Pacaritambo

Dear America: JOURNEY TO AMERICA, FIONA McGILRAY'S STORY:
A Voyage from Ireland in 1849 (Historical Fiction, Dear America Series)
by Clare Pastore. Condition: NEW 2001 Berkley Jam Books hardcover (pictorial boards), no DJ issued. Wistful cover art; no credit given. Content: Books in the Journey to America series chronicle the adventures of girls immigrating to America from different parts of the world at different times in history. Fiona McGilray's Story is the first in the series, and it tells the story of a young girl, Fiona, and her brother who emigrate to escape the Irish potato famine. Fiona is an almost preternaturally strong, brave, and lucky girl. In Ireland she saved her brother from a bull and arranged to free corn held back by British landlords. What's more, after being in America only a short time, she's taken under the wing of a lonely, wealthy woman and shortly thereafter finds her own wealthy cousins. The story, which touches briefly on the more common and difficult experiences of Irish immigrants, is both engaging and well written. Remainder. For grades 5 - 8. [1 copy available]
$ 3.89 + $ 3.09 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

Dear America: JOURNEY TO THE NEW WORLD: The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple, Mayflower, 1620 (Historical Fiction, Dear America Series)
by Kathryn Lasky. Condition: NEW 1995 Scholastic hardcover (pictorial boards - no DJ issued), fourth printing. Content: Lasky demonstrates how vigorous historical fiction can enliven the facts found in most textbooks. The Pilgrims, as they came to be known, traveled in a small cargo ship, the Mayflower, for two miserable months of bad food, unfit drinking water, vicious storms, and sheer boredom on a leaky old vessel that had never been intended for human cargo and lacked even the most basic amenities. Mem, one of the 34 children among the 102 people on board, tells the story in diary entries. Almost as bad as the journey was what the travelers found when it was over. Mem's story is one of incredible courage in the face of almost insurmountable obstacles, but it is also a story of real people with all their foibles, who refuse to give up no matter what happens. In the course of these inspiring events, Mem herself almost gives up, but a sense of humor and her hopes for the future carry her through the worst of them. Memorable. (Ages 9-12) [1 copy available]
$ 3.89 + $ 3.09 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

Dear America: A PICTURE OF FREEDOM, The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl, Belmont Plantation, Virginia, 1859 (Historical Fiction, Dear America Series)
by Patricia McKissack. B&W era photos and drawings illustrate. Condition: NEW 1997 Scholastic hardcover (pictorial boards - no DJ issued), sixth printing. Content: Twelve-year-old Clotee is an orphan living on the plantation of "Mas' Henley" and "Miz Lilly." Her owners have put her to work fanning Miz Lilly and her young son William during tutoring sessions. William may not be keen to learn, but Clotee is. She has learned to read while looking over the boy's shoulder and eventually she teaches herself how to write. She practices her newfound skills by writing in a makeshift, secret diary, which is found by William's new tutor. Luckily, he turns out to be an abolitionist. Through his work, Clotee helps some of her friends escape to the North, but she herself chooses to stay behind on the plantation as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Clotee is such a vibrant, fully rounded character that it is almost painful to think of her left on the plantation while her friends and fellow slaves go to freedom. McKissack brings Clotee alive through touching and sobering details of slave life, told in such a matter-of-fact way that their often brutal nature is made abundantly clear. However, this is in no way a depressing book. In fact, it is an inspiring look at a young girl coming of age in terrible circumstances who manages to live life to the fullest. (Ages 9-12) [1 copy available]
$ 2.59 + $ 3.09 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

Dear America: STANDING IN THE LIGHT: The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan, Delaware Valley, Pennsylvania, 1763 (Historical Fiction, Dear America Series)
by Mary Pope Osborne. B&W photos & drawings illustrate. Condition: NEW 1998 Scholastic small hardcover (pictorial boards - no DJ issued), third printing. Content: This offering in the Dear America series introduces Catharine Carey Logan, a 13-year-old Quaker girl living in rural Pennsylvania in 1763. When Caty and her younger brother, Thomas, are captured by a band of Lenape warriors, she fears the worst. For months she rails against her captors at every opportunity, despite their humane treatment of her. Then, her blossoming friendship with Snow Hunter, an English captive who has decided to remain with the tribe permanently, helps her see the good in this very different culture. Although she is eventually recaptured by the English, her newfound empathy for the Lenape lifestyle leaves her an alien in her own world. Osborne's strength is her portrayal of Caty's gradual realization that the Lenape are not savages but human beings with views as legitimate as her own. Appended with a historical note, period artwork, maps, and drawings (Ages 9-12) [1 copy available]
$ 2.49 + $ 3.09 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

Dear America: VOYAGE ON THE GREAT TITANIC: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady R.M.S. Titanic, 1912 (Historical Fiction, Dear America Series)
by Ellen Emmerson White. B&W drawings and photos illustrate. Condition: NEW 1999 Scholastic small hardcover (pictorial boards), first printing. Content: The hopes and dreams of a young girl are beautifully conveyed through White's engaging narrative. Orphaned Margaret Ann looks forward to the day when she will have enough money to leave London to be reunited with her brother in America. She is given that opportunity when she becomes the companion to Mrs. Carstairs, a wealthy American returning to the States. Their voyage aboard the Titanic is a thrilling experience for Margaret until disaster strikes. Readers will be drawn to this 13-year-old's humble, friendly disposition. Friendship, courage, and fortitude are themes that resonate throughout the novel, contributing to its structural integrity. The story's historical significance is evident in Margaret's descriptions of the liner, the famous people she encounters, and the events leading up to the tragedy. A strong female protagonist and a flowing, descriptive narrative result in a powerful book about human frailty and courage in the face of adversity. Poignant scenes of familial love and friendship are believable, and Margaret's spiritual and emotional growth are evident by the course her life takes after the trauma. Archival photos and a time line bring the reality of the situation to light. A heartwarming story with wide appeal.. (Ages 9-12) [1 copy available]
$ 2.49 + $ 3.09 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

Dear America: VOYAGE ON THE GREAT TITANIC: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady R.M.S. Titanic, 1912 (Historical Fiction, Dear America Series)
by Ellen Emmerson White. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1999 Scholastic small hardcover (pictorial boards), 8th printing. Problem: the front cover fore edge appears to have something stuck on it at one time - leaving rubbing marks on that edge. Every thing else is perfect. Content: The hopes and dreams of a young girl are beautifully conveyed through White's engaging narrative. Orphaned Margaret Ann looks forward to the day when she will have enough money to leave London to be reunited with her brother in America. She is given that opportunity when she becomes the companion to Mrs. Carstairs, a wealthy American returning to the States. Their voyage aboard the Titanic is a thrilling experience for Margaret until disaster strikes. Readers will be drawn to this 13-year-old's humble, friendly disposition. Friendship, courage, and fortitude are themes that resonate throughout the novel, contributing to its structural integrity. The story's historical significance is evident in Margaret's descriptions of the liner, the famous people she encounters, and the events leading up to the tragedy. A strong female protagonist and a flowing, descriptive narrative result in a powerful book about human frailty and courage in the face of adversity. Poignant scenes of familial love and friendship are believable, and Margaret's spiritual and emotional growth are evident by the course her life takes after the trauma. Archival photos and a time line bring the reality of the situation to light. A heartwarming story with wide appeal.. (Ages 9-12) [1 copy available]
$ 1.89 + $ 3.09 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

Dear America: WEST TO A LAND OF PLENTY, The Diary of Teresa Angelina Viscardi, New York to Idaho Territory, 1883 (Historical Fiction, Dear America Series)
by Jim Murphy. B&W era photos, music and drawings illustrate. Condition: NEW 1998 Scholastic small hardcover (pictorial boards - no DJ issued), third printing. Content: In 1883, Italian-American Teresa Viscardi and her family travel to the Idaho Territory along with a number of other Easterners to settle in a town aptly named Opportunity. Her diary begins on the train that will take them to the Dakota Territory where they must then buy wagons, oxen, and horses to transport them across the rugged landscape. Teresa struggles to understand her father's decision to move thousands of miles from the home she loves, admires her mother's strength and courage, and accepts her younger sister Netta's persistence in reading and writing in her diary. After suffering through sickness, the presence of Indians, her father's sudden silver fever, and Netta's subsequent death, Teresa finds solace and comfort in her family's ability to stay together. Reminiscent of a Willa Cather heroine, the girl is resourceful, strong-minded, and intelligent. Her coming-of-age is complete after she saves herself and her grandmother from thieves. Engaging, colorful characters abound. Teresa's last entry, in the epilogue dated 1952, speaks of the woman's contentment with her life and the peace she feels. It is addressed to Netta, Teresa's way of keeping her sister's memory alive. Excellent archival photos and notes enhance the presentation of this historical novel. (Ages 9-12) [1 copy available]
$ 2.19 + $ 3.09 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

Dear America: THE WINTER OF RED SNOW, The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1777 (Historical Fiction, Dear America Series)
by Kristiana Gregory. B&W era photos, music and drawings illustrate. Condition: NEW 1999 Scholastic small hardcover (pictorial boards - no DJ issued), seventh printing. Content: The hardships of the Revolutionary Army at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-78 have become symbolic of patriotism and perseverance. This novel recounts the experience through the eyes of 11-year-old Abby Stewart, whose family lives near the encampment. Abby's childlike yet perceptive diary records her varying emotions toward the soldiers - curiosity, pity, anger, revulsion, enthusiasm?as she observes and interacts with them. Although Gregory's overall tone is positive, she doesn't neglect the downside of army life (disease, desertion, thievery) or the horrors of war. Daily events - chores (especially cooking and laundry), amusements, trials, worries, family interactions - are smoothly woven into the story. The Winter of Red Snow gives readers an interesting and realistic look at the Revolutionary War. However, the quaint language ("I could speak not") is awkward. A two-page epilogue fills readers in on these fictional characters' fates, and a lengthy historical note provides documentation on life in 18th-century America. (Ages 9-12) [1 copy available]
$ 4.19 + $ 3.09 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

MY AMERICA: WESTWARD TO HOME: Joshua's Diary, The Orgon Trail, 1848 (A Dear America books)
by Patricia Hermes. B&W photos and drawings illustrate. Condition: NEW 2001 Scholastic small hardcover (pictorial boards - no DJ issued), first edition, first printing. Content: Through the 1848 journal of nine-year-old Joshua McCullough, readers come face-to-face with the rigors of the wagon-train trek from St. Joseph, Missouri, to the Oregon Territory. Joshua shares the daily routines of wagon train travel, making real the everyday annoyances as well as the life-threatening dangers that are part of the trip. Washing away trail dust that cakes animals' eyes shut, pitching in to replace another family's possessions that spilled into a river, burying those who die along the way from illness or wagon accidents are among the events recounted in Joshua's simply penned, yet compelling entries. This perceptive boy senses a mother's pain over the loss of her children on the trail and, despite others' mistrust and fear, observes, "Indians are a lot like the rest of us." This entry in the My America series will stick in readers' minds and enrich their studies of the era. (Ages 7-12) [1 copy available]
$ 3.89 + $ 3.09 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]