Kirsten's Surprise (American Girl) [Paperback]

Janet Shaw (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Series: American Girl

Kirsten and her family will be celebrating their first Christmas in America. Kirsten wants to keep some of their old Swedish traditions alive in the new country, so she secretly plans a Saint Lucia celebration. But everything depends on a trip to town with Papa, and he's too busy to leave the farm. At last they go--and get caught in a terrible blizzard. It's up to Kirsten to keep herself and Papa safe through the night. When she finally gets home, the candles in the little cabin glow with a special holiday warmth.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: American Girl (March 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0937295191
• ISBN-13: 978-0937295199
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #736,484 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an exciting read, full of history and Swedish culture, January 20, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Kirsten's Surprise (American Girl) (Paperback)

My daughters and I love the American Girl series of books, so perhaps we're biased, but Kirsten's Surprise is one of our favorites. Despite the hardships of her new life in Minnesota, Kirsten is still a child, longing for her beloved doll, which is in storage in town, and the St. Lucia gown that will make Christmas seem like Christmas. The ensuing trek to get the trunk and return home through a blizzard is exciting, and a wonderful glimpse of the life of pioneers.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kirsten's Surprise...an Excellent Book, May 1, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Kirsten's Surprise (American Girl) (Paperback)

Can you imagine moving from Sweden all the way to America? In this book, Kirsten's Surprise, Kirsten, Mama, Papa, Lars and Peter do! But on the trip to get their trunks from Sweden that they left in the general store, a storm hits! Guess what happens next?
Kirsten's Surprise is one of the thrill-seeking books in her series. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes books that have bravery, courage and excitement all wrapped into one book

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Christmas adventure for Kirsten, April 3, 2001

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kirsten's Surprise: A Christmas Story (American Girl) (Hardcover)

This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Kirsten Larson, a nine-year-old girl from Sweden, whose family has moved to frontier Minnesota of 1854. With Christmas approaching, Kirsten is excited about introducing her cousins to the Saint Lucia celebration. She has a dress that is just right for it in the family's trunk that is in storage. The day before Saint Lucia Day, Kirsten's father decides to go get the trunks, and Kirsten is just dying to go with him. However, as the Minnesota skies open and a winter storm descends, she finds that her help is more needed then she could have imagined.

Once again, I must commend the author and illustrator on a job well done! This book is wonderful, with the added bonus of a chapter on Christmas on the frontier in 1854. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

[For those parents interested in reading historical fiction about Swedish immigrants, please consider reading The Emigrants series by Vilhelm Moberg.]