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Dear America
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan
Blinded after a terrible accident, Bess must learn to overcome her disability with the help of new friends and skills at the Perkins School for the Blind, in the wake of America's Great Depression.
After Bess Brennan is blinded in a sledding accident, she must face a frightening, much-altered world. Confronted with a new set of obstacles, Bess manages to overcome her disability with the help of her new friends at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, where she also learns how to read braille. Her twin sister, Elin, assists her with recording daily events in her diary and contributes entries of her own. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, Bess's story will inspire all readers to be strong in the face of hardship.
After Bess Brennan is blinded in a sledding accident, she must face a frightening, much-altered world. Confronted with a new set of obstacles, Bess manages to overcome her disability with the help of her new friends at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, where she also learns how to read braille. Her twin sister, Elin, assists her with recording daily events in her diary and contributes entries of her own. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, Bess's story will inspire all readers to be strong in the face of hardship.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2002
22 people are currently reading
2084 people want to read
About the author
Barry Denenberg
43 books82 followersBarry Denenberg is the critically acclaimed author of non-fiction and historical fiction. His historical fiction includes titles in the Dear America, My Name is America, and Royal Diaries series, many of which have been named NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People. His nonfiction books have covered a wide array of topics, from Anne Frank to Elvis Presley. After the publication of An American Hero: The True Story of Charles Lindburgh, Denenberg was interviewed for various documentaries including ABC’s “The Century.”
Denenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived in Long Island, Binghamton, New York, and Palisades Park, New Jersey. “I was a serious reader from an early age and when I attended Boston University in 1968, majoring in history, I worked in a bookstore at night,” he says. “After college I was a book buyer for some fine, independent bookstores, some of the nation’s largest retail book chains and a marketing executive in publishing.
“At the age of forty I came to the startling realization that the glamorous world of power lunches, power politics, and power trips was not for me. I immediately went to work on the Great American Novel (since destroyed) and was rescued when my future wife, Jean Feiwel (then and now publisher of Scholastic Inc.) made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Scholastic had received a biography of John F. Kennedy that they deemed unacceptable: would I like to try and write one?
“The rest is history in more ways than one. I went on to write biographies of Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, J. Edgar Hoover, Nelson Mandela, Elvis Presley and Voices From Vietnam, an oral history of the war.
“Writing some of the first books in the Dear America series was a turning point in my career. Its popularity and the resulting readers’ letters made a great impression on me. This in turn inspired my writing and fueled my research. With my bookstore background and the help of numerous knowledgeable booksellers I am able to assemble an extensive bibliography on each topic I write.
“I think there’s an art to both writing and research. I’m a good writer but a better researcher.”
Something that has added greatly to Denenberg’s perspective on writing for young readers is his volunteer work as Director of Creative Writing and Library Services at the Waterside School in Stamford, Connecticut. Waterside, established in 2001, is an independent school dedicated to educating gifted children of the communities’ low-income families.
Aside from writing and teaching Denenberg’s interests include listening to music, reading (books not related to his research), swimming, practicing yoga and spending time with his family.
Barry Denenberg lives in Bedford, New York with his wife and daughter.
Denenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived in Long Island, Binghamton, New York, and Palisades Park, New Jersey. “I was a serious reader from an early age and when I attended Boston University in 1968, majoring in history, I worked in a bookstore at night,” he says. “After college I was a book buyer for some fine, independent bookstores, some of the nation’s largest retail book chains and a marketing executive in publishing.
“At the age of forty I came to the startling realization that the glamorous world of power lunches, power politics, and power trips was not for me. I immediately went to work on the Great American Novel (since destroyed) and was rescued when my future wife, Jean Feiwel (then and now publisher of Scholastic Inc.) made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Scholastic had received a biography of John F. Kennedy that they deemed unacceptable: would I like to try and write one?
“The rest is history in more ways than one. I went on to write biographies of Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, J. Edgar Hoover, Nelson Mandela, Elvis Presley and Voices From Vietnam, an oral history of the war.
“Writing some of the first books in the Dear America series was a turning point in my career. Its popularity and the resulting readers’ letters made a great impression on me. This in turn inspired my writing and fueled my research. With my bookstore background and the help of numerous knowledgeable booksellers I am able to assemble an extensive bibliography on each topic I write.
“I think there’s an art to both writing and research. I’m a good writer but a better researcher.”
Something that has added greatly to Denenberg’s perspective on writing for young readers is his volunteer work as Director of Creative Writing and Library Services at the Waterside School in Stamford, Connecticut. Waterside, established in 2001, is an independent school dedicated to educating gifted children of the communities’ low-income families.
Aside from writing and teaching Denenberg’s interests include listening to music, reading (books not related to his research), swimming, practicing yoga and spending time with his family.
Barry Denenberg lives in Bedford, New York with his wife and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
July 10, 2012
This book made me really afraid to go sledding because the girl went blind from a sledding accident. Thanks a lot, Dear America.
August 13, 2020
So yes, the day-to-day life details (both positive and negative, both triumphs and obstacles) which Bess Brennan experiences, encounters and often must also surmount and master at the Perkins School for the Blind (in 1932 and after having recently been blinded in a horrible sledding accident) are certainly informative and very much enlightening. And I also do find author Barry Denenberg’s idea of having Bess’ twin sister Elin write the diary entries for her, for Bess, an ingenious and successful narrative device (as this of course visibly shows that Bess cannot write using pen and paper anymore due to her blindness and that since Bess has also not yet learned how to write in Braille, she obviously must at this time still rely on Elin to be her pen or pencil, to write the diary entries that Bess orally dictates).
However, as much as the factual information of Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan regarding what Bess needs to learn at the Perkins School for the Blind has been interesting, I also cannot really say that I have found either Bess’ or Elin’s narrative voices all that gender appropriate. For while with regard to age, Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan does certainly read realistically enough, I am sorry, but the first person narrations of either of the Brennan twins, they to and for me do not really sound all that feminine in nature, but more as though author Barry Denenberg is masquerading and pretending at being a girl but not really succeeding all that well, making the featured journal entries feel emotionally inauthentic and not all that relatable and readable, leaving printed words that are thematically real but feeling emotionally false (not really feminine enough but actually rather asexual and stagnant, devoid of feeling and just not in my opinion reading all that much like the musings of a young teenaged girl and her twin sister helpmeet).
And thus, only two stars for Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan, and yes, I really do think that Bess’ fictional journal would be considerably more emotionally and gender authentic if the author were female and not male, as I just do not think that Barry Denenberg gets Bess and describes Bess’s musings as those of a typical girl.
However, as much as the factual information of Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan regarding what Bess needs to learn at the Perkins School for the Blind has been interesting, I also cannot really say that I have found either Bess’ or Elin’s narrative voices all that gender appropriate. For while with regard to age, Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan does certainly read realistically enough, I am sorry, but the first person narrations of either of the Brennan twins, they to and for me do not really sound all that feminine in nature, but more as though author Barry Denenberg is masquerading and pretending at being a girl but not really succeeding all that well, making the featured journal entries feel emotionally inauthentic and not all that relatable and readable, leaving printed words that are thematically real but feeling emotionally false (not really feminine enough but actually rather asexual and stagnant, devoid of feeling and just not in my opinion reading all that much like the musings of a young teenaged girl and her twin sister helpmeet).
And thus, only two stars for Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan, and yes, I really do think that Bess’ fictional journal would be considerably more emotionally and gender authentic if the author were female and not male, as I just do not think that Barry Denenberg gets Bess and describes Bess’s musings as those of a typical girl.
February 24, 2011
Mirror, Mirror (Perkins School for the Blind) / 0-439-19446-6
"Mirror, Mirror" is a solid addition to the Dear America series, and with a new kind of fictional diarist - a blind young woman. When Bess' eyesight is lost in a sledding accident, she despairs that she will ever be able to live a normal life. With the urging of her understanding and concerned family, she gains admission to the Perkins School for the Blind, and begins the onerous process of learning how to live independently without sight.
So much of this book is quite fascinating, as Bess describes senses and feelings that would never occur to me as a sighted person. She learns, for instance, to walk down corridors snapping her fingers, listening to the different types echoes as the corridors widen and narrow while she walks. She describes how the most thoughtful teachers automatically say "Hello" and "Goodbye" when entering and leaving rooms, so that the blind students can instantly know who has entered or left. Even the process of dressing herself in the morning has a 'system' - Bess puts her light clothes in a separate drawer from her dark clothes, so that she will always match. Bess also tells us, matter-of-factly, how poorly many of the blind students are treated by the outside world; the girls who are taken out of school by fathers who don't care if they learn to be independent or not, the boys who are not allowed to socialize with the girls because the school officials fear that blind couples will result in blind babies.
As good as this book is, it does have some very minor flaws. The conceit of this diary is a bit jarring - Bess cannot write her diary, so her twin sister writes it for her. This works well enough, but is a bit disconcerting when we read, "I felt that Elin was jealous today," and we realize that even though it is Bess speaking, it is Elin recording and it would be slightly unnatural for her to just write this down as such. I tried working this out in my own mind, and it feels like the two would talk about it instead, and have a nice discussion, but they apparently do not because no such discussion gets recorded in the diary, as in "I thought Elin was jealous today, but she assures me now that she was not," or something similar. It's a small point, but it did break up the reading frequently.
"Mirror, Mirror" is also very short; I was disappointed in the length of this diary, as I really wanted to learn more, and I wanted to wrap up the storyline where Bess was not comfortable being friends with her old sighted companions anymore, but that storyline was never resolved, which was disappointing.
Most irritating of all, the author shamelessly uses "Mirror, Mirror" as a platform to pitch his other Dear America book, "When Will This Cruel War Be Over?" which I have reviewed elsewhere as being a very poor novel, in my opinion. I was deeply displeased to see it 'marketed' in this book - Bess' teacher is the 'author' of a play by the same name, and Bess gets the part of 'Cousin Rachel' in the book, and much is written about how fabulously fabulous "When Will This Cruel War" is. There are dozens of pages devoted to laudations of this other book, and it feels like a very cheap and childish way to self-promote oneself. I am grateful that the many other Dear America authors have had the self-restraint to keep their greed from interfering with the story at hand - every moment spent talking about the awesomeness of the other book is a moment NOT spent talking about Bess and the Perkins School for the Blind.
I enjoyed the fascinating and valuable look at being blind in the 1930's, when Braille was first being widely accepted and schools for the blind in America were first being really taken seriously. However, I did not like the self-promotion on the part of the author, and did not like how short the story was. I recommend trying to find it at a discount price, if possible.
~ Ana Mardoll
"Mirror, Mirror" is a solid addition to the Dear America series, and with a new kind of fictional diarist - a blind young woman. When Bess' eyesight is lost in a sledding accident, she despairs that she will ever be able to live a normal life. With the urging of her understanding and concerned family, she gains admission to the Perkins School for the Blind, and begins the onerous process of learning how to live independently without sight.
So much of this book is quite fascinating, as Bess describes senses and feelings that would never occur to me as a sighted person. She learns, for instance, to walk down corridors snapping her fingers, listening to the different types echoes as the corridors widen and narrow while she walks. She describes how the most thoughtful teachers automatically say "Hello" and "Goodbye" when entering and leaving rooms, so that the blind students can instantly know who has entered or left. Even the process of dressing herself in the morning has a 'system' - Bess puts her light clothes in a separate drawer from her dark clothes, so that she will always match. Bess also tells us, matter-of-factly, how poorly many of the blind students are treated by the outside world; the girls who are taken out of school by fathers who don't care if they learn to be independent or not, the boys who are not allowed to socialize with the girls because the school officials fear that blind couples will result in blind babies.
As good as this book is, it does have some very minor flaws. The conceit of this diary is a bit jarring - Bess cannot write her diary, so her twin sister writes it for her. This works well enough, but is a bit disconcerting when we read, "I felt that Elin was jealous today," and we realize that even though it is Bess speaking, it is Elin recording and it would be slightly unnatural for her to just write this down as such. I tried working this out in my own mind, and it feels like the two would talk about it instead, and have a nice discussion, but they apparently do not because no such discussion gets recorded in the diary, as in "I thought Elin was jealous today, but she assures me now that she was not," or something similar. It's a small point, but it did break up the reading frequently.
"Mirror, Mirror" is also very short; I was disappointed in the length of this diary, as I really wanted to learn more, and I wanted to wrap up the storyline where Bess was not comfortable being friends with her old sighted companions anymore, but that storyline was never resolved, which was disappointing.
Most irritating of all, the author shamelessly uses "Mirror, Mirror" as a platform to pitch his other Dear America book, "When Will This Cruel War Be Over?" which I have reviewed elsewhere as being a very poor novel, in my opinion. I was deeply displeased to see it 'marketed' in this book - Bess' teacher is the 'author' of a play by the same name, and Bess gets the part of 'Cousin Rachel' in the book, and much is written about how fabulously fabulous "When Will This Cruel War" is. There are dozens of pages devoted to laudations of this other book, and it feels like a very cheap and childish way to self-promote oneself. I am grateful that the many other Dear America authors have had the self-restraint to keep their greed from interfering with the story at hand - every moment spent talking about the awesomeness of the other book is a moment NOT spent talking about Bess and the Perkins School for the Blind.
I enjoyed the fascinating and valuable look at being blind in the 1930's, when Braille was first being widely accepted and schools for the blind in America were first being really taken seriously. However, I did not like the self-promotion on the part of the author, and did not like how short the story was. I recommend trying to find it at a discount price, if possible.
~ Ana Mardoll
October 20, 2014
I have always liked Dear Americas. I read this one a while ago and just bought it at a thrift store because I couldn't remember what I thought of it. I won't be keeping it.
It seemed to me that Bess' outlook wasn't too bright. I realize that she just went blind, but shutting people out and hiding in yourself isn't a very good way to handle it. Mostly, though, I thought the story was incomplete. I thought it was really short. I was really getting into the story and then BAM! it's done.
As a final note, I was slightly confused by the Historical note, which tells how Louis Braille {born 1809} came up with Braille. It says that a type of Braille was formed for the trench soldiers in WWI, but that the army rejected it. But Louis found out about it and improved it. Now, the last time I checked, WWI happened from 1914-1918. In order for Louis Braille to have used the type that the army rejected for WWI, he would have been at least 105 when he started working on it. Something doesn't match up here.
It seemed to me that Bess' outlook wasn't too bright. I realize that she just went blind, but shutting people out and hiding in yourself isn't a very good way to handle it. Mostly, though, I thought the story was incomplete. I thought it was really short. I was really getting into the story and then BAM! it's done.
As a final note, I was slightly confused by the Historical note, which tells how Louis Braille {born 1809} came up with Braille. It says that a type of Braille was formed for the trench soldiers in WWI, but that the army rejected it. But Louis found out about it and improved it. Now, the last time I checked, WWI happened from 1914-1918. In order for Louis Braille to have used the type that the army rejected for WWI, he would have been at least 105 when he started working on it. Something doesn't match up here.
February 9, 2020
Denenberg’s epilogues tend to disappoint. I was also annoyed that the author blatantly referenced another of his Dear Americas in the story in a way that didn’t feel organic. It also seems that sometimes he lost track of when Bess was dictating entries at home versus at school.
March 1, 2010
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. Readers who enjoyed other Dear America books will likely enjoy this book as well.
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. Readers who enjoyed other Dear America books will likely enjoy this book as well.
November 1, 2012
I think this is my least favorite Dear America book. It was so sad!
January 24, 2013
A review from my old blog...
The Dear America series is probably one of the best historical fiction series for children. I enjoy reading these books even as an adult. Part of that is because I always wonder what life might have been like for a person living in different ages of history and how their life would have unfolded.
From the prospective of a future middle school English (possibly) teacher I definitely would assign at least one or two books from this series to my students.
This particular book is the story of Bess, a girl born with sight who loses her sight in a tragic snow sledding accident. She chronicles, through a sighted person (her twin sister for a large part) her time at the Perkins school for the blind and how she had to learn how to do all of these normal activities she once knew. Even though I wanted her to end up finding love in the epilogue she did not. I definitely enjoyed the book.
The Dear America series is probably one of the best historical fiction series for children. I enjoy reading these books even as an adult. Part of that is because I always wonder what life might have been like for a person living in different ages of history and how their life would have unfolded.
From the prospective of a future middle school English (possibly) teacher I definitely would assign at least one or two books from this series to my students.
This particular book is the story of Bess, a girl born with sight who loses her sight in a tragic snow sledding accident. She chronicles, through a sighted person (her twin sister for a large part) her time at the Perkins school for the blind and how she had to learn how to do all of these normal activities she once knew. Even though I wanted her to end up finding love in the epilogue she did not. I definitely enjoyed the book.
April 17, 2010
I enjoyed this book. I have heard of the Perkins School for the Blind. I am a semi sightless person myself. That is what they called people with some sight. The only thing I didn't like is how blind people were called "blinks". I don't understand what that means. I also didn't like how blind people were treated then like everyone was walking on needles around a sightless person. I have friends who are blind and semi blind and i treat them like human beings. Some people still treat blind people and semi blind people like we can't do anything. Just because we are sightless or semi sightless that must mean we are brainless and that does piss me off. I digress, overall I did enjoy this book and I think the main character Bess was brave and lived her life independently as best she could.
May 3, 2015
When I was in grade school, I loved to read these Dear America books. I read them like nobody's buisiness, and every now and again, if I find one, I will read them. They tickle my fancy. And my favorite, favorite, favorite Dear America book was Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. I just loved it. I don't even really know why. I could just see their house so clearly in my mind, and it was a lovely experience. I simply adored this book growing up, and I think it has something to do with Barry Denenberg. I've read most of his Dear America books and those are the ones that I have the fondest memories of. He has a really good way of painting the picture of the time and setting. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall was one of the first books that I could not put down.
April 15, 2013
i think this book perfictly shows a blind persons point of viwe. but the one thing i hated is that they sead that two blind people can't fall in love. and thats not the case people should beabl to love who ever and when ever. thats what i think about this book and if you have a problum oh well.
October 21, 2014
It is a great book. I love reading historical fiction and especially diaries, so this is one of my faves. It takes place in 1932 and is about a girl who lost her sight in an accident and goes to Perkins, a school for the blind and is about her life there.
June 17, 2010
did not like this one much either. I have seen a lot of these as movies, and those are much better
October 8, 2013
I loved it. Well, for the most part I love all of the Dear America series. ^_^
April 11, 2014
4.5 stars! I really hoped that this book would be longer. Re-reading it brought back wonderful memories of when I was younger and read this for the first time.
November 2, 2015
Anyone else catch the authors reference to another "Dear America" book within the text? Page 91, the play Bess is in in called, "When Will This Cruel War be Over?" Hmmm, shameless plug?!
March 3, 2024
Such a flashback to my childhood. I see how I was so attracted to these novels. It was still fun and interesting to read as an adult. I don’t remember this one specifically from when I was a kid, but the whole Dear America series was a constant presence for me.
Very much for young readers, but it still held up.
Very much for young readers, but it still held up.
June 30, 2024
When I was little my mom would read these books to my older sister and I was bored out of my mind. In 2015 I went through a binge of them and discovered I love history told from the perspective of those in it. That's the strongest quality of these books: they make you want to research the time period and learn everything you can. This was fun to revisit 9 years after my big obsession with them.
I liked that this one was more slice of life. Nothing big happens, but I really appreciate more of the 1930s. The set-up was really creative! I would've loved to see more of Elin's thoughts and credit in the title to her, but journaling isn't her hobby. I'm not sure how old Bess is supposed to be, but this reads so well like a diary entry. In 2015 I was upset with Barry Denenberg for his not-so-happy endings, but this one feels very hopeful while realistic. Not everything gets tied up, which feels so accurate for life.
I now want to rewatch The Miracle Worker. And find a way to get my hands on more of these books because I already went through all the ones our library has.
I liked that this one was more slice of life. Nothing big happens, but I really appreciate more of the 1930s. The set-up was really creative! I would've loved to see more of Elin's thoughts and credit in the title to her, but journaling isn't her hobby. I'm not sure how old Bess is supposed to be, but this reads so well like a diary entry. In 2015 I was upset with Barry Denenberg for his not-so-happy endings, but this one feels very hopeful while realistic. Not everything gets tied up, which feels so accurate for life.
I now want to rewatch The Miracle Worker. And find a way to get my hands on more of these books because I already went through all the ones our library has.
July 15, 2012
Slight spoilers are in this review.
I haven't read a fantastic Dear America book in a LONG time. This was sure a good one! This was such an inspirational read. It made me realize how "blinks" lived their lives. I learned a lot of cool things. I just thought it was a little too short. I wanted to keep reading more about Bess's life!!I LOVED this book!
Bess was such a strong person about this situation that it was almost unrealistic. I mean, if I were in an accident that made me blind forever, I would be the most merciful person in the world. I would go crazy. I would be sent to an insane asylum. Sometimes I wonder why Bess didn't take this situation too hard. I still question that. Though, that's good!
I pitty Eva. She seemed so vulnerable because of her sightless self. She has no idea what the world looks like. She is forever clueless about all of the wonders of life. I felt so bad because she cried every night. She just needed someone to hold.
Uncle Ted was the coolest. I thought he was just a really wise man. He knew what was best for everyone. Another strong character unlike Mama who was a weak character. Of course she was so concerned for her Bess. I mean, but she wasn't thinking straight. All of this happened so sudden that she became tangled in her emotions.
I thought the epilogue was a bit dull. I thought it should have been longer. I still had questions. What happened to Billy? What did they mean that(SPOILER)Amanda and Bess got swept out to sea? Was Bess their too? It wasn't clear to me. That's probably the only disappointment that I had. Oh, and even though this installment in the series didn't appear to have a love interest(I love the ones with the love interests), I still loved it!
Now I know how difficult it could be to be a "blink", but with a little determination and hope, you can overcome it and life you life in happiness.
P.S I was annoyed because the author mentioned his other book, When Will This Cruel War Be Over? because it was such a...bad book. ~Evelyn
August 25, 2016
I did like this book, and it was certainly one of the most unique of the series.
The language just came across as way too adult at times (like an adult writing a 'mature kid'). That said, this book came across as really adult dark at times. These kids are dark (they have one kid plotting how to kill a teacher and thanking God when someone dies, and seeing the phrase 'blew his brains out' made my mouth drop open).
I liked the dual format because it was intriguing seeing both sides of the coin (how both Bess was effected because she was in the accident, and her sister because she has to watch it all happen). I wish we had gotten an epilogue about Elin though, because she was a contributor to the diary. She felt kind of shortchanged.
There were some things that came up that were a little jarring, because I'm not sure kids would even know what they were talking about. The Lindenberg baby, for example. They mention the kidnapping, but don't actually give much context/refer to what they're talking about (is this something that American kids learn early in school or something?), so I think it'd be confusing for a person who didn't already know the background. It did have a pretty good look at The Great Depression from a middle class perspective (something you don't see as often), even if it is only background to the main story.
I also snorted when I saw the title of another Dear America book pop up. The fact that it was the same author made it felt like a plug, and that made it even funnier (but damn did he get so much better between that book and this one. That book was terrible on a lot of levels).
The language just came across as way too adult at times (like an adult writing a 'mature kid'). That said, this book came across as really adult dark at times. These kids are dark (they have one kid plotting how to kill a teacher and thanking God when someone dies, and seeing the phrase 'blew his brains out' made my mouth drop open).
I liked the dual format because it was intriguing seeing both sides of the coin (how both Bess was effected because she was in the accident, and her sister because she has to watch it all happen). I wish we had gotten an epilogue about Elin though, because she was a contributor to the diary. She felt kind of shortchanged.
There were some things that came up that were a little jarring, because I'm not sure kids would even know what they were talking about. The Lindenberg baby, for example. They mention the kidnapping, but don't actually give much context/refer to what they're talking about (is this something that American kids learn early in school or something?), so I think it'd be confusing for a person who didn't already know the background. It did have a pretty good look at The Great Depression from a middle class perspective (something you don't see as often), even if it is only background to the main story.
I also snorted when I saw the title of another Dear America book pop up. The fact that it was the same author made it felt like a plug, and that made it even funnier (but damn did he get so much better between that book and this one. That book was terrible on a lot of levels).
March 21, 2014
The Perkins School for the Blind is in Massachusettes. It opened in 1832 and was the inspiration of Dr.John Dix Fisher. He was a native of Boston, but had visited the Parisian National Institution for Blind Youth, in his studies. That school opened in 1784! The young Dr. was astonished to see blind children learning to read, write, and play musical instruments. This gave the young Dr. a mission. He returned to Boston and gathered a group of influentiol friends, who created a charter for America's first School for the Blind. Now the blind youth could be taught ways to support themselves.
Louis Braille lost his sight at age 4. Charles Bartier, a former soldier, intoduced Louis to a form of writing called "night writing." It was a system of dots and dashes for trench soldiers to pass along info without giving away their position. Young Louis experimented with the 12 dots, discarded it for 6 dots and came up with a way to match dot variations with the alphabet. He also devised a separate system for math and music. The system was so good, it is still used today. We have never heard of Charles Bartier, but all of us recognize Braille as the system that teaches reading to those without sight.
Louis Braille lost his sight at age 4. Charles Bartier, a former soldier, intoduced Louis to a form of writing called "night writing." It was a system of dots and dashes for trench soldiers to pass along info without giving away their position. Young Louis experimented with the 12 dots, discarded it for 6 dots and came up with a way to match dot variations with the alphabet. He also devised a separate system for math and music. The system was so good, it is still used today. We have never heard of Charles Bartier, but all of us recognize Braille as the system that teaches reading to those without sight.
July 24, 2015
I absolutely loved this book!!! I had read some of this Dear America series when I was younger, but I never read this one. It was so interesting! I love the diary format. It feels like you, as the reader, are truly a part of their lives. Bess Brennan is a twin who was injured in a sledding accident. This accident left her with retina injuries, and she eventually went blind. This novel has date entries instead of chapters. The novel takes you on a journey with Bess Brennan as she copes with losing her sight, and she attends Perkins School for the Blind. This is a story of struggle, friendship, adjustment, and victory. The most insightful quote from the book is from the play she is in, "Life is a bitter cup from which we are all forced to drink." This reveals a theme of life's cycle and the lack of control we often have over our lives. There are circumstances that happen outside of our control, but we just have to take those in stride and make the best of situations. I would definitely have this book in my classroom because it is a great work of historical fiction, especially for those students who are interested in the life of Helen Keller.
February 28, 2013
I have to admit this was a dull read for me as the parent. There were parts that were interesting in terms of learning about what it is like to be blind and what it was like to be blind at that point in history.
This is the book my daughter read aloud to me at night. We try to have her read aloud to us at a bit above her level, so historical fiction is great. It gives us an opportunity to help her learn more vocabulary and to teach her history by answering her questions about why people thought and behaved as they did in different time periods.
I will admit that Child seemed to enjoy this book much more than I did and never complained of being bored. I, however, was glad to see this one go. I usually ask Child to score books, and that would probably be the fair thing to do here, but on this one I'm going with my score which is fairly generous given how eager I was to move on from this one.
This is the book my daughter read aloud to me at night. We try to have her read aloud to us at a bit above her level, so historical fiction is great. It gives us an opportunity to help her learn more vocabulary and to teach her history by answering her questions about why people thought and behaved as they did in different time periods.
I will admit that Child seemed to enjoy this book much more than I did and never complained of being bored. I, however, was glad to see this one go. I usually ask Child to score books, and that would probably be the fair thing to do here, but on this one I'm going with my score which is fairly generous given how eager I was to move on from this one.
February 3, 2016
This book is the diary of a young girl who is out sledding one day when a neighborhood bully frightens her. Before she can react her sled crashes into a tree and, as a result, she is totally blinded, apparently for life.
She later is sent to attend a school for the blind and there has to learn how to deal with her blindness. The school stresses that the girl's need to be independent, not cared for constantly or locked up somewhere and forgotten and that is exactly what Bess learns to do. With difficulty she learns the Braille system of reading for the blind, learns her way around the place, makes friends and meets each challenge as it arises.
All of this is going on during the time of the Great Depression, and there are references made throughout the book about people losing their jobs and even their homes.
As with all the other books in this series there is a historical section which is really good. The strength of the book lies in how Bess comes to terms
She later is sent to attend a school for the blind and there has to learn how to deal with her blindness. The school stresses that the girl's need to be independent, not cared for constantly or locked up somewhere and forgotten and that is exactly what Bess learns to do. With difficulty she learns the Braille system of reading for the blind, learns her way around the place, makes friends and meets each challenge as it arises.
All of this is going on during the time of the Great Depression, and there are references made throughout the book about people losing their jobs and even their homes.
As with all the other books in this series there is a historical section which is really good. The strength of the book lies in how Bess comes to terms
November 23, 2013
This is a “Dear America” book for high school-aged students about the Perkins School for the Blind. The school was founded in 1832 and had famous pupils such as Laura Bridgeman and Helen Keller. This story is the Journal of a fictional 12-year-old character named Bess Brennan. She loses her sight in an accident in Dec 1931. She starts school at Perkins in Jan. Things are quite difficult for her at Perkins. They expect her to take care of herself and constantly challenge her to do things she didn’t think she would ever be able to do on her own. The journal ends in June 1932. By then, she has learned a great deal, and has come to realize, with hard work, she will be able to live an independent life. This was a well-written, very informative book.
July 4, 2011
Good easy read. I've never read anything in the Dear America series, but I'm trying to be more well-versed in the J Fic when doing readers advisory. I enjoyed it. It is written in diary style and the content is historical fiction, so it may be good to suggest for kids who want books like Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl. The books also give quite a bit of detailed historical context for the time period. Bess' diary took place in 1932, just after the great depression, so there were various descriprions of the impact on society. The book didn't just give you a glimpse of life in a blind school, it was life in this difficult time period with some historical notes and pictures at the end.
August 20, 2008
A tragic accident leaves Bess blind and everyone grieves, especially her twin sister, Elin; they can no longer play “Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall,” a game they once loved. Bess goes to Perkins, a school for the blind, and meets two new friends: Eva is a quiet orphan who was blind from birth, and Amanda is a loud, boastful, and daring girl who was born with very bad eyesight. Bess gets used to Perkins and becomes very close to Eva, making a very big decision in the end.
This book is a diary written in first person by Bess, but she has her sister write it until she learns Braille.
This book is a diary written in first person by Bess, but she has her sister write it until she learns Braille.
December 30, 2010
This is one of those Dear America books that tell American history through fictional children's diaries. I read just about all of them when I was younger, but this was one that I missed.
This tells the story of a girl in the 1930's who becomes blind through an accident. She goes to a school for the blind and deaf-blind. That aspect was so interesting since I don't usually see blind characters featured so prominently in books.
Since this is set in the Depression era, that is also explored, but it takes second place to the blind school.
This tells the story of a girl in the 1930's who becomes blind through an accident. She goes to a school for the blind and deaf-blind. That aspect was so interesting since I don't usually see blind characters featured so prominently in books.
Since this is set in the Depression era, that is also explored, but it takes second place to the blind school.
October 24, 2012
I thought the book was very good. In this book their were a set of twins who both born with the ability to see, but Bess had a mishab and slowly started to lose her sight. Bess, who is now blind, has to relearn how to do everything in the new dark world she lives in. I loved this book because it was based off the diary written by Bess's twin. The book is also inspirational because it explains how Bess's whole life changes, and the problems she over comes. I would highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with a hard time right now.
November 12, 2012
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.
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