Kaya and Lone Dog: A Story of Friendship is the fourth book in the American Girls Collection of books about a young Nez Perce girl named Kaya. Each of the preceding books focused on a specific theme related to Kaya’s everyday life in 1764. This story picks up at the conclusion of the third book in the series and adds a new theme of friendship.

About the Book

Kaya and Lone Dog is a short chapter book that uses historical fiction to provide young readers with stories about what it was like to be a nine year-old girl living in Nez Perce Territory in 1764. Janet Shaw is the author of this book, as well as all the Kaya books in the American Girls Collection. This book follows the same formula of brief chapters 64 pages in the book.

The reading level of the book is ideal for independent readers between about 8-12 years old. The American Girls Collection of books is particularly appealing to girls who are familiar with the American Girls Doll Collection. The Kaya doll corresponds to the character in this book.

Looking Back is a special chapter in the back of the book that includes many different types of historical information to support the story. Drawings, photographs, Native American folklore and historical facts are the highlights of this section of the book. Each of the Kaya books in the series offers new historical information in this section, giving readers a rich lesson in Nez Perce history. Readers receive lessons in history expand with each book in the series. A glossary is provided in the back of the book to interpret the Nez Perce words that are found within the book.

The illustrations in the book are unique and interesting. Illustrator, Bill Farnsworth, adds small illustrations throughout the book to match each chapter’s theme. Larger illustrations show evidence of Kaya’s daily life and adventures. The illustrations provide visual details that support the story.

The Story

Kaya and Lone Dog is a book about Kaya’s search for the meaning of friendship. The book brings back elements from previous stories in the series, and leads into a point in Kaya’s life where she is struggling with feelings of yearning for people that she was once close to. Most children can relate to this theme of missing an old friend or a friend that they no longer get to see. Kaya’s emotions surface as she tries to make her way through everyday life without focusing on the quiet melancholy that shadows her world.

Kaya’s affinity for animals was previously seen in her attachment to her horse. In this story, a new animal sparks Kaya’s interest and teaches Kaya a new lesson about friendship. Lone Dog is a stray dog that Kaya meets and tries to befriend, but the friendship is not without significant effort on Kaya’s part. Lone Dog is pregnant when she meets her and hesitant to accept Kaya’s gestures.

The story takes a look at different aspects of friendship and how Kaya experiences them. Young girls often face many challenges as they navigate through the years of childhood friendships. Kaya’s story helps to normalize some of the feelings that often accompany the loss of friends, yearning for old friends, and the process of making new friends. I would recommend this book to readers who are following the Kaya series and for readers who are looking for a book about friendship for kids between 8 and 12 years old.


Additional Books in the Series

Meet Kaya
Kaya Escapes
Kaya’s Hero
Kaya Shows the Way
Changes for Kaya

Other American Girls Collection Books

Meet Molly
Meet Felicity

Format: Hardcover, 96 pages
Publisher: Pleasant Company Publishing (September 01, 2002)
Measurements: 8.75"(h) x 6.5"(w) x 0.75"(d), 0.75 lbs.
ISBN: 1-584-85430-8
www.americangirl.com




























Recommended: Yes