Everything in this book has already been published somewhere else - Samantha's Cooking, Crafts, or the American Girls' Party Book. The only advantage this book has over the others is a list in the back of books, movies and music appropriate to the historical time period, which might be useful if you were doing a classroom unit on it, or just looking to broaden your child's horizons in a non-obvious way. There is also a list of places to visit that the authors deem of historical interest, but I found that to be less about historical re-enactment (what I was hoping for), and more about how the authors view the social concerns of Samantha's day. Hull House was listed, for instance. ( )