The Depression hits and nine year-old Kit writes her own newspaper stories.

This critical account of the American Girl brand explores what its books and dolls communicate to girls about femininity, racial identity, ethnicity, and what it means to be an American. Emilie Zaslow begins by tracing the development of American Girl and situates the company’s growth and popularity in a social history of girl power media culture. She then weaves analyses of the collection’s narrative and material representations with qualitative research on mothers and girls. Examining the dolls with both a critical eye and a fan’s curiosity, Zaslow raises questions about the values espoused by this iconic American brand.

Journey to the past with the American Girl historical characters in this official coloring and activity book. American Girl historical characters have been changing the world in bold and exciting ways. From Kaya escaping captivity in another tribe in 1764 to Julie joining the boys’ basketball team in 1974, these courageous, smart, and spirited historical characters from the American Girl line have inspired girls to fearlessly express themselves. Learn about each of these amazing girls through their entertaining scenes and engaging activities focused on their lives and experiences. Recreations of the beautiful artwork from their most popular books give young artists the chance to bring these historical characters to life. Be inspired by American Girl! Favorite American Girl Characters Over a dozen beloved historical characters are featured: Kaya, Felicity, Josefina, Kirsten, Addy, Samantha, Rebecca, Kit, Nanea, Molly, Maryellen, Melody, and Julie. Memorable Moments Relive favorite moments from the American Girl historical novels and bring them to life with crayons, colored pencils, or markers. Over 25 Activities Dive deeper into the lives of the American Girl historical characters with fun activities based on their adventures.

A collection of stories about a girl named Kit, a clever and resourceful girl who faces the Great Depression with spirit and determination.

If Kit Kittredge could write her own story about how the Depression affected her family, she'd make sure it had a happy ending. But the reality is that she and her family are living through the Depression one grim day at a time. The Kittredges' boarding house brings in some money, but it may not be enough to keep them from losing their house. Kit struggles with an endless list of chores that keeps her constantly busy at home. But she knows that there are people who have lost even more than her family has because of the Depression, and she looks for ways to help. To her great surprise, Kit discovers that along with hard times come good times, too. Book jacket.

Innovations in Economic Education addresses the growing issue of financial illiteracy by showing how economics can be successfully integrated into classrooms from kindergarten through higher education. Pre-service teachers, experienced educators, curriculum leaders, parents, and school administrators will find practical ideas to improve economic understanding. At the elementary level, the book provides creative ways of introducing young students to the basic concepts of economics, financial justice, and social action. For higher grade levels, the book offers ideas to integrate economics into current history, civics, and math curricula. The final portion of the book features recommendations by leading economic educators on how economics can play a greater role in teachers’ professional development. The pedagogical tools presented in each chapter include lesson plans and practical insights, and are designed to meet the NCSS, C3 Framework, and Common Core State Standards for Social Studies. This book is a timely and valuable resource for all educators interested in improving their students’ economic literacy and financial decision-making.

Students are taken out of their comfort zone to experience a year in the country. Additional writing tasks offer great options for extra work. List things that are different between Mary Alice's world and the present. Translate two different expressions Mary Alice uses to describe her grandmother. Put events from the story in order as they happened with Mary Alice and Grandma on Halloween. Write a letter to Mary Alice's mother in her own words in an attempt to change her opinion of the grandmother. Students identify who the antagonist of the story is and defend their opinion. Create a travel brochure for Chicago, Illinois. Aligned to your State Standards, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: A Year Down Yonder is a Newbery Medal-winning story about a young girl who must spend a year living with her grandmother in the country. Mary Alice spent her childhood summers staying with her grandmother in a small country-town in Illinois. These summers were packed with enough surprises and drama to fill the double bill of any picture show. Now, Mary Alice is fifteen and must spend a whole year with her grandmother, away from her Chicago home. Over the course of the year, Mary Alice experiences a hurricane, fox-hunting by night, a late-night raid of a pecan tree and pumpkin patch, a huge snake in the attic, and a community rife with hardship and social pretenses. A Year Down Yonder is a hilariously funny and heart-warming novel.