Happy Birthday, Kirsten!: A Springtime Story (American Girl: Kirsten #4) by Janet Beeler Shaw

 

Summary (from the publisher): Exciting new things come to the Larsons' farm in Minnesota in the springtime--including a tiny new baby. But changes bring new worries and more work for Kirsten, too. First, she is afraid for Mama's health. Then caring for a baby keeps her so busy that her life seems to be nothing but chores. Soon Kirsten doesn't even have time to help with the surprise she and her friends are planning for their teacher, Miss Winston. And when she has to miss school to help out at home, she worries that her friends will forget her. But Kirsten's hard work is rewarded, and her tenth birthday becomes a celebration of family and friendship.

Review: This is the fourth book in the Kirsten series. Kirsten's family is a bit more settled in their new home in Minnesota. But the family has welcomed a new baby and with it more work, keeping Kirsten busy and home from school to help with chores. Kirsten worries about missing out with friends but is happy to have her tenth birthday party and barn raising celebration to look forward to. 

I have loved rereading these books as an adult with my own daughters, who are currently five and seven. They way they both literally raised up out of bed in excitement upon learning that Kirsten's Mama was pregnant was a sight to behold. Clearly, this new plot development was a great thrill for them. I liked that the book made the new addition a realistic one. Kirsten has to help shoulder the weight of added duties like sewing, and later washing, cloth diapers. She worries about her mother laboring alone without trained medical care. And as the oldest daughter, she is kept home from school to help with household chores whie her mother recovers from childbirth. This was all very realistic and helps illustrate for modern readers the differences between now and then. 

Despite the drudgery of this period of Kirsten's life, the book still manages to make the story exciting between the buildup to the new baby's birth and in anticipation of the community get together to raise the barn, which happens to coincide with Kirsten's tenth birthday. It was nice to see Kirsten get to have fun with friends after not being able to do so for some time. My daughters were disappointed the new baby didn't feature more prominently and its name was not revealed in this book. 

Stars: 4

Related Titles: 

• Meet Kirsten: An American Girl (American Girl: Kirsten #1) by Janet Beeler Shaw
  
• Kirsten Learns a Lesson: A School Story (American Girl: Kirsten #2) by Janet Beeler Shaw
  
• Kirsten's Surprise: A Christmas Story (American Girl: Kirsten #3) by Janet Beeler Shaw