A Heart Full of Hope: An Addy Classic (2)

American Girl: Addy #4-6

by Connie Rose Porter, Juliana Kolesova (Illustrations), Michael Dworkin (Illustrations)

Having Poppa home fills Addy's heart with happiness, and moving to a boarding house brings a new special friend--one who encourages Addy to always stay hopeful for the future. Then Addy enjoys the victory of having her idea chosen for a fair fundraiser, where a friendship is born, and the answer to a riddle brings a wonderful surprise. But will the rest of Addy's family be reunited before the New Year?

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Childrens

150 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2014

About the author

Connie Rose Porter is an American author best known for her books for children and young adults. She was the third youngest of nine children of a family living in a housing project.
She has since taught English and creative writing at Milton Academy, Emerson College, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She was a fellow at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference and was a regional winner in Granta's Best Young American Novelist contest.

Reviews

[Cadee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I liked that they got their family back together. Two people died because the slaves didn't have enough food. That made me sad." -Cadee, age 7

[Celina Weersinghe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book just as much as the previous book. In this book, Addy meets an old blind women named M'Dear, who has a yellow bird named Sunny. She tells Addy her stories in Africa and working as a slave and giving advice to Addy about choosing her birthday because she doesn't remember her birthday. In the end, she finds her brother Sam who lost an arm in the war, her aunt and uncle and her baby sister Esther who now can talk. I loved this book, though I was surprised on what happened in the end.

[Kenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so grateful that the older women in this series weren't bitterly controlling like the others I've been reading.

And I want to thank Ms. Porter for letting Addy be petty, smug, and proud, all things that children can be. A lot of the other books shy away from that deliberate hostility in the main characters in favor of honest but stupid decision-making. I hate to be /that person/ in the AG community, but I do sometimes miss just the original eight girls.

Anyway.

It's been probably a decade since I last read Addy's books, and if anything, they're even lovelier and more comforting than I remember. That's an odd thing to think when they're about a family escaping from slavery, yes, but there's something so warm, wholesome, and gorgeously peaceful about their lives in Philadelphia. The food? The fabrics? The description of the city? Maybe all of it. Everything together, plus the love and hope the Walkers have that they'll bring their family back together one day, feels the way a fresh pie tastes, I think. "Pie is home, and people always come home."

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooh this was so beautiful

2025: reread this for my essay

[Aggie-Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again the compilation of books 4-6 of classic American Girl Addy’s series was handled fantastically. The flow of the book is wonderful and the impact of the story of the reunion of Addy’s family as well as the reconciliation between Addy and a school rival is very sweet. This book is extremely touching but may be a touch heavy for very young readers as it does detail issues such as war, amputees, death and grief. I personally read these stories for the first time when I was the same age as the protagonist and I also happened to loose my own grandfather at that time and this book made what I was going through easier and helped my feelings as a grieving child feel validated. Again wonderful read for appropriate aged young readers.

[The Library Lass · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the Civil War coming to an end, Addy’s journey to reunite her family continues. In this continuation, she experiences joy, loss, and everything in between. As opposed to the sometimes harsher realities of the first volume, this one chose to focus more on the grief felt over all that had been lost to both slavery and the war. Addy continues to be an absolute saint and a great role model. While not as impactful as the first volume, it is still a strong book in its own right that is worth reading.

💕 Favorite Quote

“Hope is a powerful thing, Addy. It’s the greatest gift you can give to somebody, or give yourself. It can see you through the worst times.”

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is also a combination of the last 3 original Addy stories and they were blended together very well with smooth transitions from one story to the next. Each one featured a different challenge that freed men and women faced after escaping enslavement and being freed. None of the stories go into detail beyond that there were issues such as white and black people being treated differently despite "freedom "and the struggle of reuniting families separated by slavery. It's definitely not an in depth discussion but a well done introduction to this aspect of history for kids.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second Addy (American Girl of 1864) book, A Heart Full of Hope, follows Addy’s family as they make their way as a free people in Philadelphia and search for Esther, Aunt Lula, and Uncle Solomon. It’s very well-written historical fiction and quite engaging. It ends with a few pages of facts about Addy’s world. I highly recommend this book to all young people.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book obviously has some flaws in depicting the harsh ways black people were treated during the Civil War I think it is an excellent book to introduce the topic to young children. I remember enjoying Addy's story back when I was a kid and am pleasantly surprised by them now.

[Loraena · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read these out loud with our 7-year-old and she loved them. Addy may be the first chapter books to have captured her attention.

[Sherri Savasta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved Addy's stories since I was a little girl, now I'm enjoying them as an adult with my daughters.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my early elementary school children. We all really enjoyed this age appropriate story that gave us insight into what it might have looked like to be a newly emancipated slave.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming book!

[Samantha Bartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it with my students. They loved it, which made me so very happy. 😊😊

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Courtnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8⭐️ So good, but not as gripping as the first. Great information that is delivered beautifully.