Meet Kirsten

For my first choice assignment I had to read a historical fiction book and develop a "Questioning the Author" to go along with it. I chose to read Meet Kirsten by Janet Shaw, which is part of the American girl series. This book takes us through the Larson family's journey to America from Sweden and lends insight into what life was like for pioneers. I never paid much attention to the tremendous benefits of historical fiction children’s books until I did this assignment. This genre gives a new face to history because it allows for students to relate to the children in the book. It also gives students the opportunity to "experience" what different periods in history were like. In the case of Meet Kirsten, students are able to relate and learn about the struggles of pioneer life. The author relates to students through attachments to stuffed animals and friends, and shows the differences between life today and pioneer life through traveling, disease, and lack of food. It is important for students to learn what pioneer life is, but reading about it in a history book is not as much fun as relating to it in a historical fiction novel!

Shaw, Janet (1986). Meet Kirsten, An American Girl. Madison, Wis. : Pleasant Co.