Meet Kaya

I've decided to re-read/read the American Girl series. At the age of 25, I'm sure it's been more than a decade since I've read any of them. I loved these books so much as a kid and Kaya is one of the dolls that I own.

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I didn't like this book as much as I did all those years ago, mostly because of how abrupt the ending was. Speaking Rain almost drowns, but is saved by Kaya and the book almost immediately ends. I just wanted to see Speaking Rain again (even briefly) to be assured she's okay. There's no closure; it doesn't feel like an ending.

I also had a problem with Kaya's punishment. I understand the logic behind switching all of the children; I'm not complaining about that. I don't like the nickname that the whipping show more woman gives to Kaya. She was practically telling the children to bully Kaya. I do like the way that Kaya is taught to handle the nickname (i.e. to rise above it and become a person who no longer deserves the comparison), but it didn't sit right with me that the adults were totally fine with the cruel things the children were saying to Kaya. Kaya gets one good lesson out of it, but all of the children, including Kaya, are learning that it's okay to be so mean-spirited to each other.
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On the other hand, I love how educational these books are, how the culture is exhibited throughout the story and then is shown in a more concentrated form at the end. And the illustrations have always been a high point for me. Especially the gorgeous horse Steps High. show less

I enjoyed reading this book. I liked that the book was inspired by the Native American culture and that the main character is a young girl. This book is a part of a series so children can read more books about Kaya. The book had an abrupt ending which wanted me to read more books in the series too! I also enjoyed that the novel was aimed for young children. Since it is a part of the American Girls Collection, children are able to have a doll that looks exactly like the main character and wears traditional Native American clothing!

This is one of my favorite American Girl series. Kaya is the only Native American girl and the book does a good job of gently introducing kids to Early American History.

The tale of family and friendship told in this book is nothing particularly revolutionary. It is a fine story, and brings readers into the world of the Nez Perce in 1764. It is informative, with an "appendix" at the end that talks about the history of the Nez Perce, which is highlighted with photographs. The story is also filled out nicely with pictures that can help readers visualize specific events. Meet Kaya is a great way to help readers begin to think about how important history is. It is also a great opener to talking about how different people live. Age 8-13. Some words and concepts having to do with Nez Perce language make this a read that might be harder for some in this age range. Also, this book is the first in a series which show more is great for anyone that becomes enthralled with this book. show less

This book is also part of my classroom library. Kaya is a Nez Pierce Native American Girl who loves her horse. She also has a habit of boasting. When boasting gets her racing and makes her forget about her little brothers, she and the other children are punished, and they nickname her magpie. She gets past the nickname by rescueing her blind sister, Speaking Rain, from the river.

This Historical fiction series is a great way for young readers to learn about history with characters that most interest them. The details about Maya's life are very realistic to what an Indian girl would deal with such as bathing in the stream water every morning and learning to become friends with nature but the characters are not real.
The introduction, climax and conclusion were excellent leaving the plot to be rated highly. The story kept the reader interested by leaving them hanging at the end of each chapter. Each section was separated clearly and the illustrations gave more detail to what the author was discussing.

Kaya dreams of racing her beautiful mare Steps High. Her father warns her that the horse isn't ready, but when a pesky boy insults Steps High, Kaya accepts his challenge to race. As they ride, Kaya loses sight of her little brothers. Her carelessness earns her a nickname that her friends won't let her forget.