I have been getting these books for my classroom, but I've only read one of them before this one. They are very good and it is interesting how historical fact is incorporated into these fictional stories. They are written for middle schoolers but they are very attractive to adults as well. My Mom enjoys reading them too! :-P I've been able to take elements from the ones I've read and use them to enhance my lessons by relaying parts of the story. I also like the fact I can read them rather quickly. :-P This particular one was about an Irish Mill girl in 1847 and how workers in the mills were not treated well and the discrimination the Irish faced in the 1840s.

I enjoy the Dear America books and this is no exception. Historical information is peppered througout the book, and the journaling style makes you feel more intimate with the main character, Mary Driscoll. These are a good add-on for history lessons but don't have enough historical facts to stand alone as a curriculum.

Friday, July 9, 1847
Mrs.Abbott's house is so near the mills we were able to walk there...I never dreamed earthly hands could make anything that big. It looked to me like all the people in Ireland could fit inside. 'Twas like a fortress. There were smokestacks blowing their blackness heavenward and darkening the sky.
I felt cold although the day was warm. A shudder rippled through my body. There is nothing to be afraid of, I told myself. What could be worse than what I had already seen back in Ireland?
I had to go through those gates.

Mrs Abbott's house is so near the mills we were able to walk there...I never dreamed earthly hands could make anything that big. It looked to me like all the people in Ireland could fit inside. 'Twas like a fortress. There were smokestacks blowing their blackness heavenward and darkening the sky.
I felt cold although the day was warm. A shudder rippled through my body. There is nothing to be afraid of, I told myself. What could be worse than what I had already seen back in Ireland?
I had to go through those gates.

I've enjoyed using the dear american series for homeschooling. They give a good background of the times in history.

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