Kaya's Story: Bringing History to Life for Girls

Meet Kaya is the first in a series of books that are part of The American Girls Collection based on the life of a young Nez Perce girl that lived in America in 1764. Kaya's stories are only one part of the entire American Girl book series.

The Pleasant Company has a different series of books for a diverse mix of fictional young girls living at different periods in history. Other girls in the series include; Felicity (1774), Josefina (1824), Kirsten (1854), Addy (1864), Samantha (1904), Kit (1934),and Molly (1944). Each fictional character corresponds to the same-named doll from the American Girl Collection. The book series presents each character's life in relation to historical era that she lived in.

Kaya's Story

Meet Kaya, by Janet Shaw, is about a young Nez Perce girl who lived in Salmon River Country in 1764. This area was once considered Nez Perce territory, before it became what it now parts of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. The book uses traditional Nez Perce language in parts and includes a short glossary at the back of the book to provide translation to English. Kaya's story begins with the introduction of several important people in her life, as part of the narration of her daily life. The beginning of the book includes a visual family tree, with illustrations of each person in Kaya's family and friend network and their relation to her.

The illustrations in the book are vivid. They provide additional visual sources for the reader to get a better idea of Kaya's world. Bill Farnsworth is the talented illustrator of the book, providing painting-like illustrations throughout the book. Small illustrations are scattered on pages in the book to add to each chapter's theme.

Though this is a shorter chapter book (70 pages total), it is rich with historical information, delivered in the storyline and dialogue. A special section at the end of the book called A Peek into the Past, includes educational material about the Nez Perce and authentic photographs and drawings.

The Chapters

Kayas Family and Friends
Chapter One: Let's Race!
Chapter Two: Switchings!
Chapter Three: Courtship Dance
Chapter Four: Rescued From the River
Looking Back
Glossary of Nez Perce Words

My Thoughts and Recommendation

I wish that they had this series when I was younger! I originally found this book at our local library for my 8-year-old daughter. The recommendation on the book is for readers 8 years and up, so I thought that this would be a good series that would match with my daughter's current reading level, which is about a 4th grade reading level. I read the book first and really enjoyed it. My daughter, however, was more interested in summer outdoor activities and wasn't quite in her normal avid reader mode. She liked looking through the book at the pictures, and she tried to pronounce some of the Native American words, but she did not become absorbed in the book. I will try more books in this series once school starts, as I think that it can be a valuable way to provide some history with an interesting story. It might also be a good reading source for those that practice homeschooling.

I really like that this is the first book in a series of American Girl books about Kaya. The book introduces the character enough to want to read more stories about her life and family.I would recommend this book and American Girl Collection series to readers between 10-14 years of age. The reading included traditional names and phrases that might be difficult for the average younger reader. Parents of young girls might also enjoy reading these books. Overall, I was impressed with the writing and the helpful illustrations in Meet Kaya. The book retails for about $5.95.

Of Special Note

Unlike much historical fiction, this story has not been told solely from the view of an American writer. The Pleasant Company consulted with a number of people while writing the story, to provide accurate historical information for Kaya's story. The Advisory Board included several Nez Perce tribal members, as well as a language assistant and professor of Anthropology.

Additional books in this series include the following:

Kaya's Escape
Kaya's Hero
Kaya and Lone Dog
Kaya Shows the Way
Changes for Kaya