At the age of 12, Minnie Swift is living through one of the toughest times in America's history, The Great Depression. She keeps a detailed diary over the span of one Christmas month. Reflecting the sadness -- but also the optimism -- that characterized that time, this is an intimate...  more

At the age of 12, Minnie Swift is living through one of the toughest times in America's history, The Great Depression. She keeps a detailed diary over the span of one Christmas month. Reflecting the sadness -- but also the optimism -- that characterized that time, this is an intimate portrait of a midwestern family's days and nights, ups and downs, triumphs and losses. It is the story of one family's preservering spirit. The Christmas Spirit. 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.

Newberry Medallist Karen Hesse pens the diary of a Union girl living in the divided state of Delaware during the explosive first year of the Civil War.

Two-time Newbery Award-winning author Lois Lowry brings a brand-new, beautiful diary to the Dear America series! Suddenly orphaned by the Spanish flu epidemic in the fall of 1918, eleven-year-old Lydia Pierce and her fourteen-year-old brother, Daniel, of Portland, Maine, are taken by their...  more

Two-time Newbery Award-winning author Lois Lowry brings a brand-new, beautiful diary to the Dear America series! Suddenly orphaned by the Spanish flu epidemic in the fall of 1918, eleven-year-old Lydia Pierce and her fourteen-year-old brother, Daniel, of Portland, Maine, are taken by their uncle to be raised in the Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake. Thrust into the Shakers' unfamiliar way of life, Lydia must grapple with a new world that is nothing like the one she used to know. Now separated from her beloved brother, for men and women do not mix in this community, Lydia must adjust to many changes. But in time, and with her courageous spirit, she learns to find the joy in life again. Since she is separated from her beloved brother -- for males and females do not live together in this communal village -- Lydia is forced to adjust to the restrictions placed upon her once carefree, creative spirit all on her own.

In the diary account of her journey from Ireland in 1847 and of her work in a mill in Lowell, Massachusetts, fourteen-year-old Mary reveals a great longing for her family.

Deleware Valley, PA, 1763 Inspired by the timeless environs of her Delaware Valley home, the author of the Magic Tree House series gives readers 8 to 12 this fictional diary of a colonial Quaker girl, kidnapped by Lenape Indians in 1764. When she and her brother are taken, she keeps the...  more

Deleware Valley, PA, 1763 Inspired by the timeless environs of her Delaware Valley home, the author of the Magic Tree House series gives readers 8 to 12 this fictional diary of a colonial Quaker girl, kidnapped by Lenape Indians in 1764. When she and her brother are taken, she keeps the journal and ink her father had given her at Christmas. She writes of all she observes among the Lenape and her growing feelings of kinship with the Indians. When soldiers brutally "rescue" them from the native family they have been living with, both the girl and her younger brother find it hard to readjust to colonial society. The book is illustrated with a section of captioned drawings and period artwork, and offers a historical note describing Quaker peacemaking efforts on behalf of Native Americans.

Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1777 December 19, 1777, Friday I woke to sleet hitting the window and another sound I'd not heard before. A drumbeat. Papa came in from milking and said, "The soldiers are coming." ....Finally, through the gray, we saw them. Three officers on...  more

Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1777 December 19, 1777, Friday I woke to sleet hitting the window and another sound I'd not heard before. A drumbeat. Papa came in from milking and said, "The soldiers are coming." ....Finally, through the gray, we saw them. Three officers on horseback led. We ran ouside to cheer, but the men were quiet and thin. The sight of them took my breath away. "They have no shoes," Elisabeth whispered. We watched for several minutes as they passed by. We were unable to speak. Their footprints left blood in the snow. As I write this upstairs, my candle low and our room cold, I think I shall never complain again.

In Kathryn Lasky's first book for the My Name Is America line, the acclaimed author tells the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition through the eyes of fictional, fourteen-year-old Augustus Pelletier. Eager to strike out on his own, Gus joins Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery on...  more

In Kathryn Lasky's first book for the My Name Is America line, the acclaimed author tells the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition through the eyes of fictional, fourteen-year-old Augustus Pelletier. Eager to strike out on his own, Gus joins Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery on their journey from Missouri to the Pacific Ocean as the youngest member of the trip.  

Heartbreaking and humorous, this is the story of a twelve-year-old prisoner in one of America's Japanese internment camps of World War II.

Admitting that he is neither the best in spelling nor the smartest in the company, James Edmond Pease begins his Civil War journal on November 5, 1863. Pease is an orphan "sixteen years old...or thereabouts" who has wandered the countryside since running away from his uncaring uncle...  more

Admitting that he is neither the best in spelling nor the smartest in the company, James Edmond Pease begins his Civil War journal on November 5, 1863. Pease is an orphan "sixteen years old...or thereabouts" who has wandered the countryside since running away from his uncaring uncle and aunt. Pease chronicles the mundane, everyday events in the life of a soldier. As a growing teen, James Pease's most urgent concerns — and complaints — are his sleep and his stomach. "We was up at five this morning, marching by six, with only hardtack biscuits and a tin of coffee in between. The coffee had to be as old as Colonel Titus himself and tasted like the inside of a boot with the foot still inside." James describes deadly battles involving cannons and playful battles with snowballs, near starvation in enemy territory and Thanksgiving dinners. He never glamorizes or glorifies the Civil War. "Sgt. Donoghue was sitting with his back against the breastworks, shot thru the bowels, holding his guts in his hands and bleeding badly." People, animals, death, and destruction of the countryside-all are drawn with an honest line. James Edmond Pease, a teenager who had enlisted "because I needed a pair of boots and dinner," concludes his diary as a mature and seasoned soldier who has a pretty good handle on his life. He has established friendships, discovered love, earned the respect of his peers and his superiors, formulated a philosophy to guide his life, and in the process managed to survive the most deadly war in the history of the United States.

After his family emigrates from Finland to Minnesota, Otto Peltonen and his father work in the dangerous iron ore mines of the Mesabi Range. There, in the face of discrimination from the foremen, who accept bribes for the prime mining spots, Otto and his father take part in the beginnings of the...  more

After his family emigrates from Finland to Minnesota, Otto Peltonen and his father work in the dangerous iron ore mines of the Mesabi Range. There, in the face of discrimination from the foremen, who accept bribes for the prime mining spots, Otto and his father take part in the beginnings of the labor unionization.

A WW2 Soldier, Normandy, France, 1944. June 7, 1944. I could see Omaha Beach through the smoke and haze as our assault boat rocked in the choppy waters. The noise was unbelievable-shells hissing overhead, great booms along the shore as the navy pounded Nazi positions...A boat up ahead had been...  more

A WW2 Soldier, Normandy, France, 1944. June 7, 1944. I could see Omaha Beach through the smoke and haze as our assault boat rocked in the choppy waters. The noise was unbelievable-shells hissing overhead, great booms along the shore as the navy pounded Nazi positions...A boat up ahead had been hit. Everywhere there were guys in the water. Some were splashing their way toward shore as the bullets kicked up the water around them. Others were already dead, their bodies floating against the steel obstacles. As we stopped abruptly on a sandbar, our boat's ramp dropped. I could hear fire from automatics slamming into it's steel sides. "Okay, this is it! Everybody out! Let's go. Let's go!"

William, a twelve-year-old orphan, writes of his experiences in pre-Revolutionary War Boston where he joins the cause of the patriots who are opposed to the British rule, in a boy-narrated companion to the Dear America series.

March 1858Mama and me ran. Our turn to fly. We will meet up with Daddy someday. Mr. Renfield said we will try to make that happen. Follow the drinkin' gourd said Mr. Renfield. You will taste your freedom. What does freedom taste like? Where is Daddy?Corey Birdsong is a spiritual, lively young...  more

March 1858Mama and me ran. Our turn to fly. We will meet up with Daddy someday. Mr. Renfield said we will try to make that happen. Follow the drinkin' gourd said Mr. Renfield. You will taste your freedom. What does freedom taste like? Where is Daddy?Corey Birdsong is a spiritual, lively young boy in search of freedom in the same country that has made an economy of slavery. He and his family are owned by the Hart family of Kentucky. But, when they learn that Roland,Corey's father is to be sold, Roland flees to the North and Corey and his mother follow.

In May 1607, 3 ships sailed up the James River in Virginia. In the riverbank marshes, they made land and hung the flag--England's flag--establishing the first permanent English colony in Jamestown, Virginia. In 1609, the first ship carrying women and children arrived. After 71 days at sea,...  more

In May 1607, 3 ships sailed up the James River in Virginia. In the riverbank marshes, they made land and hung the flag--England's flag--establishing the first permanent English colony in Jamestown, Virginia. In 1609, the first ship carrying women and children arrived. After 71 days at sea, nine-year-old Elizabeth Barker is thrilled to be on dry land. Lizzie keeps a journal for Caleb, her twin brother who stayed in England because of his weak lungs. In her buoyant entries,Lizzie tells of the abundant forests, trading with and learning from the Indians, and adventures with her new friends.

The story of the feisty, determined Lizzie of Pat Hermes' Our Strange New Land continues in this installment with the departure of both Captain John Smith and Lizzie's dear friend, Jessie. Facing new challenges, Lizzie records in her new diary all of the challenges that face the struggling...  more

The story of the feisty, determined Lizzie of Pat Hermes' Our Strange New Land continues in this installment with the departure of both Captain John Smith and Lizzie's dear friend, Jessie. Facing new challenges, Lizzie records in her new diary all of the challenges that face the struggling colony. As a result of starvation and disease, Lizzed watches hopelessly as many of the settlers die. She records all of this, but even more, she records the intimate lives of the children who remain there, along with that of her new baby sister.

Elizabeth, who is finally reunited with her twin brother Caleb, continues to grieve for the death of her mother in this third and final volume of her diary. And things don't get much easier when the cruel Lord Delaware begins to impose strict new laws on the residents of the Jamestown colony,...  more

Elizabeth, who is finally reunited with her twin brother Caleb, continues to grieve for the death of her mother in this third and final volume of her diary. And things don't get much easier when the cruel Lord Delaware begins to impose strict new laws on the residents of the Jamestown colony, and her father decides to remarry. But Elizabeth's brave spirit carries her through the hard times and into happier ones, as she and her friends rebuild the colony's church and discover true happiness.

As tensions rise between the Tories and Patriots, Hope's life in Philadelphia becomes more and more turbulent. Questions loom larger and larger ? Will Papa ever return from his journey? Has her brother Ethan become a Tory? Finally a letter arrives that clears up the agonizing confusion but still...  more

As tensions rise between the Tories and Patriots, Hope's life in Philadelphia becomes more and more turbulent. Questions loom larger and larger ? Will Papa ever return from his journey? Has her brother Ethan become a Tory? Finally a letter arrives that clears up the agonizing confusion but still Hope and her mother must leave their cherished home.

In this wonderful second book featuring Hope Penny Potter, the Revolutionary War wages on and Hope's daily life is much affected. The war has even kept her from her dear friend, Polly, whose parents are loyal to the King. But when Hope's much missed brother and father return, relief sets in, if...  more

In this wonderful second book featuring Hope Penny Potter, the Revolutionary War wages on and Hope's daily life is much affected. The war has even kept her from her dear friend, Polly, whose parents are loyal to the King. But when Hope's much missed brother and father return, relief sets in, if only for a short while. For the plot thickens when Hope finds out that her father was with the Sons of Liberty and they will be in danger if anyone finds out.

It is the fall of 1848, and Joshua and his family have finally arrived in Oregon. Excited about their new home, they choose a place to build and raise a farm. Though life out West is trying, and they must cope with losses and setbacks, they also experience great success and joy.

When her mother and sister fall ill, Meg and her brother, Preston, are sent to live with relatives on the prairie to avoid the cholera epidemic in St. Louis. After an adventurous journey, Meg and Preston arrive in Kansas, where they must adjust to a rugged country lifestyle.

Virginia Dickens has promised to keep a journal for her older brother Jed. And Ginny finds plenty to write about: Pennsylvania Volunteers arrive in the town square reporting a big battle in Virginia and calling for more men to join their ranks. Rumors fly that the Rebs are headed to Gettysburg,...  more

Virginia Dickens has promised to keep a journal for her older brother Jed. And Ginny finds plenty to write about: Pennsylvania Volunteers arrive in the town square reporting a big battle in Virginia and calling for more men to join their ranks. Rumors fly that the Rebs are headed to Gettysburg, and the Battle of Gettysburg ensues. Suddenly, Ginny's quiet town is filled with the injured. Ginny's brother Jed has joined the Union army, and they find him wounded in a makeshift hospital. With Ginny's nursing, he recovers, and Ginny is is able to witness the President's Gettysburg Address.

In the final months of the Civil War, Virginia and her family move to Washington, D.C. where the cold winter brings uncertainty and hardship. Virginia takes a job as a servant in a wealthy home to help her family. But, just as things start to improve as her father gets a job, and the war finally...  more

In the final months of the Civil War, Virginia and her family move to Washington, D.C. where the cold winter brings uncertainty and hardship. Virginia takes a job as a servant in a wealthy home to help her family. But, just as things start to improve as her father gets a job, and the war finally comes to an end, the tragic assassination of Ginny's beloved President Lincoln occurs. In this, her second diary chronicling the Civil War, Ginny learns that life is constantly changing. Indeed, even as Lincoln dies, her nephew is born. Throughout, Ginny faces life with hope and courage.

After Bess Brennan is blinded in a sledding accident, she must face a frightening, much-altered world. Confronted with a new set of obstacles, Bess manages to overcome her disability with the help of her new friends at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, where she also...  more

After Bess Brennan is blinded in a sledding accident, she must face a frightening, much-altered world. Confronted with a new set of obstacles, Bess manages to overcome her disability with the help of her new friends at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, where she also learns how to read braille. Her twin sister, Elin, assists her with recording daily events in her diary and contributes entries of her own. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, Bess's story will inspire all readers to be strong in the face of hardship.

It is 1848 when Joshua McCullough and his family leave their home in St. Joseph, Missouri, and set off for Oregon on a wagon train. Though many of the other families on the trail suffer devastating losses during their long journey, Joshua's is spared. However, Joshua must conquer his fear of...  more

It is 1848 when Joshua McCullough and his family leave their home in St. Joseph, Missouri, and set off for Oregon on a wagon train. Though many of the other families on the trail suffer devastating losses during their long journey, Joshua's is spared. However, Joshua must conquer his fear of water during one dramatic crossing, when he heroically dives into a rushing river to save his younger sister Becky. The battered wagon train finally reaches Oregon after traveling over two thousand miles.

It is 1848 when Joshua McCullough and his family leave their home in St. Joseph, Missouri, and set off for Oregon on a wagon train. During their seven-month-long journey, many of the other families on the trail suffer devastating losses, but Joshua's is spared. However, Joshua must conquer his...  more

It is 1848 when Joshua McCullough and his family leave their home in St. Joseph, Missouri, and set off for Oregon on a wagon train. During their seven-month-long journey, many of the other families on the trail suffer devastating losses, but Joshua's is spared. However, Joshua must conquer his fear of water during the many river crossings the wagon train must make. During one dramatic crossing, Joshua heroically dives into a rushing river to save his younger sister Becky. The battered wagon train reaches Oregon after traveling over two thousand miles.

Hattie Campbell is 13 years old in 1847 when her parents decide to sell their farm in Missouri and make their way across the Oregon Trail to Oregon City for a fresh start after the death of Hattie's sisters in this title by Kristiana Gregory. She is given a journal for her birthday and told to...  more

Hattie Campbell is 13 years old in 1847 when her parents decide to sell their farm in Missouri and make their way across the Oregon Trail to Oregon City for a fresh start after the death of Hattie's sisters in this title by Kristiana Gregory. She is given a journal for her birthday and told to record both the bad and the good. And so she does. Teaming up with dozens of other families, the wagon train begins its six-month journey across the prairies and mountains of the West. Their wagons are full and their hearts are hopeful. Hattie reflects upon the slowly changing scenery, the curiously friendly Indians they meet, and the devastating toll the long journey takes. Many in the wagon train arrive in Oregon City on foot with only a few precious possessions. Black-and-white photos, a recipe for Johnny Cake, and maps of the route can be found at the end of the book. In her diary, thirteen-year-old Hattie chronicles her family's arduous 1847 journey from Missouri to Oregon on the Oregon Trail. "Later Now that we're in the North Platte River Valley the air feels dry and thin. My lips are so chapped the bleed when I talk. The only thing to do is dip our fingers into the bucket of axle grease and rub our lips every hour or so. It smells bad, it tastes bad, and the blowing dust sticks. It feels like we must be halfway to Oregon, but Tall Joe says, no, we've only gone five hundred miles. He also says the worst part of the trail is to come. Does he mean more rivers to cross...? I'm afraid to ask what he's talking about." Gregory (Earthquake at Dawn, 1992, etc.) reconvenes the Dear America series in 1847, as Hattie, her parents, and her two younger brothers begin the long trek from Missouri to Oregon by wagon train. At first the adventure is exciting, but as the days, weeks, and months pass, Hattie realizes what a dangerous and tedious trip it will be. They cross the prairies, hastening the journey as news of the fate of the Donner party reaches them, but death, disease, weather, and the terrain take a terrible toll. The Campbells lose neighbors and friends until they almost believe they cannot bear to continue. Continue they do: Eight months after they set out, the remaining wagons arrive in Oregon City, just in time for Christmas. Through Hattie's diary, Gregory brings the rigors of the trip to life, but she also includes the details that kept the settlers going--the friendships and camaraderie that developed and the joyful events (a wedding and some births) that occurred. Gregory brings a sobering dose of reality to an era that's often romanticized; this is a fine glimpse of history on a human scale. (b&w photos, map) (Fiction. 8-14) -- "Copyright ?1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved."

Biddy Owens is the batboy for the Birmingham Black Barons, one of the best teams in the Negro Leagues. With a supporting cast of characters that includes some of the greatest players ever, Biddy¹s story covers the games, the grueling road trips, racial segregation, and day-to-day life in...  more

Biddy Owens is the batboy for the Birmingham Black Barons, one of the best teams in the Negro Leagues. With a supporting cast of characters that includes some of the greatest players ever, Biddy¹s story covers the games, the grueling road trips, racial segregation, and day-to-day life in Birmingham during this pivotal time in American history.

In Kate McMullan's second book of Meg's Prairie Diary, Meg's family is reunited on the prairie. Their new life is soon jeopardized by not only the struggle against slavery and those who would have Kansas be a slave state, but also a devastating fire that threatens to destroy their home. But...  more

In Kate McMullan's second book of Meg's Prairie Diary, Meg's family is reunited on the prairie. Their new life is soon jeopardized by not only the struggle against slavery and those who would have Kansas be a slave state, but also a devastating fire that threatens to destroy their home. But Meg's strong spirit helps her overcome the hardships of life on the prairie.Kate McMullan has once again made Meg a brave and sweet character girls will love.Look for Meg's 3rd diary in August 2003!

Meg continues to describe the daily realities on the prairie as she and her family make their lives in Kansas. Throughout these times of difficulty and joy, Meg is always courageous and thoughtful.

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...  more

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

Grade 4-7 Maddie Beck, 13, lives with her mother in a Long Island boardinghouse while her lieutenant-commander father is stationed in the Pacific. Her mother rapidly fits in to their new community, but Maddie finds it difficult to make friends, until classmate (and crush) Johnny Vecchio...  more

Grade 4-7 Maddie Beck, 13, lives with her mother in a Long Island boardinghouse while her lieutenant-commander father is stationed in the Pacific. Her mother rapidly fits in to their new community, but Maddie finds it difficult to make friends, until classmate (and crush) Johnny Vecchio learns that her father is in the Navy. After the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Maddie and Johnny organize a student group to sell war bonds, gather scrap metal, collect newspapers and used books, and make first-aid kits for the Red Cross. One restless night, Maddie takes a walk on the beach and encounters someone with a heavy accent and another threatening character. This night leads to more mysterious events that finally prompt her to call the FBI, which leads to the arrest of four Nazi agents. Then the Becks get a telegram that Maddie's father has been injured, and they prepare to move to San Francisco where he is to be hospitalized. Osborne has done an excellent job of capturing the feelings and anxieties of the time coupled with the concerns and uncertainties of young people.

Hope describes the realities of life in Pennsylvania as she is caught up in the midst of the Revolutionary War. Though the emerging nation's future is still uncertain, Hope remains optimistic and brave.