Kit Kittredge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kit Kittredge |
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| American Girl character | |
Kit Kittredge as portrayed by Abigail Breslin.
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| First appearance | Meet Kit |
| First game | Kit Mystery Challenge (2008) |
| Created by | American Girl, Valerie Tripp |
| Portrayed by | Abigail Breslin |
| Voiced by | Kamilah Lay (A Treehouse of My Own) Tara Strong (Mad) |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Kit, Squirt |
| Occupation | Student, amateur journalist |
| Family | Jack Kittredge (Father) Margaret Kittredge (Mother) Charles Kittredge (Brother) |
| Relatives | Mildred Morrison (Aunt) Hendrick Frosbythe (Uncle) |
| Nationality | American |
| Birth date and place | May 19, 1923 Cincinnati, Ohio |
Kit Kittredge is a brave and determined fictional character from the popular American Girl book series. Her stories, written by Valerie Tripp, are set during the challenging time of the Great Depression in the 1930s. Kit is the main character, and her adventures show how she and her family cope with tough times. She learns important lessons about helping others and finding strength.
Contents
Meet Kit: Her Story Begins
Kit Kittredge was created in 1998 by author Valerie Tripp. Tripp chose Cincinnati, Ohio, as the setting for Kit's stories. This city was picked because of its important Ohio River, its many industries, and famous places like the Cincinnati Union Terminal. Cincinnati's love for baseball, especially the Cincinnati Reds team, also became a fun part of Kit's world.
Valerie Tripp was inspired by her own mother's experiences during the Great Depression. She also wanted to teach young readers about being thankful for what they have. Kit's stories help kids understand the importance of helping people in need.
Who is Kit Kittredge?
Kit's full name is Margaret Mildred Kittredge. She was born on May 19, 1923, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her family gave her the nickname "Kit" from her last name and a song called "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag".
Kit's dad, Jack, owned a car dealership. At first, his business was doing well, even when the Great Depression started. But soon, he had to close it down. He used his savings to pay his employees, which meant Kit's family became poor. This big change forced the Kittredges to find new ways to live.
Kit's Look and Style
When we first meet Kit in the books, she wears a lavender-pink sweater and cardigan with a floral skirt. As her family faced financial struggles, Kit often wore hand-me-down clothes. For one birthday, her Aunt Millie even made her a dress from feed sacks! Kit learned to be grateful for these clothes.
Kit is the only historical American Girl doll with short hair. Her hair is cut in a bob, which was a popular style during her time. Sometimes, illustrations show her with short pigtails.
Later, when American Girl updated their dolls, Kit's main outfit changed. It became a bright blue-green sleeveless dress with a white Peter Pan collar and a flared floral skirt.
Kit's Personality and Dreams
Kit is a true tomboy. She doesn't care much for fancy dresses or chores she finds boring. Instead, she loves baseball, especially the player Ernie Lombardi from the Cincinnati Reds. She also enjoys adventures like those of Robin Hood and dreams of becoming a reporter. She loves typing up her own news reports.
Kit doesn't like change, even though she sometimes wishes for it. She also dislikes depending on charity. This feeling makes her admire famous people like Amelia Earhart, who were independent.
In the books, Kit can be stubborn and a bit fussy. She finds housework tedious. But as her family faces hardships, she learns to be more supportive and helpful. Kit also has a strong sense of pride. However, she learns to be humble and solve problems with cleverness and by saving money. She can get easily embarrassed or irritated, especially when others tease her about her family's financial struggles. Kit is very close to her father and stands up for her family.
Kit's Adventures in the Books
Kit's story unfolds over several books, showing her growth during the Great Depression.
First Three Books: New Beginnings
In Meet Kit, Kit is excited when Mrs. Howard and her son Stirling move into their home as boarders. Kit hopes to have a boy her age to play with. But she soon learns Stirling is often sick. One day, Kit accidentally breaks her mother's dishes. Her mother scolds her, and Kit blames Stirling. Her brother, Charlie, helps her understand that her problems are small compared to what others are facing. Kit tries to find ways to save money. Her father struggles to find work. So, Kit's mother decides to take in more boarders, which surprises Kit's grumpy Uncle Hendrick. Kit isn't happy about giving up her room for Stirling and moving to the attic. But her friend Ruthie tells her the attic is like a special room from a story. Kit tearfully agrees and makes her new attic room cozy.
In Kit Learns a Lesson, Kit and her family are still adjusting to having boarders and doing more chores. Kit hopes her father will find a job. She gets very angry when a classmate teases her about her family's money problems. As punishment, she visits a soup kitchen. There, she sees how many people are struggling, including her own father. This experience helps her understand the hardships around her.
In Kit's Surprise, Kit's family faces the threat of losing their house. Her best friend, Ruthie, tries to cheer her up with fairy tales and even pays for Kit's movie ticket. Kit feels embarrassed by this charity and gets annoyed by Ruthie's overly optimistic view. Kit's pride leads to an argument, and they stop talking. Uncle Hendrick is still mean, but his errands help Kit earn money for her family. One snowy night, Kit has to stay at her uncle's house. She calls Ruthie to tell her parents, and they both apologize and become friends again.
Later Books: Growing and Learning
Kit's Aunt Millie visits from Kentucky in Kit Saves The Day. Aunt Millie teaches the family her motto: "Use It Up, Wear It Down, Make It Due, or Do Without." Kit starts a "Waste-Not Want-Not Almanac" with thrifty tips. She also adopts a dog named Grace. When Aunt Millie announces a Penny-Pinching party for Kit's birthday at school, Kit's classmates learn about her family's poverty. Kit gets angry and lashes out at Aunt Millie, hurting her feelings. But Kit soon feels guilty. When her family goes to convince Aunt Millie to stay, Kit apologizes and shows her the almanac. Aunt Millie forgives her, and the party is a success.
In Kit Saves The Day, Kit befriends a young hobo named Will Shepherd. Kit is tired of endless chores. Her brother is working far away. So, Kit decides to go on an adventure with Will. Will shares stories of being a runaway and doing questionable things to survive. Will reluctantly takes Kit and Stirling on a dangerous trip, "riding the rails" (hitchhiking on freight trains). This was common for people looking for work. Kit gets into trouble with the law. She manages to escape, but Will and Stirling are left behind. Kit rushes home to tell her parents, and they go back to rescue the boys. Kit's experiences with the hobo camp teach her to respect those who are less fortunate.
As the Kittredge family adjusts to the Great Depression, Uncle Hendrick stays with them for the winter. Kit helps him write letters to the newspaper, where he complains about society and Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs. His angry letters, especially those criticizing the hobo community, worry Kit. She decides to write her own editorial supporting those in need, especially children. Kit's editorial is published, inspiring people to donate goods to children at the soup kitchen.
Kit finally learns to accept change and her family's misfortunes. She realizes she had been prideful, selfish, and hot-tempered. Kit learns from her mistakes and becomes more flexible, thoughtful, and kind. With this change of heart, Kit's life becomes more stable. Love, kindness, sharing, fairness, and helping others become central to her life.
Other Stories and Appearances
Kit also appears in other books. She is a supporting character in Really Truly Ruthie, which came with the Ruthie Smithens doll. Kit also stars in several mystery books within her own series. There's even a gamebook where readers can travel back in time and befriend Kit, going on adventures based on their choices.
Kit in Movies and Games
Kit's Big Screen Adventure
A movie called Kit Kittredge: An American Girl was released in theaters on July 2, 2008. Abigail Breslin played Kit in the film. Critics praised Abigail's performance. Joe Morgenstern from The Wall Street Journal said she "carries the event-stuffed story with unflagging grace." New items were added to Kit's doll collection when the movie came out.
In the film, Kit's character is very similar to the books. However, some small details were changed. For example, her brother Charlie and Aunt Millie are not seen in the movie, only mentioned.
Video Games
Two video games based on Kit's stories were also made. These include Kit Mystery Challenge for the Nintendo DS and A Tree House of My Own for Microsoft Windows.
Kit Kittredge was even parodied (made fun of in a funny way) in an episode of the animated comedy show Mad. In this episode, she had a daughter who took part in a parody of a reality TV show.
Images for kids
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Kit Kittredge as portrayed by Abigail Breslin.
