Addy: A Heart Full of Hope

American Girl: Addy #4-6

by Connie Rose Porter

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? The second book in Addy's stories is richly illustrated in full color and includes a peek into Addy's world in 1864.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Childrens

128 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

[Miranda Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is for the 2014 Beforever relaunch of the Addy Walker series (A Heart Full of Hope: An Addy Classic)

This is the second volume in the relaunch and contains (almost) the entirety of books 4, 5 and 6 from the original Addy main series (Happy Birthday, Addy, Addy Saves the Day, and Changes for Addy).

The one good thing about the "Classic" volumes is that they change very little of the text, at most they seem to do is add a bridge paragraph between the "books". And one good thing about Connie Rose Porter's Addy series is that the three books (4, 5, and 6) already flow rather nicely from one to the other.

However, if you aren't completely sure which version of Addy's books to collect, something to consider for the Beforever version is that it's missing the gorgeous illustrations and the historical "Peek into the Past" section is really paired down compared to the originals.

In the original Addy books, the illustrations are full color paintings and also little mini paintings as well, scattered throughout the book. They really are beautiful and give so much personality to the story.

The historical section really dives into what life was like for Addy, both while she was a slave and when she was free. I think the historical sections are part of the reason these books shined out so much from any other historical fiction for children.

Ultimately, the original story is intact - so if you just want to read about Addy's life, the Beforever version is okay...but if you have the ability, I would highly recommend picking up the original books.

More reviews in the Addy-verse

Main Series:
Meet Addy - ★★★★☆
Addy Learns a Lesson - ★★★★☆
Addy's Surprise - ★★★★☆
Happy Birthday, Addy - ★★★★★
Addy Saves the Day - ★★★☆☆
Changes for Addy - ★★★★★
Addy's Boxed Set - ★★★★☆

Short Stories:
Addy Studies Freedom - ★★★★☆
Addy's Wedding Quilt - ★★★★★
Addy's Little Brother - ★★★☆☆
High Hopes for Addy - ★★★★☆
Addy's Summer Place - ★★★☆☆
Addy's Short Story Collection - ★★★★☆

Additional History Books
Addy's Cookbook - ★★★★★
Addy's Craft Book - ★★★★★
Addy's Theater Kit - ★★★★★
Real Stories from My Time: The Underground Railroad - ★★★☆☆
Welcome to Addy's World · 1864 - ★★★★★

Mystery Book:
Shadows on Society Hill - ★★☆☆☆

Beforever (Re-Release of Main Series in 2014)
Finding Freedom: An Addy Classic - ★★★☆☆
A Heart Full of Hope: An Addy Classic - ★★★☆☆

Abridged Version (Re-Release of Main Series in 2020)
Addy: Finding Freedom - ★★★★☆
Addy: A Heart Full of Hope - ★★★★☆

Beginner Reader & Picture Books
Freedom for Addy (Step Into Reading) - ★★★☆☆
Happy Birthday! (Little Golden Book) - ★★★★☆
Happy Holidays! (Little Golden Book) - ★★★★★
Time for School! (Little Golden Book) - ★★★★☆

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for the 2020 abridged relaunch of the Addy Walker series (Addy: A Heart Full of Hope).

After reading the first abridged relaunch of Addy's Series (Addy: Finding Freedom), I was cautiously excited for Addy's latest edition. Even though it's abridged, I knew it had potential to live up to the original.

And I'm beyond happy to say that it was still really freaking good.

For the uninitiated, the Addy series began with six original books published in 1993. This series was relaunched in 2014 (combining the six original books into two larger volumes). These were known as the Beforever versions (universally panned, they took out the pictures and cut a lot of the historical section) and finally released again in 2020 as the abridged versions of the books.

And normally, I don't really like abridged versions of books - I find that they tend to dumb down the books and skip too much - and yet, I would say that American Girl did a great job with this one. They abridged it delicately, put the pictures back in, and re-expanded the historical sections.

The Abridging

Something to keep in mind, is that this IS the "abridged" version of Addy's story so there WILL be changes to the original books.

If you are a hardcore fan, you will probably pick up on a difference here and there - like how Poppa still gets his carpenter job but the scenes leading up to it are a little different or how Addy and Sarah no longer get to snack on a bit of ice from Poppa's wagon.

But the major events are untouched and if I hadn't read this series and the originals back-to-back, I don't think I would have picked up on too many of the changes.

This is one of those really rare moments where I think the abridging helped the book. The original series was six individual books, and when they c0mbined the six books into two, I think rearranging a little, condensing a bit, and adding a few extra sentences makes sense.

You almost have to in order to make the stories flow as one complete unit.

The Illustrations and the Historical Sections

I LOVE LOVE LOVE how the original illustrations are BACK! One of the most charming aspects of the American Girl books are the beautiful illustrations. They add so much appeal to the stories for me, and I was delighted to see that they returned.

The historical sections are expanded again and also contain photographs of the era! I absolutely love the historical sections from each American Girl book - it is an extra detail that really makes the stories shine in my mind.

Final Thoughts

The originals are still (and always will be) my favorites, but I can also see the appeal of the 2020s versions. The illustrations combined with the historical sections are really what makes this book worth it in my opinion.

Also, for those of you who care - the paper quality is SO nice compared to the plain stuff for the Beforever version. It feels like luxury.

More reviews in the Addy-verse

Main Series:
Meet Addy - ★★★★☆
Addy Learns a Lesson - ★★★★☆
Addy's Surprise - ★★★★☆
Happy Birthday, Addy - ★★★★★
Addy Saves the Day - ★★★☆☆
Changes for Addy - ★★★★★
Addy's Boxed Set - ★★★★☆

Short Stories:
Addy Studies Freedom - ★★★★☆
Addy's Wedding Quilt - ★★★★★
Addy's Little Brother - ★★★☆☆
High Hopes for Addy - ★★★★☆
Addy's Summer Place - ★★★☆☆
Addy's Short Story Collection - ★★★★☆

Additional History Books
Addy's Cookbook - ★★★★★
Addy's Craft Book - ★★★★★
Addy's Theater Kit - ★★★★★
Real Stories from My Time: The Underground Railroad - ★★★☆☆
Welcome to Addy's World · 1864 - ★★★★★

Mystery Book:
Shadows on Society Hill - ★★☆☆☆

Beforever (Re-Release of Main Series in 2014)
Finding Freedom: An Addy Classic - ★★★☆☆
A Heart Full of Hope: An Addy Classic - ★★★☆☆

Abridged Version (Re-Release of Main Series in 2020)
Addy: Finding Freedom - ★★★★☆
Addy: A Heart Full of Hope - ★★★★☆

Beginner Reader & Picture Books
Freedom for Addy (Step Into Reading) - ★★★☆☆
Happy Birthday! (Little Golden Book) - ★★★★☆
Happy Holidays! (Little Golden Book) - ★★★★★
Time for School! (Little Golden Book) - ★★★★☆

[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.”

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Noemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t really LOVE the American Girl Doll books but I don’t HATE them either and they keep my attention, usually. But I really liked this book and I enjoyed when the Civil War ended and they were very happy. I also liked Addy’s growing connection with the bully. I also have the Addy doll and really like her.