her family's stability was.
Plus, her attic bedroom is seriously the freaking coolest. SO impressed by that alone.
Read
August 10, 2022Just laid in my floor and read this because nostalgia. I hope my mom has my others in storage lol
January 14, 2024
Nostalgic read with my 7 year old. ☺️ I loved reading about Kit growing up, and learning about the depression. And now my daughter loves it too!
Read
May 11, 2025pretty much exactly how i remember it. i ❤️ american girl!
April 2, 2016
*I read this book for my Around the Children's Section Challenge which can be found here: www.undeniablylibrarian.wordpress.com
Growing up, I never quite understood why so many girls were obsessed with American Girl, but I always found myself drawn to Kit, the short-haired blonde who seemed to have a spunky personality. I thought it would appropriate for me to learn more about who Kit really is by choosing Meet Kit as my book for this column.
Kit Kittredge is a tomboy. She likes playing baseball, writing newspaper stories on her typewriter, and loves the story of Robin Hood. She lives with her ideal family during the time of the Great Depression. Her family hasn't really been affected by all the changes the Depression caused, but when one of the members of her mother's garden club is no longer able to afford to stay in their home, Kit's mother offers to let them stay with the Kittredge family. Kit must now adjust to having two new members of the household, including sickly Stirling. Halfway through the book, her father looses his job as a car salesman, and Kit's family must adjust to the changes and figure out how to make money when there are no jobs.
This book is a great starting point for entering the historical fiction genre for 2-5th graders. The story itself is well-written and I loved that they included pictures in the margins to show objects that children may be unfamiliar with, such as when phlox flowers are mentioned. The book also includes an informational section in the back of the book to provide additional facts about the time period, which would be perfect to use for discussions at home and in the classroom.
My only gripe about this story is that I'm not sure it does justice to what families faced during this time period. The Great Depression was a difficult experience to live through, many people were homeless and went hungry. This book briefly touches on these issues, but Kit probably will not be experiencing them herself any time soon. The biggest problem Kit seems to face in the book is that she has to move into the attic to make room for strangers to live in her room.
Growing up, I never quite understood why so many girls were obsessed with American Girl, but I always found myself drawn to Kit, the short-haired blonde who seemed to have a spunky personality. I thought it would appropriate for me to learn more about who Kit really is by choosing Meet Kit as my book for this column.
Kit Kittredge is a tomboy. She likes playing baseball, writing newspaper stories on her typewriter, and loves the story of Robin Hood. She lives with her ideal family during the time of the Great Depression. Her family hasn't really been affected by all the changes the Depression caused, but when one of the members of her mother's garden club is no longer able to afford to stay in their home, Kit's mother offers to let them stay with the Kittredge family. Kit must now adjust to having two new members of the household, including sickly Stirling. Halfway through the book, her father looses his job as a car salesman, and Kit's family must adjust to the changes and figure out how to make money when there are no jobs.
This book is a great starting point for entering the historical fiction genre for 2-5th graders. The story itself is well-written and I loved that they included pictures in the margins to show objects that children may be unfamiliar with, such as when phlox flowers are mentioned. The book also includes an informational section in the back of the book to provide additional facts about the time period, which would be perfect to use for discussions at home and in the classroom.
My only gripe about this story is that I'm not sure it does justice to what families faced during this time period. The Great Depression was a difficult experience to live through, many people were homeless and went hungry. This book briefly touches on these issues, but Kit probably will not be experiencing them herself any time soon. The biggest problem Kit seems to face in the book is that she has to move into the attic to make room for strangers to live in her room.
February 9, 2022
This was a really nice and refreshing story. I enjoyed the time I spent reading it!
July 1, 2021
[Rereading the American Girl books in quarantine to feel something 1/7] Broke people should never laugh!
January 1, 2025
Annabelle read it out loud to me! Was amazing highly recommend
October 28, 2024
“My room is okay. It’s just a little too…pink for me. I’d rather sleep in a tree house, like Robin Hood.” 📚☕
Ahhhh, Kit is such a sharp, energetic, practical get-er-down girl with a heart for news and writing.
She’s passionate and creative and loves her family. I especially enjoyed how comfortable Kitt is with her quirkiness, the endearing friendship between Kitt and her B.F.F., and her openness to new friends.
Squeaky clean and free of violence or profanity.
Stay tuned for more in-depth monthly book reviews on my cozy YT channel. 💙☕📚
Ahhhh, Kit is such a sharp, energetic, practical get-er-down girl with a heart for news and writing.
She’s passionate and creative and loves her family. I especially enjoyed how comfortable Kitt is with her quirkiness, the endearing friendship between Kitt and her B.F.F., and her openness to new friends.
Squeaky clean and free of violence or profanity.
Stay tuned for more in-depth monthly book reviews on my cozy YT channel. 💙☕📚
August 18, 2025
4.5stars- My 4 and 7 yr old daughters enjoyed it, especially my 7yr old. They had a lot of questions about the Great Depression and life back then, making it also educational! My 7yr old enjoyed listening to the audiobook, as well.
March 6, 2023
off to a good start with this one of reminding me that kit is my girl forever and ever. she’s also definitely a lesbian. this was such a comfort read and i know the others in the series will be the same.
March 31, 2026
Enjoyed this one so much I read it twice in one sitting. Tripp does an excellent job representing the bleakness and hopelessness of the Great Depression in a way that is age appropriate and not overwhelming to kids. Both the text itself and the historical notes at the end concisely explain key ideas of economics clearly and digestibly. The emotional maturity of the inter-character relationships was also top-notch, especially between Kit and her brother, father, and best friend. I love how honestly Kit's older brother and father communicate with her about the uncertainty of their future. Can't wait to read the rest of this character.
February 14, 2018
I purchased this book for a young girl at church that I know is into American Girls. Before I gave it to her I read the book myself and it was Wonderful!! I was so impressed with how much history was included and I learned a lot myself. I enjoyed this book so much that I will be asking to borrow the other books in the American Girl series that she owns and then looking for the other books that are available. I highly recommend this book.
July 31, 2025
I love American Girl books. When I found book 1 of Kit and Rebecca from 1914 at the store, I knew I'd love reading this one because I have at least 4 or 5 other books from American Girl that I loved equally as much ♥ Kit was from the Great Depression stage of history, yes it was late stages of the Depression but that didn't make things any easier for those who suffered.
February 3, 2010
It's good. I like it. I think it tastes funny. But I haven't finished it yet. It does not taste funny! I like it though!
I like how in books they transform rooms. They make me want to clean up my room. But only partially.
I like how in books they transform rooms. They make me want to clean up my room. But only partially.
July 30, 2014
I read all of the American Girl books when I was younger, but I recently revisited the first Kit book because I read it with my six year old sister. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I still enjoyed Kit's story.
July 29, 2019
What I liked about this book is that it wasn't just full of fluff. It talked about some deep issues such as the Great Depression, Kit's father losing his job, how to save money, and how to make the best of a situation.
October 18, 2023
highly recommend
January 16, 2023
It was very fun to read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 368 reviews