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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
very strong w historical content but unfortunately does not read like a journal to me more like it could've just been a regular hist fic :( v impressed a 16 year old wrote this don't get me wrong it's just. not my favorite DA book. did learn quite a lot tho. absolutely bonkers we just had... years of insane dust storms. anne of green gables win.
This is definitely one of the better written Dear America books. I felt fully-immersed in the Texan Panhandle during the Dust Bowl. I don't think I ever realized that it happened during the Great Depression. That's a double-stinger!
More and more I am understanding how history from WWI through WWII has greatly shaped how we are today. (And I mean, the ripple that was caused from these wars.) Could you imagine having dust pneumonia? Or having your cow or horse cut open so that dirt can be scooped out?
With this book being set firmly in the Great Depression, it of course includes the emergence of supplemental relief. We see the school lunch program, food and staple items for the needy, and loans for farmers. All of these still exist to this day, just updated. It's a direct comparison to the previous Dear America, which was the early stage of the Great Depression. Fricken Hoover being useless as all get-out...
About halfway through this book, it is important that it turns very depressing. (Yes, I know. Great Depression.) A couple of the characters struggle with grief, and in this section there's a huge up-tick in grim / unfortunate events. THANKFULLY it mostly ends on a positive note. I mean, we did get out of the Great Depression, so there's that... Just thought I'd warn you. If you think you can't handle bad things happening to children, then this is absolutely not the book for you.
More and more I am understanding how history from WWI through WWII has greatly shaped how we are today. (And I mean, the ripple that was caused from these wars.) Could you imagine having dust pneumonia? Or having your cow or horse cut open so that dirt can be scooped out?
With this book being set firmly in the Great Depression, it of course includes the emergence of supplemental relief. We see the school lunch program, food and staple items for the needy, and loans for farmers. All of these still exist to this day, just updated. It's a direct comparison to the previous Dear America, which was the early stage of the Great Depression. Fricken Hoover being useless as all get-out...
About halfway through this book, it is important that it turns very depressing. (Yes, I know. Great Depression.) A couple of the characters struggle with grief, and in this section there's a huge up-tick in grim / unfortunate events. THANKFULLY it mostly ends on a positive note. I mean, we did get out of the Great Depression, so there's that... Just thought I'd warn you. If you think you can't handle bad things happening to children, then this is absolutely not the book for you.
Read for Popsugar: A book you bought on a trip (from Powell's in Portland!)
And Dear America + Royal Diaries (3/63)
This Dear America is a little slow-paced, but definitely gives a lot of detail about living through the Dust Bowl. When I got to the end and learned it was written by an actual teenager, and I was a little more impressed? It's still not one of my favorites, but I appreciate it.
And Dear America + Royal Diaries (3/63)
This Dear America is a little slow-paced, but definitely gives a lot of detail about living through the Dust Bowl. When I got to the end and learned it was written by an actual teenager, and I was a little more impressed? It's still not one of my favorites, but I appreciate it.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
9yo really enjoyed this one. It's a bit slow, but you do get attached to the character and the harshness of the life she lived.
Have been rereading the Dear America books I own recently since it's been a long time. They're sweet, and I like the historical perspective that is otherwise not very present.
Grace, her little sister, and her parents farm wheat in the Texas Panhandle during a very bad drought that has gone on for years (the Dust Bowl). As families all around them leave in the midst of bankruptcy, health problems, and barren fields, Grace examines the importance of home, family, and community. Her story comments on friendship, looking on the bright side, and hope. And there's an interesting concept of having roots and purpose and why we hold on to dreams. I admire how their family always takes every small piece of hope they have and uses it to make them strong enough to carry on. As far as Dear America stories goes, this one is a keeper. Grace is a worthy narrator with a heart of gold.
Grace, her little sister, and her parents farm wheat in the Texas Panhandle during a very bad drought that has gone on for years (the Dust Bowl). As families all around them leave in the midst of bankruptcy, health problems, and barren fields, Grace examines the importance of home, family, and community. Her story comments on friendship, looking on the bright side, and hope. And there's an interesting concept of having roots and purpose and why we hold on to dreams. I admire how their family always takes every small piece of hope they have and uses it to make them strong enough to carry on. As far as Dear America stories goes, this one is a keeper. Grace is a worthy narrator with a heart of gold.
This was my first DEAR AMERICA book, written by a then 15 y.o. winner of a contest. Though a bit stilted, it gets the job done describing the dark days of 1935 life in a small Texas panhandle town. I'm thinking about adding it this year as a lit. circle choice before we read the class novel ESPERANZA RISING.
Interesting, could have been better. The last 40% or so of the story felt rushed, which really hindered its potential.
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
What I Liked
My family is from the Panhandle and still lives here today. My grandma told me stories of surviving the Depression and of huddling with her classmates in the basement of her school while a duster turned the sky as black as midnight. She says her teacher let her be the one to shut the cellar latch and it was considered an honor to be chosen for the task.
Because this time period is such a rich part of my family history and geography, it was interesting to read. I was also astonished to discover at the end that it was written by a 15-year-old girl! Her knowledge of history is astounding for such a young age.
What I Didn't Like
While the story does follow a proper plot arc, it becomes full at times. Letters from Grace's friends are put between the pages - but several of them, particularity David Lambert's - seemed pointless to moving the story forward.
As a younger child, I can see why I struggled to fight through this novel more than some of the other Dear America stories - it certainly moves slower. However, I enjoyed it this time around nonetheless.
My family is from the Panhandle and still lives here today. My grandma told me stories of surviving the Depression and of huddling with her classmates in the basement of her school while a duster turned the sky as black as midnight. She says her teacher let her be the one to shut the cellar latch and it was considered an honor to be chosen for the task.
Because this time period is such a rich part of my family history and geography, it was interesting to read. I was also astonished to discover at the end that it was written by a 15-year-old girl! Her knowledge of history is astounding for such a young age.
What I Didn't Like
While the story does follow a proper plot arc, it becomes full at times. Letters from Grace's friends are put between the pages - but several of them, particularity David Lambert's - seemed pointless to moving the story forward.
As a younger child, I can see why I struggled to fight through this novel more than some of the other Dear America stories - it certainly moves slower. However, I enjoyed it this time around nonetheless.