Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 4^-7. Librarians lamenting the lack of alternatives to the fictionalized historical diary will appreciate this latest offering from two respected historical writers. Using excerpts from private diaries and autobiographies, the Hooblers acquaint contemporary readers with a wide range of young American women. The diarists represent a variety of ethnic groups, economic levels, and lifestyles, but what stands out is the girls' similar concerns and childhood universals. Selections are presented thematically (friendship, school, misbehavior, leisure activities, boys, and becoming a woman), with settings ranging from colonial Virginia in 1756 to San Francisco in the 1950s. The Hooblers briefly introduce each selection and provide source notes at the back of the book. Several well-chosen period photos help clarify the text and make for an appealing format. This will be the perfect antidote for readers who have overdosed on serialized historical fiction; it's also a good choice for writing and history classes emphasizing primary sources. --Kay Weisman
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This haphazard volume collects diaries, letters and memoirs of American girls from 1756 to the early 1950s into thematic chapters ("Best Friends," "School Days," "Becoming a Woman," etc.). Erratic, brief essays preceding each entry give spotty biographical information about the girls who wrote them, and in a few cases, whom they became. However, these introductions do not clarify practices that may seem foreign, such as the custom of receiving callers and gifts on New Year's Day in the 1850s, or potentially even disturbing to readers, such as an unexplained Winnebago custom that a menstruating girl must sequester herself from the rest of the tribe because she is considered "unclean." Readers will likely enjoy discovering the excerpt of Louisa May Alcott's childhood diary as she confides her ambitions and Clara Barton's memory of a skating accident that may have inspired her career in nursing. While there are some real gems buried here, including the hilarious mouse dissection and "experiments" of Martha Carey Thomas (later a founder of Bryn Mawr College), readers may not take the time to pluck them from among the hodgepodge of entries. Contemporaneous photographs place many of the excerpts in a historical context but seem to bear little relation to the subjects themselves. Ages 10-up. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-A slim, inviting book with six first-person accounts (diary entries, one letter, autobiographies) from various American girls between the years 1756-1950. Excerpts are carefully chosen to reveal what life was like for an interesting assortment of young people across the country, wealthy and poor, across the decades. Words are misspelled, sentences are incomplete, and personalities shine through. Black-and-white photos and reproductions of the various periods are included, but individuals are not identified. The themes are on target for today's readers: friendships, boys, school, home life. Above all, this reveals how universal girls' emotions can be and also how much times can change. An excellent introduction to American social history, particularly for readers who enjoy first-person accounts.-Linda Beck, Indian Valley Public Library, Telford, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Six first-person accounts of girl's lives from the mid-eighteenth to the mid-twentieth century reveal what everyday life was like for girls in a variety of socio-economic circumstances. Underscoring the universalities of feelings and experiences, the girls write about friends, school, family, boys, and other concerns that will resonate with contemporary females. Black-and-white photos illustrate the engaging volume. From HORN BOOK Spring 2000, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This slim collection of actual writings of American girls from colonial times to the mid-20th century contains some real gems that are sure to inspire readers to learn more about history. Their first insight will be that girls who lived long ago weren't really that different from their modern counterparts. They played games and played jokes on one another, were interested in boys, knew that their teachers and parents didn't understand them, were picked on by big brothers and sisters, and worried about what the future held for them. Some of the entries are funny, some serious, but all are informative and entertaining, augmented by the co- authors' introductory notes for every entry and black-and-white photographs of the spirited and spunky girls who wrote such wonderful descriptions of their lives. (Nonfiction. 10-12)
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