Dear America Series

 
 

Dear America: Voyage On The Great Titanic by Ellen Emerson White Hardcover from Scholastic Press ISBN: 054523834X Five years ago, Margaret Ann Brady's older brother left her in the care of an orphanage and immigrated to America. When the orphanage receives an unusual request from an American woman looking for a traveling companion, Margaret's teachers agree that she is the perfect candidate to accompany Mrs. Carstairs on the TITANIC, so that once Margaret arrives in New York she will be free to join her brother in Boston. But the TITANIC is destined for tragedy, and Margaret's journey is thrown into a frozen nightmare when the ship collides with an iceberg. Margaret's diary records the unimaginable drama and anguish only a survivor could comprehend. PRAISE FOR DEAR AMERICA: "More than a supplement to classroom textbooks, this series is an imaginative, solid entre into American history." --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "An impressive series that will challenge students to make connections from prominent historical events to relevant life situations. . . . A wonderful asset to the classroom as well as to home libraries." --CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW SERVICE "Engaging accessible historical fiction." --SLJ "The Dear America diaries represent the best of historical fiction for any age." --CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Christmas After All: The Great Depression Diary of Minnie Swift, Indianapolis, Indiana 1932 (Dear America Series) by Kathryn Lasky Hardcover from Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 0439219434 In her fictionalized journal, eleven-year-old Minnie Swift recounts how her family dealt with the difficult times during the Depression and how the arrival of an orphan from Texas changed their lives in Indianapolis just before Christmas 1932. To 11-year-old Minnie Swift, Christmas, 1932, is not going to be the time of bounty she's used to. Instead, it has become the "Time of the Dwindling." The Great Depression has changed everything: Minnie's father is working fewer and fewer hours, her hungry family eats more and more aspic and "rumor of pork" (high up on the Vomitron, a zero-to-ten scale Minnie and her brother have invented to determine the vileness of their meager dinners), and a tiny orphan girl has joined their family from Heart's Bend, Texas. Minnie finds a worthy outlet in her daily journal, in which she records the sometimes troubling, sometimes exhilarating experiences of one winter month in Indianapolis during the depression. Nothing can subdue Minnie's lively spirit, although the disappearance of her father challenges her sorely. Kathryn Lasky's latest addition to the Dear America series is chock-full of period details: Greta Garbo's hairstyle, The Shadow radio program, Charlie Chan, Hooverville shantytowns, Buck Rogers, Amelia Earhart, and phrases like yee gads and go-to-the-dickens. Minnie is an exuberant and witty chronicler of her family life, as well as the world outside. Young readers will come away from Christmas After All with a strong image of life in the 1930s, and a sense of the resiliency and ingenuity of many Americans during that deeply troubled time. A historical note and photos follow the diary, providing background to help readers understand the era in which the fictional Minnie lived. (Ages 9 to 14) --Emilie Coulter

The Dear America: The Fences Between Us by Kirby Larson Hardcover from Scholastic Press ISBN: 0545224187 With this sweeping tale of life on the World War II homefront, Newbery Honor author Kirby Larson brings her incredible talent to the Dear America series. When Pearl Harbor is attacked, America is finally unable to ignore the wars raging in Europe and Asia any longer. And one girl's entire life is about to change when everything she knows is turned on its head. After the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, where her brother, a navy sailor, is stationed, Piper Davis begins chronicling her compelling journey through one of history's most tragic and unforgettable eras. Piper's father is the pastor for a Japanese Baptist church, and when its members are taken away to Minidoka, Idaho, to be interned, Pastor Davis moves his family from Seattle to Idaho to be with his congregation. Piper is jealous of her older sister, who gets to remain at home and go off to work. Her brother, who survived the Pearl Harbor strike, is stationed in the Pacific, while her brother-in-law is shipped off to Europe to fight. Piper, meanwhile, hates her new life, but soon, through her budding friendship with Betty, a Japanese-American girl who is interned in the camp, Piper learns how it important it is to bear witness to the events that were bound to change America. PRAISE FOR DEAR AMERICA: "More than a supplement to classroom textbooks, this series is an imaginative, solid entre into American history." --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "An impressive series that will challenge students to make connections from prominent historical events to relevant life situations. . . . A wonderful asset to the classroom as well as to home libraries." --CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW SERVICE "Engaging, accessible historical fiction." --SLJ "The Dear America diaries represent the best of historical fiction for any age." -- CHICAGO TRIBUNE

I Walk in Dread: The Diary of Deliverance Trembly, Witness to the Salem Witch Trials, Massachusetts Bay Colony 1691 (Dear America Series) by Lisa Rowe Fraustino Hardcover from Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 0439249732 Deliverance Trembley lives in Salem Village, where she must take care of her sickly sister, Mem, and where she does her daily chores in fear of her cruel uncle's angry temper. But when four young girls from the village accuse some of the local women of being witches, Deliverance finds herself caught up in the ensuing drama of the trials. And life in Salem is never the same.

The Dear America: The Winter of Red Snow by Kristiana Gregory Hardcover from Scholastic Press ISBN: 0545238021 Eleven-year-old Abigail Jane Stewart's fictionalized diary about her life, family, friends, and neighbors, and the sides they have to choose in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, during the height of the Revolutionary War, renders a vivid portrayal of one of the most memorable and crucial winters in American history. Abby's life with her family is quickly upended when they are awakened by the unfamiliar sound of drums. General George Washington is leading the Continental soldiers into their winter encampment at Valley Forge, PA. Hardship is a constant companion for soldiers and citizens alike throughout the winter, and in her diary, Abby pieces together the beauty, pain, and blessings of this long, revolutionary winter. PRAISE FOR DEAR AMERICA: "More than a supplement to classroom textbooks, this series is an imaginative, solid entre into American history." --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "An impressive series that will challenge students to make connections from prominent historical events to relevant life situations. . . . A wonderful asset to the classroom as well as to home libraries." --CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW SERVICE "Engaging, accessible historical fiction." --SLJ "The Dear America diaries represent the best of historical fiction for any age." -- CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Dear America: Standing in the Light by Mary Pope Osborne Hardcover from Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 0545266874 One of the most popular Dear America diaries of all time, bestselling author Mary Pope Osborne's STANDING IN THE LIGHT is now back in print with a gorgeous new cover! Catharine Carey Logan and her family have enjoyed a peaceful and prosperous life as the Quakers and Delaware Indians share a mutually trusting relationship. Recently, however, this friendship has been threatened by violence against the Indians. Then, Catharine and her brother are taken captive by the Lenape in retaliation. At first, Catharine is afraid of her captors. But when a handsome brave begins to teach her about the ways of the Lenape, she comes to see that all people share the same joys, hopes, and fears. Osborne crafts a thrilling story of romance and danger and remarkable courage.

A Time For Courage: The Suffragette Diary of Kathleen Bowen, Washington, D.C. 1917 (Dear America Series) by Kathryn Lasky Hardcover from Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 0590511416 January 19, 1917The picket line has been going on for over a week! And people said they would not last a day and the weather still has not broken. What's more is news of the picket is spreading and more and more women are coming from other parts of the district and some from as far away asMaryland and Virginia. President Wilson felt so sorry for them in the cold that he invited them in for coffee but they refused. They said they would only come in to talk about a federal amendment for the women's right to vote. No coffee! This made me think of Sojourner Truth's words about men who help lift women into carriages and over mud puddles--that of course is the easy part, just like giving them coffee. Giving them the vote is the hard part.

My Face to the Wind: the Diary of Sarah Jane Price, a Prairie Teacher, Broken Bow, Nebraska 1881 (Dear America Series) by Jim Murphy Hardcover from Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 0590438107 In the late 1870s, many young teachers traveled West to earn money and make a new life for themselves, despite the schools being inadequate at best. Some returned home, unable to endure the hardships of prairie life, but others were more committed to their work. Sarah Jane Price stayed, braving the rough conditions of the West. Written by Newbery Honor Author Jim Murphy, this is Sarah Jane Price's story.

Land of the Buffalo Bones: The Diary of Mary Ann Elizabeth Rodgers, An English Girl in Minnesota, New Yeovil, Minnesota 1873 (Dear America Series) by Marion Dane Bauer Hardcover from Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 0439220270 "Land of the Buffalo Bones" is the diary of Mary Rodgers, known as Polly. Promising religious freedom and fertile land, Polly's father, Reverend Rodgers, moves their Baptist community from England to the Minnesota prairie. After a treacherous journey across the sea and across this country, Polly finds that it is no paradise at all. Written with incredible heart and compassion, insight and sensitivity, Marion Dane Bauer has created one of the most sophisticated and courageous characters DEAR AMERICA has seen.

One Eye Laughing, The Other Eye Weeping: The Diary of Julie Weiss, Vienna, Austria to New York 1938 (Dear America Series) by Barry Denenberg Hardcover from Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 0439095182 During the Nazi persecution of the Jews in Austria, twelve-year-old Julie escapes to America to live with her relatives in New York City.

Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie : The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell ,1847 (Dear America ; 4)
by Kristiana Gregory

A Coal Miner's Bride: The Diary of Anetka Kaminska, Lattimer, Pennsylvania, 1896
by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Plucky Anetka is determined to thrive in her new life in an arranged marriage to a Pennsylvania coal miner. In spite of the fact that her husband doesn't love her, his three daughters still mourn their dead mother, and she has left behind everything she knows and loves in Poland, this 13-year-old redhead rolls up her sleeves and gets down to the backbreaking business of keeping house. 

Working conditions in the mines are horrendous and the labor movement is rumbling; nearly every day, wives watch in frightened yet resigned anticipation as the Black Maria, the "death wagon," rattles down the street to the newest widow's door. When the Black Maria shows up at Anetka's shanty just a few months after her wedding, she must dig deeper into her reserves of strength to carry on. Luckily, a young man named Leon has been patiently waiting in the wings. Their relationship is sweetly immature--until the very end, she persists in trying to convince herself she can't stand him because he teases her. 

The fact that there are no real surprises in Susan Campbell Bartoletti's historical novel will not detract from readers' enjoyment of the story. The emphasis is on the historically accurate descriptions of coal mines in Lattimer, Pennsylvania, during the late 1890s. An informative author's note, photographs, notes to a coal-mining song, and even a tantalizing recipe for potato dumplings round out this fascinating portrait of a grim time in history. As with the other titles in the immensely popular Dear America series, A Coal Miner's Bride is written in the form of a diary. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter - Amazon.com

Early Sunday Morning : The Pearl Harbor Diary of Amber Billows, Hawaii, 1941 (Dear America)
by Barry Denenberg 
(Hardcover)

Freedom's Wings: Corey's Diary, Kentucky to Ohio, 1857 (My America)
by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
Children's Fiction on the Underground Railroad
(Hardcover)

The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow : The Diary of Sarah Nita, a Navajo Girl, New Mexico, 1864 (Dear America)
by Ann Warren Turner

The Great Railroad Race : The Diary of Libby West, Utah Territory, 1868 (Dear America)
by Kristiana Gregory 
Historical Novel
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Publisher: Scholastic Trade; (April )

I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly : The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl, Mars Bluff, South Carolina, 1865 (Dear America ; 6)
by Joyce Hansen

Land Of The Buffalo Bones: The Diary of Mary Elizabeth Rodgers, an English Girl in Minnesota, New Yeovil, 1873 (Dear America)
by Marion Dane Bauer (Author)
(Hardcover)

A Light in the Storm : The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin, Fenwick Island, Delaware, 1861 (Dear America)
by Karen Hesse
This engaging addition to the successful Dear America series follows the adventures of Amelia Martin, a lighthouse keeper's daughter living on an island off the coast of Delaware in 1861. Amelia helps her father keep the light and her mother keep the house, but she cannot keep their marriage together. Newbery Medal recipient Karen Hesse (Out of the Dust) cleverly personifies the conflict between North and South, abolitionist and secessionist, Union and Confederacy in the troubled marriage of Amelia's parents. Amelia watches, powerless, as the relationship disintegrates: "I feel as if I am the Light in my family. I must keep my hope burning, so that Father and Mother, even in the darkness that seems to engulf them, might find their way back." 

The broken marriage provides a powerful example of the way the Civil War tore apart families and friendships. Girls will thrill to Amelia's descriptions of her tomboyish responsibilities as lighthouse keeper and family breadwinner, her burgeoning love affair with a local boy, and her friendship with her abolitionist uncle. While some of the language and details seem anachronistic, Hesse has crafted a remarkably elegant tale of "girl as emotional beacon," tirelessly watching as her world crashes on the shoals. (Ages 9 and older) --Claire Dederer - Amazon.com

Love Thy Neighbor: The Tory Diary of Prudence Emerson, Greenmarsh, Massachusetts, 1774 (Dear America)
by Ann Turner (Author)
(Hardcover)

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan--The Perkins School for the Blind, 1932 (Dear America)
by Barry Denenberg (Author)
(Hardcover)

My Heart is on the Ground : The Diary of Nannie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl, Carlisle Indiana School, Pennsylvania, 1880 (Dear America ; 14)
by Ann Rinaldi 
(Hardcover)

My Face to the Wind : The Diary of Sarah Jane Price, a Prairie Teacher, Nebraska, 1881 (Dear America)
by Jim Murphy

A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl, Belmont Plantation, 1859 (Dear America)
by Pat McKissack, Patricia C. McKissack (School & Library Binding - March )

So Far From Home : The Diary of Mary Driscoll, an Irish Mill Girl, Lowell, Massachusetts, 1847 (Dear America)
by Barry Denenberg
 

Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan (Dear America) by Mary Pope Osborne School & Library Binding from Scholastic

The Starving Time: Elizabeth's Diary, Book Two, Jamestown, Virginia, 1609 (My America)
by Patricia Hermes
(Hardcover)

A Time for Courage: The Suffragette Diary of Kathleen Bowen, Washington, D.C., 1917 (Dear America)
by Kathryn Lasky
(Hardcover)

Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady (Dear America)
by Ellen Emerson White
(School & Library Binding)

West to a Land of Plenty : The Diary of Teresa Angelino Viscardi, New York to Idaho Territory, 1883 (Dear America)
by Jim Murphy

Where Have All the Flowers Gone?: The Diary of Molly MacKenzie Flaherty (Dear America)
by Ellen Emerson White
(Hardcover)

The Winter of Red Snow : The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1777 (Dear America)
by Kristiana Gregory
Reading level: Ages 9-12
(School & Library Binding)
 
 

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