Susan Sinnott

Even for someone who hasn’t read any American Girl books, Welcome to Kirsten’s World, 1854 is a fun glimpse into a different time. It includes such topics as arriving on the frontier from the East or another country, building and working on the homestead, social activities and courtship, life as a Dakota, toys and clothing, other immigrants on the frontier, and conflict between the Dakota and the settlers. There are plenty of visuals, each accompanied by a brief caption or explanation that invites the reader to imagine life in 1854 Minnesota. I especially enjoyed the sections about what immigrants might have brought from their homelands and how pioneers and Dakota lived from season to season.… (more)

After previously reading an American Girls Collection nonfiction book, I had to read another. Addy’s World is an extremely informative book on the lives of African Americans during America’s Civil War. This book discusses all of the differences between African Americans in the South and in the North, from fashion, occupations, wealth, treatment, etc. Prominent African American figures, the underground railroad, and slavery are all discussed, with the addition of facts many may not know. This is a great book introducing the African American experience during the Civil War.… (more)