Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Kit's World – A Girl's-Eye View of the Great Depression
Illustrator: Philip Hood , Susan McAliley , Susan Moore
Novelty Book Series
For ages 7 to 12
American Girl Publishing Inc, 2008 ISBN: 978-1593694593
Just like thousands of other families in America, Kit Kittredge's life has been turned upside down by the Great Depression. Her father has lost his job, and to make sure that they don't lose their home, Kit's parents decide to take in boarders. By scrimping and saving, growing a garden, taking strangers into their home, and working hard the Kittredges, unlike so many other people at that time, are able to make their mortgage payments.
During the Depression people like Kit's family found very creative ways to "make do" with what they had and to stretch their resources in new ways. Old feed sacks were turned into clothes, vegetables grown in the garden were canned to be eaten later, worn out clothes became quilts, and people entertained themselves at home rather than going out to restaurants and other costly amusements.
A lot of Americans at this time were not as lucky as Kit's family and their boarders. Men, women and children were turned out onto the streets and some took to the hobo life, traveling from place to place. Though her family doesn't have much to spare, they do their best to help the people who are worse off than they are.
In this splendid book readers who have enjoyed the Kit Kittredge series over the years will find out more about Kit's world. Even for readers who have not read about Kit and her adventures, this book will give them a fascinating look at what life in the Depression years was like. Readers will learn about the movies people watched, the clothes they wore, the books they read, and much more.
Richly illustrated throughout, this title is full of tabs to pull, flaps to lift, pop-ups and other novelty features.
