Changes for Kit: A Winter Story (American Girl: Kit #6) by Valerie Tripp

 

Summary (from the publisher): Kit doesn't like her cranky Uncle Hendrick, until he unwittingly gives Kit a great idea that gives her and her family hope for the future.

Review: Kit dislikes having to help her hateful old Uncle Hendrick while he stays with her family, especially when she has to write letters to the editor that he dictates, full of hateful opinions about relief projects for people suffering during the Great Depression. But then Kit realizes she can write her own letters and express her own opinion! Fueled by a recent visit to a food shelter, she writes about the desperate need she has seen, especially among children who lack adequate clothing for the winter weather and who are going hungry. 

I loved this book! Kit has such empathy and initiative. I was literally moved to tears when she takes her old coat to donate to a younger child and the way the child gratefully accepts it. Even though her own family is going through a difficult time, Kit has such a heart to help others who are in even worst circumstances than her own. It was a perfect fit to see her writing into her local newspaper, since Kit has always written her own household news for her family. I appreciate how Valerie Tripp keeps the characters' central threads even while pushing the story forward in these books. 

As always, I love these stories and especially the way the book concludes with a "peek into the past" section that explores the real history behind the book. Kit's stories have been such a great introduction to the Great Depression for all three of my kids and also an important lesson about helping others and standing firm in your beliefs even when others disagree. 

Stars: 4

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