What the ‘Dear America’ Series Taught Me

R eading someone’s diary might just be the pinnacle of rudeness. But is it acceptable if the person is fictional?

After graduating from the American Girl books, as a child I’d fill up my library-card quota with titles from Scholastic’s “Dear America” series, Dreams in the Golden Country; One Eye Laughing, the Other Weeping; When Will This Cruel War Be Over? — these are just a sampling of the 30-plus books in the collection, each of which focuses on various moments in American history. Told from the perspective of a 12-to-14-year-old girl, these stories resonated deeply with me. I devoured them and often found it difficult to reemerge from Dust Bowl–era Oklahoma, the attack on Pearl Harbor, or a plantation in Virginia when I was called to other duties.

Four of these stories have stuck with me over the years, and upon rereading them, I’m amazed at how their contents, style, and writing stands the test of time. The authors (the books are written by various people) have the interesting challenge of creating a work of historical fiction that is both realistic and accurately captures the voice of a young girl of the era. It wasn’t until my recent rereading that I realized many of the books were written by authors whose other works outside this series I’ve also enjoyed: Patricia McKissack and Mary Pope Osborne are among them. Each one of these books taught me not only about history, but also about cherishing family, finding resilience, and cultivating courage.

West to a Land of Plenty tells the story of Teresa Angelino Viscardi and her journey to the Idaho Territory. The first DA book I ever read, it’s a wonder it didn’t turn me off. Though this diary, and the DA books in general, aren’t gratuitous, they don’t shy away from detailing the very real tragedy and sorrow with which people of the era dealt (spoilers ahead). Teresa’s wit, along with the historical details about wagon trains I was learning, kept me engaged, but I was profoundly moved when her younger sister died during the journey. Having a younger sister of my own with whom I’m close, this hit close to home and filled me with more compassion and awareness of my blessings. Furthermore, in the book’s epilogue, Teresa decides not to marry the man she previously liked throughout the diary. Her reason? “J.W. is a good man and a dear, kind friend, and he will do great things in his life, but you were right. He does not laugh enough, and a life without laughter is a life without surprises, and that is something I could not bear.” Coming from a family culture where humor has an important role, especially in difficult times, this piece of wisdom has stayed with me.

Not nearly as tragic but no less engaging is Survival in the Storm: The Dust Bowl Diary of Grace Edwards. Perhaps it’s because of the sweet romance it contains that I enjoy this diary so much. But it also gives a very clear picture of what farmers and their families endured during those terrible years. What was it like getting caught in a dust storm? Grace writes about it in detail. Did you know that people died from breathing in too much dust? Grace describes poignantly when writing about her hospital work. Times may have changed, but readers will certainly find Grace’s experiences resonating with them as she navigates being bullied at school, meeting a handsome boy, and getting exasperated with her little sister. These diaries simultaneously teach us about history, seeing a situation from someone else’s perspective, and the universality of the human condition.

All of these lessons are conveyed most strongly in A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl. I simply cannot tell you how often I used to read this particular volume. Clotee’s life was so vastly different from mine, and while I had already been given a compelling picture of the horrors of slavery from American Girl’s “Addy” books, the voice Patricia McKissack gave this character took my understanding to a new level. A twelve-year-old slave at Belmont Plantation in Virginia’s Tidewater region, Clotee teaches herself to read and write by listening to the lessons her mistress teaches her own son. A house slave, Clotee fans her mistress during lessons to further her studying and sneaks paper and ink from the master’s study for her diary. Young though she may be, Clotee is a keen observer of human nature and a quick thinker. McKissack’s writing style brings this brave character to life, showing us the evil of slavery and the determination of the human spirit.

Each diary ends with an epilogue wrapping up the character’s tale. I would read each diary, thinking it was fiction, but the epilogues were so convincingly written that I almost believed the characters were real.  After these little “biographies,” Scholastic also gives readers compelling write-ups of the book’s era, accompanied by pictures of people, places, and things brought up during the story. These give context and depth to what has just been read, giving readers more information and a means of continuing their learning about our country.

Many other titles in the series were childhood favorites, such as Voyage in the Great Titanic and So Far from Home. Not every book in the series was compelling, though, and some I downright disliked, whether it was because I wasn’t interested in the time period being covered or because I found the characters annoying. Generally, though, I found the stories endlessly interesting and partially credit them with sparking my love of history. Always, these books were patriotic without overdoing it, showing both the good and the bad throughout our history. For worthwhile lessons in courage, friendship, and determination, these books are a wonderful option.