Barbara Rosenblat
At first, 13-year-old Hattie and her family find the wagon train adventue exciting, but as time passes, death, disease, weather, and the terrain make it a tedious and dangerous trip. Through Hattie's diary, the rigors - and the joys - of this fascinating era in history are deftly chronicled.
Through diary entries, 11-year-old Abby Stewart, whose family lives near Valley Forge, records what it must have been like to live among the soldiers, along with the myriad emotions that a young girl might have had toward them and the war. This realistic look at the Revolutionary War is rounded out with lengthy historical notes, as well as an epilogue that reveals the fates of these fictional characters.
Since she had secretly learned to read and write as a slave, 12-year-old Patsy is able to document her new life and dreams now that she is free. A time that isn't often written about, the Reconstruction Period offers a fascinating milieu for the reflections of a young girl as she determines what freedom means to her. An epilogue, historical notes, photos, and maps provide additional information.