00004813

I have read and liked other books in this series, and this book is no different. The main reasons I liked this book was that it broadens the readers perspective, the writing is engaging and draws the reader in and I really liked the changing point of view. The first reason I really liked this book is because the book is set during the Great Depression, which negatively affects the character, but also the fact the main character is blind. This book shows the reader what a child going through that would have been doing; this is shown when the main character is writing about how her friend got taken away as their dad did not have the money to pay for the school anymore. The second reason I liked this book was that the author wrote in a way that made the book very engaging and made me not want to put the book down. The best example of this is how well the diary posts flow together and since it is written like a diary, makes you keep reading to figure out all the details. The final reason I really liked this book was the fact that the author changed the view every so often from the main character's point of view, to her sister's. This allowed me to actually see what was going on, and not just one opinion about a subject. The main message from this story is that no matter what you go through in life, there is always happiness to be had. ( )

This entire series is a wonderful way to learn history or teach it to adolescents. I find today's generations seem to recall more when they learn through other people (pop songs, celebrity gossip, etc.), so what better way to teach history than through someone else's perspective? Yes, "authentic" diaries would be "better", but would the language really hold the modern student's attention? Did the diary writer know what WOULD be important in the context of history? Probably not. ( )

I found this a rather dry and not very interesting book, although that could just be a result of it being naturalistic. It might be more enjoyable to someone who was particularly interested in historical fiction. It could be valuable in a classroom or programming environment as a way of studying the early 1930's or the historical experiences of people with physical disabilties.

After she is blinded in a sledding accident, twelve-year-old Bess Brennan's life changes forever. Bess would like to hide in her room forever, but her family forces her to face the world, a world that will never be the same for Bess, ever again. For years, Bess has kept a diary, faithfully writing daily entries. Now, Bess's twin sister Elin must write for her instead. Bess's family decides to send her to the Perkins School for the Blind, where she can learn to live in the world without her sight. This was a really fascinating and unique book in the Dear America series. From reading it, I learned what life might be like for a blind girl in 1932, a girl who had sight for the first twelve years of her life, but suddenly and tragically lost it. I highly recommend this book to fans of the series. ( )