It is January, 1849. Fourteen-year-old Susanna Fairchild, her father, and her sixteen-year-old sister Clara are on board a ship, almost to the end of their long sea voyage from New York to Oregon, when they hear news of a gold strike in California. Susanna's desperate father, grieving after the death of his wife and nearly penniless after losing all his money, abandons his plan of establishing a medical practice in Oregon and decides to mine for gold in the hope of gaining back the money he lost. Writing in the diary left behind by her mother, Susanna describes life in a rough-and-tumble mining camp and the dangers she and Clara face when they are left alone for weeks at a time. But in spite of the many hardships they face, the two sisters grow closer and experience the joys of finding new friends and their first loves. I highly reccomend this book to all fans of the Dear America series. Kristiana Gregory has written a beautiful story about a family that faces many losses but manages to grow stronger, not from the riches that they struggle to find, but through the love they share. This has quickly become my favorite book in the Dear America series.

It's 1849, and the Gold Rush has begun. Susanna, her sister, and her father are off to California in the search for gold and the competition is ablaze. Susanna wants her family to find gold, too, but she also doesn't want her family to forget about the love they must share with each as a family. Along the way, she must confront her feelings, even as the craze for gold increases. There are more dangers to her family other than the loss of money, and Susanna must react bravely to whatever happens. Will she and her family be victorious in the Gold Rush, and will their family values fade? Seeds Of Hope is a well --written and nice addition to the Dear America series by Kristiana Gregory. It wasn't the best in the series, but I enjoyed it a lot.

This book is really good! I read it at least once a month!
It's about a family that's heading to Oregon to settle with other realitives. While they're heading to OR they hear news of the gold rush! The captin of the ship decides to change course and head to San Fransico Bay where all of the crew jupms ship and head for the gold fields.
Susanna's Pa gets geared up and is ready to go gold mining also. Taking Susanna and her sister along.
This is a very intruiging book about her life in the Cal. gold fields.

One of the best books around is Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie . I would rate this book 5 stars out of 5 stars! The story is about a girl named Hattie Cambell, her family wants to go to Oregon but they can't afford it untill her uncle dies. They come across some trouble, but not alot in fact she falls in love, and she fins a new best friend. As I said in the begining this is the best book in the world!

This book tells, in diary format, the story of Hattie Campbell and her family on the Oregon Trail. It starts out in Booneville, Missouri at Hattie's birthday. They travel by steamboat to Independence, and go west. Along the way, Hattie meets and makes friends with Pepper and Wade, who are twins, Gideon, and Mrs. Bigg. She also encounters a thief. The trail is filled with many dangers, including food poisoning, deaths, rivers, mountains, etc. You have to read the book to find out what happens to Hattie and her friends and family. I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in pioneers, excitement, and dangers, or who is a fan of Kristiana Gregory's work or a fan of the Dear America series. This book is one of the best in the Dear America series, as Kristiana Gregory has once again done a superb job in the research and writing.

Hattie Campbell, her parent's, her aunt and uncle, and her two younger brothers leave their home to join a wagon train on the Oregon Trail. Hattie meets a girl named Pepper, and they become good friends. There are surprises along the way such as marriages, but there were also hardships like deaths, food poisoning, and robberies. Also, if you're the type of person who want's to know what happens after the end, this book has an epilogue (tells what happens after the end).

In this beautiful second book on 10-year-old Hope Penny Potter, the Revolutionary War rages on everyday and brings many conflicts into young Hope's life. Her friend Polly now can't even be with her for her parents are loyalists to the King and Hope is a Patriot. To aviod the British who have occupied her hometown of Phildelphia, Hope flees to Valley Forge, Pennslyvania where George Washington is. Hope worries everyday about her father and brother who have not returned from battle. But when Hope's brother and father return, relief sets in for Hope but not long for she discovers a secret that her father was with the Sons of Liberty and the family would definitely be in danger if anybody found out. I recommend this great book to every My America reader. Hopefully there will be more books on Hope. I really enjoy her!

Ten-year-old Hope Potter and her family have fled to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, hoping to be safe from a possible British occupation of Philadelphia. Hope still worries about her father, who has been gone for over a year now, and her brother Ethan, who has been captured by the British. When Ethan finally returns, it is a joyous occasion. To protect their home, the Potters decide to return to Philadelphia. As British soldiers occupy the city, and the Potters own home, Hope fears for the safety of herself and her family, but she knows that some things, like freedom, are worth believing in and fighting for. I highly recommend Hope's second diary to all fans of the My America series. I hope there is a third book about Hope and her family.

This book was good because every sentence was action packed. It was one of those books that it was so good that when you finish it you want it to go on forever. I suggest you read this book because I really enjoyed it.

In the 1800's, many people traveled the Oregon Trail in search of a better life. Hattie Campbell and her family were no exception. While traveling the Oregon Trail, Hattie kept a diary of her adventures she faced while making the long, hard journey. In her diary, Hattie tells of the hardships that the wagon train faced such as disease, theft, and exposure to the elements. This book is appealing to children grades 5 and up. Teachers, as well as parents, can use this book to teach their students about the Westward Expansion of the United States.

We read this book for our education class at the University of Mississippi. Hattie Campbell explains her adventures in such a way that it motivates anyone who is reading this book to become interested in the Westward Expansion. As teacher candidates, we quickly realized that this book could be integrated into all subject areas. This selection is an easy read and once started you will not want to put it down until the last page is read.

''Across the Wide and Lonesome Praire'' is a great book. This book has a ton of adventure and it tells what it's like to live in a covered wagon on the Oregon trail for 6 straight months during the 1840's. I have many favorite parts, but one of the funniest parts is at the beginning of the book when Hattie's grandpa falls out of his coffin into the river. They end up getting to go to Oregon in a covered wagon as a result of this accident. The main characters in this book are Ben, Jake, Gideon, Wade, Pepper, Tall Joe, Mrs. Kinker, Mr. and Mrs. Bigg, Hattie, her aunt and uncle Campell, and her Mom and Dad. I recommend this book because it is sad, funny, and exciting. I think boys and girls from ages 8 to 13 would like this cool and adventurous book.

This Book is about a 13 year old girl named Hattie Campbell and her family riding on the Oregon Trail from Missouri (back in 1847) to try and find a better life. If I were to recomend this book to anyone it would be to someone who enjoys reading books in diary form or that are considered adventurous stories that take place in the past. Although I am not sure if the author has written any other books, I know that this brand,which has a series, called "Dear America" is also very popular. I so far have really enjoyed reading this book because it is very exciting and something new happens in each journal entry. This book also has a lot of detail, which is why I enjoyed reading it.

Kristiana Gregory really brings out Edith Irvine as a devoted photographer. Even in the midst of all the turmoil, she snaps 60 photos, possibly more! In this true-to-life novel, the famous San Francisco earthquake takes place, however, the quake is not the worst that happens! The fire that the quake created was. It lasted three days and killed an estimated five to ten thousand people. The mayor exploded dynamite to try to get rid of the fire, but the dynamite only created more. This novel also illustrates the annoying floor length dresses that the ladies of 1906 had to wear and the automobiles of Daisy's time. In some books earthquakes are made up just for entertainment. Not this one! This earthquake was real. The first shock was on April 18, 1906 and was recorded at 5:12:05 a.m. and it lasted for 45 seconds. There were 27 earthquakes that were actually recorded that day. Mary Exa Atkins Campbell told the earthquake's story.

I really enjoyed the book Earthquake at Dawn. It's about the 1906 San Fransisco earthquake/fire that happened at dawn (hence the name Earthquake at Dawn). Even though it is historical fiction, it had a lot of true things that made it incredibly believable. Kristina Gregory definitely made the story good by adding some subplots that kept your interest. The subplots were real things too, like Edith and Daisy getting separated from their father, and Molly dying of lack of healthcare. This was a really good, captivating book which I think many people will cherish for years to come.

This was an excellent book. I choose to read it for my summer book reports that I have to do and most of the time I dread reading the books but not this. I also usually have no trouble putting books down but I couldn't put this one down. The book is about Edith and her assisant Daisy who are going to Europe but stop in San Francisco and they get stuck there because of an earthquake. They meet a lot of people and have some adventures while trying to find Edith's father

Thirteen-year-old Eleanor is the oldest daughter of Count William Aquitaine, and heir to her Father's powerful empire even since her younger brother died at the age of four. Being a teenage girl, Eleanor and her younger sister Petronilla, live in the many beautiful palaces of her father and are under the care of their Grandmere, who also gave Eleanor this diary to write in. Mischieveous Eleanor is always a constant struggle to her Grandmere and ladies-in-waiting. However, Eleanor's light, happy life takes a turn when her careless father, dies of food-poisoning, on their pilgrimage to Spain. All of a sudden Eleanor finds herself owning a bunch of land and bethrothed, for political reasons, to sixteen-year-old Prince Louis VII of France. Eleanor knows that her father's many lands, which is even bigger than King Louis's empire is very much the reason for the bethrol. Through this all Eleanor wonders if she can ever marry only for love and nothing else. Her perseptives change though when she finally meets her young teenage husband, and the sparks between them fly. This is definitely my favorite Royal Diary. I am quite the romantic and I loved Prince Louis and Eleanor's romance, it was brilliantly written. I can tell much research was made to write this book and I recommend all fans to read it.

Yes, another member of the Royal Diaries clan!

This book was very interesting. It's about Eleanor, eldest daughter of Duke William X, who received a diary from her Grandmére, or grandmother, to write her thoughts in daily. In the diary, the reader finds out that Eleanor's younger brother Willie died at a very young age. Thus, she became heir of her father's powerful regime and land. (The amount of land he had was larger than the King's!) Eleanor and her younger sister Petronilla lives a happy and carefree life, but all of that quickly changes when their father goes on a pilgrimage to Spain and dies of food poisoning. The next thing she knows, she owns hundreds of acres of land, countless castles, and is betrothed to Prince Louis VII. After hearing about the betrothal, Eleanor ponders the thought of marriage. She wonders if she can be able to love the prince. On the day they first meet, Eleanor and Petronilla jump in the stream with the boys. The thing they didn't know was that the prince was one of them. Eleanor and Louis meet and a connection is born! I'll just leave you hanging from there. :P

This is a great addition to the Royal Diaries series. I thought that it was superiorly written. The relationships between the characters felt very tangible. I definitely recommend this book to all historical fiction and Royal Diaries fans.

After enjoying Cleopatra VII, I knew that Kristiana Gregory's second book in The Royal Diaries would be very detailed and well-written. Even though I expected this book to be excellent, it even outreached my expectations. The story begins when Eleanor receives a diary from Grandmere (her grandmother). She writes of daily activies with her sister Petronilla, events at the castle, people of the government, etc. When her father, the Duke of Aquitaine, plans to go on a pilgrimage and dies shortly after reaching his destination, Eleanor's life is completely changed. She is the Duchess of Aquitaine and must be held under severe security. Because she holds more land than the King of France, he marries her to his son, Louis the Younger. Eleanor is fond of him from the early beginning. As they venture to return home, both are informed that King Louis of France has died, and now they are both the new king and queen. This was a very excellent addition to The Royal Diaries. If you are looking to start off the series, I would recommend this as a beginning.

I bought this book from a bookstore because my friend also had it and I wanted a copy. So I picked one up and began reading the book. I was surprised at the cruelty of this folk. Cleopatra's father killed his own sister . Cleopatra's older sister threatened to kill her own sister and father if they set foot in Egypt! boy am I glad that I don't live in ancient times. What makes this book good to read though is the fact that everything isn't goody good. Cleopatra wasn't that much of a saint in her time and in the book if you think about it she wasn't too sympathetic for Berenice. I also liked reading about the cruel ancient romans. The gladiators and the hungry tigers which proved that Romans were smart but one of the evilest people in history. This book is mostly true historically and a girl's emotional feelings about all of it is something worth reading!

This is the best Royal Diary yet. I'm 13 and I love it! It keeps you interested right from the beginning, something that the other books did not do. (And I don't even like Egyptian stuff!)

It begins with Cleopatra musing about what will happen if her father (Ptolemy XII, who is in hiding) does not return and her older sister Tryphaena becomes queen. Then, Cleopatra could be killed, because she knows that Tryphaena hates her.

Soon, Cleopatra's loyal friend Olympus warns her of the danger that will come upon both father and daughter if they stay in Alexandria (their "hometown"), because already, Tryphaena is planning to kill them. When her father secretly returns, the two set off for Rome. While they are there, Cleopatra meets Marc Antony, and while she does not like him she keeps having a longing to see more of him.

And then comes the news that Tryphaena is dead - and now another sister, Berenice, has taken the throne. Will the king and Cleopatra be safe?

Even though there is some really gory stuff in this book, it's excellent. Two thumbs way, way up!

This book is one of the best books in the Royal Diarie Series. Not only is it very educational, but it is scary too. Cleopatra's untrustworthy older sister, Tryphanea, is a confuisng character, because she does threatning things and you never can tell if she's going to kill her or not. The adventures she completes, such as going to Rome, sneaking out of the house and dressing like a commoner, just to have some fun, and worrying about her father's return from his disappearnace after being threataned with poison really intrigued me into the book. Then, in Rome, she meets a man named Marc Antony. She htinks she hates him, but deep down, she knows she loves him more than she shows it. Then, in the back of the book, it has historical notes that would interest any reader. It tells all about Cleopatra's era, like everything the commoners AND noblemen and women wore, ate, and did. Cleopatra VII, Daughter of the Nile, is a fantastic example of great literature for young or old readers.

This book is a must-read for all Revolutionary War fans. Anyone who likes to read accounts about our nation's past will love The Winter of Red Snow. This book is a fictional diary about Abigail Jane Stewart, an 11-year-old girl who lived at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary War. It tells of her feelings toward life, the war, the army, etc. It is a great account. While reading this book, I felt like I had traveled back in time. I felt like I was right there with Abigail. When Abigail helped Martha Washington on her walks through the army's camp, I could see, hear, and even smell the sick and dying soldiers in my mind. Abigail's vivid descriptions brought such clear, sharp pictures to my mind, it made me wish I was a painter so I could paint them. I recommend this book to anyone who likes diaries from wartimes, or just the Revolutionary War in general. It is full of detail, description, and vivid feelings and thoughts. It's a real page-turner, and is very hard to put down.

I found this book pretty exciting and captivating. The way Kristiana Gregory described the vivid weather and actions of the people was so real. You felt the cold, smelled the wonderful thanksgiving dinner,and saw the horrible sight of the poor soldiers. Let me start from the beginning, Abigail Jane Stewart is an American girl back in the days of the Revolutionary War. The army soldiers set up a camp near her house and her family provide supplies. She meets interesting people such as General George Washington himself. She has tons to worry about such as her little baby brother, the war, and the loved ones around her. Get this book to find out how she handles her obstacles in her cold, wintery, 1777 life.

Abigail Jane Stewart, called Abby by her family and friends, is the narrator of this fictional diary. She is only eleven when the American army makes camp near her home in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in December of 1777. She and her older sister, Elisabeth, and younger sister, Sally, are worried about their mother and newborn brother, but they try to help the army in whatever way they can. Abby, her mother, and sisters do laundry for General Washington, and Abby and Elisabeth sew for the soldiers and visit the encampment with Mrs. Washington to help with the sick soldiers. In viewing the horror of war firsthand, Abby matures from a child who views war as an adventure to a girl who, in spite of her young age, understands the sacrifices the soldiers are making to fight for freedom. This was one of the first Dear America books I read, and I still remember how very much I enjoyed it. It started me out on my way to loving this series.

I loved this book. It's my favorite book in the Dear America series. When i saw the title "The great DIARY of Libby West" i knew that it was going to be a good book, cause i like reading diary's. Most of this book was pretty enjoyable. I had an interesting information about the railroad race and life in America at that time. However, it was not as heartwarming as the other books in the series. The main reason i took one star of it was because it had a lot of discription all of that discription wasn't needed. But it captivated and interested me. The book was, however, sucessful with it's romance. My favorite thing about it was the way Libby steadily fell in love with Pete, her fathers assistant. In the end, i'd say the book was not all that accurate but had some good qualities. And finaly i would like to add that this book had and outstanding plot.I would advice you to go ahead and read it to find all the amazing things about what i said .

"The Great Railroad Race" was another terrific "Dear America" novel, in an 1868 diary form about 14 year-old Libby West .

Libby's father, a newspaper reporter, decides to travel west with the growing Union Pacific Railroad, for the chance to publish his own newspaper. Libby's mother refuses to stay behind in Denver, however, so the whole family goes along.

The story of Libby's time out west was very descriptive and interesting to read, with her making new friends, falling in love with her father's assistant, and helping her family. It was also pretty humorous at times! :)

I'd definitely recommend this book for ages 11 and up, to anyone who likes history, romance, adventure, or just a great read! Be sure to also read the "Dear America" books "Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie" and "West to a Land of Plenty", and also the "My Name is America" book "The Journal of Sean Sullivan".

This book was really great!I loved it except sometimes it was sort of boring. but worth reading!