My America: We Are Patriots: Hope's Revolutionary War Diary, Book Two

Hope's Revolutionary War Diary #2

by Kristiana Gregory

In Ms. Gregory's sequel to Five Smooth Stones, Hope's brother returns, but she worries about her father's fate and that of Philadelphia. This book is part of the relaunch of the My America series.

In this wonderful second book featuring Hope Penny Potter, the Revolutionary War wages on and Hope's daily life is much affected. The war has even kept her from her dear friend, Polly, whose parents are loyal to the King. But when Hope's much missed brother and father return, relief sets in, if only for a short while. For the plot thickens when Hope finds out that her father was with the Sons of Liberty and they will be in danger if anyone finds out.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Diary, Childrens, Middle Grade, Historical, American Revolution, Fiction

112 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Kristiana Gregory grew up in Manhattan Beach, California, two blocks from the ocean. She's always loved to make up stories [ask her family!], telling her younger siblings whoppers that would leave them wide-eyed and shivering. Her first rejection letter at age ten was for a poem she wrote in class when she was supposed to be doing a math assignment. She's had a myriad of odd jobs: telephone operator, lifeguard, camp counselor, reporter, book reviewer & columnist for the LA Times, and finally author.

Her award-winning books include STALKED, which earned the 2012 Gold Medal for Young Adult Mystery from Literary Classics and is hailed as "historical fiction with a thrilling twist." KIRKUS calls it "an atmospheric confection that will thrill YA readers ... Gregory achieves a realistic, rich atmosphere with insightful details about the immigration process and New York tenements in the early 1900s." Now available on Kindle and in paperback.

JENNY OF THE TETONS [Harcourt] won the Golden Kite Award in 1989 and was the first of two-dozen historical novels for middle grade readers. Several of Kristiana's titles are now available on Kindle including "Curiously Odd Stories: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2" with the celebrated 'Paper Monument', a futuristic book-banning with horrific consequences.

BRONTE'S BOOK CLUB [Holiday House] is set in a town by the sea and is inspired by the girls' book club Kristiana led for several years.

Her most recent title with Scholastic's Dear America series is CANNONS AT DAWN, a sequel to the best-selling THE WINTER OF RED SNOW, which was made into a movie for the HBO Family Channel.

New re-releases in ebooks and paperback on Amazon:
**PRAIRIE RIVER SERIES #1-4
**ORPHAN RUNAWAYS: THE PERILOUS ESCAPE TO BODIE
**CABIN CREEK MYSTERIES #7: THE PHANTOM OF HIDDEN HORSE RANCH
**THE WAITING LIGHT: CLEMENTINE'S STORY -- originally titled "My Darlin' Clementine" [Holiday House] this riveting historical mystery takes place in an Idaho mining camp of 1866, and was Idaho's representative for the 2010 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Library of Congress.

Kristiana and her husband have two adult sons, and live in Idaho with their two golden retrievers. In her spare time she loves to swim, walk, hike, read, and hang out with friends. She's trying to learn to knit, but isn't yet having much success.

Check out Kristiana's blogs at http://notesfromthesunroom.blogspot.com/ for behind-the-scenes stories about her books, and with photos from her childhood.

Reviews

[Jenny Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the Revolutionary war, from someone who did not see the fighting at all, but lived through the winter encampment of the Redcoats, and saw the political side of it. Good for middle grade, a little shorter and simpler than the Dear Americas, with a younger protagonist. All in all, a decent series.

[Jacob L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very unique reading. The book is suppose to be one of the diaries of a young girl and her experiences during the revolutionary war. It throughout the entire year of 1777 with entries that span throughout the day to even several weeks. The use of an older English help set the mood. It also felt immersive by how she wrote about her religion and how it helped her get though the tough times.

I would recommend this book for any students learning about the revolutionary war. It helps paint the picture that classes fail to teach. That being what families of patriots went through. What it felt like when they had to host the British troops and strain of supplies they were forced to endure.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Part two of Hope's Revolutionary War Diary from the My America series. When I read the first installment, I thought it would be great to read the kids all three volumes and possibly earn them 15 total reading points, but the more I read of this series, the more bored I get. If it can't keep an adult focused and attentive, how will it do the job for a bunch of second graders? I think I changed my mind about this one. :(

[birdie · Rating 2 out of 5]

They are sweet, fast reads, and I love how they are Christian. I don’t know if I like having this story told in a diary type way. It sometimes seemed unrealistic, because it didn’t quite seem like a girl writing in her diary, but more of a descriptive story in a girls point of few. It was sweet tho. A great story for younger readers. Probably ages 9-11. :)

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hope’s explanation for the cause of the Revolution is a bit overly-simplistic: all about taxation and nothing about representation. In the previous book she talks about choosing her baby sister’s middle name and I had hoped she was kidding, but she wasn’t.

[DPM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it and I can't wait to get the next book!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

😁

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful story for young readers.

[Catherine Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a brave little girl. The history made me realize how the people back in the day were more resilient with valor which many surely lack these days.

[Eden Ott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it.

[Matti Davis]

Title: We Are Patriots: Hope’s Revolutionary War Diary
Author: Kristiana Gregory
Genre: Historic (Realistic) Fiction
Theme(s): Friendship, Loyalty, Family, Trust
Opening line/sentence:
Thursday, the 2nd of January, 1777 Valley Forge
‘Tis a cold, snowy morning and my birthday, too! I am now ten years of age.
Brief Book Summary:
This is the second book of the series and in this book Hope continues to write in her journal about her life and the events happening during it while the Revolutionary War is going on in 1777. Hope, her mother, and brother have to run their household and her daily life is very much affected when a few Redcoats make a home in their house! She writes about how her best friend’s family is on the other side of the war but she still is able to secretly send her notes. Her father is also very involved with the war and wanted by the Redcoats.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Horn Book-
Gregory, Kristiana We Are Patriots: Hope's Revolutionary War Diary: Book Two
108 pp. Scholastic 2002. ISBN 0-439-21039-9 PE ISBN 0-439-36906-1
(3) 1-3 My America series. In this sequel to Five Smooth Stones, ten-year-old Hope continues to chronicle the events of the Revolutionary War as they affect her family in 1777. Hope, her mother, and older brother keep their Philadelphia household running, even after six unwelcome Redcoats take up residence with them. Hope's voice seems genuine, and historical details are incorporated into the story. An endnote offers additional period information.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
CLCD-
Janet L. Rose (Children's Literature)
In simple language, Hope writes in her diary about events of the Revolutionary War and how it affects her life. She accurately describes customs of colonial times like wig making and the night watchman lighting the lamps and uses the grammar, spelling and words of the late 1700s. Her father is heavily involved with the Patriots and wanted by the Redcoats. Her best friend's family is Loyalists. Even though the two girls are forbidden to see each other, they manage to pass secret notes through an intermediary. Having a friend on the opposite side of the war shows readers there is no clear-cut enemy. This book is Hope's second in the "My America" series. Sidebars and sketches of what Hope describes could add to the historical facts, although there are pictures and historical notes at the end of the book. Her narrative also provides many starting places for further research, such as what happened to the Liberty Bell or the population and architectural styles of Philadelphia in 1776. 2002, Scholastic, $8.95. Ages 9 to 13.
(PUBLISHER: Scholastic (New York:), PUBLISHED: 2002.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
Both of these reviews highlight the main points of the story. I like how the Horn Book review talked about how historical details are included in the back of the book to talk a little more about what specifically was going on during this time period. I also liked how the CLCD review said that sidebars and sketches of the historical events would add to this book, I couldn’t agree more. Doing this would only enhance the reader’s knowledge of the history of this time period.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
This book is set up as a diary, therefore each entry has a title at the top that is either the day it is or if that was already said it says later that day or whenever she is writing in the day. The author is very descriptive in her writing and the grammar is not always correct because she writes it as though a young girl is writing. She also uses words of that time period, in the 70’s, such as ‘tis and ‘twas.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
This book would be great to use when teaching my students about the Revolutionary war. They would be able to relate with Hope since she is around the age of the students this book is for and they would be more able to put themselves in their shoes. I would have my students read several chapters of this book and then we would summarize it all as a class. We could then make up small posters for each summarization and put them all together at the end.

[Alek Severkovski · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Are Patriots by Kristiana Gregory was a novel/diary of a 10 year old girl named Hope Penny Potter who is in the middle of the Revolutionary War between The Redcoats and The Patriots under George Washington. Hope is daughter of Thomas Nathaniel Potter a wanted man by King George and the Redcoats, he escapes and comes home but then returns for war with Washington. Hope has a good friend Polly, but when her parents become a Torie to the Redcoats Hope and Polly are split up. Read to find out more in We Are Patriots.

I gave this book a 4/5 because it gabe me some background knowledge in the Revolutionary War but it wasnt so explanatory about the war and it was in diary form which kind of was hard.

I would suggest this book to any Historical Fiction readers or any American history of how we came to be a seperate nation from the British.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book about Hope who is ten years old. She lives near Valley Forge. The book deals with various themes. For one thing, there is the division in the town between those people who are Loyalists and those who are Patriots. One of her friends has parents who are Loyalists, and they prohibit there daughter from having anything to do with Hope since she is from a Patriot family.

There is also a theme on the way the British acted whenever they would take over a town, forcing people to allow British soldiers to live in their houses, feed them, do their clothes, etc. There is also the question of the availability of enough food. The Revolutionary War times were rough not just for the soldiers but also for the civilians.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten-year-old Hope Potter and her family have fled to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, hoping to be safe from a possible British occupation of Philadelphia. Hope still worries about her father, who has been gone for over a year now, and her brother Ethan, who has been captured by the British. When Ethan finally returns, it is a joyous occasion. To protect their home, the Potters decide to return to Philadelphia. As British soldiers occupy the city, and the Potters own home, Hope fears for the safety of herself and her family, but she knows that some things, like freedom, are worth believing in and fighting for. I highly recommend Hope's second diary to all fans of the My America series.

[Erika Stauch]

This book is for students of grade 2-5. This hasn't won any awards, but is apart of a series of short novels. This novel is about Hope and her friend. her father and brother return home and have been against the English. He friends parents are against the war and want to stay with the king. It's a battle between Hope's thoughts and her friends. This book is one that i read when i was younger. I enjoyed this book. I was able to see the war through a young girls eyes and how it affected her and her friend's relationship. I would use this book as a reading activity for my more advanced readers. I could also do this as a read aloud for my students and the revolutionary.

[Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book as a present from my third grade teacher. I don't know why she gave me a book, or a present for that matter but...I like books and I had one to read. So I read it. It's really very small, whenever I can't sleep and I don't really want to read a big book--I just grab a small interesting story and read it in one night. This one is particularly my favorite. I want to read the first one so I can get a better understanding for the story and then I want to read onto the next one. (if there is a next one.)

[Molly]

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.

[Sammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I vote We are patriots a three because it was to low of a level for me and I thought it could use more details. The genre is Historical Fiction. The author is Kristiana Gregory. It's mainly about a family who's Father is in war against the red coats witch is England. The mothers children are Faith and Hope. England wants to take over Philadelphia because it's the biggest colony. This book is exciting and also great for younger readers.

[Maisy Albaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel was a great read. I enjoyed reading the perspective of war from a young girls' diary. The style of short written journal entries kept me interested in reading more. I think this is a great way to teach children history. It makes the reader feel connected to the character, while still learning about historical events at the same time.

[AlixJamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to "Five Smooth Stones" is quite as good as the first. First Hope's family is forced to abandon their home when the British threaten and they finally return only to have their house be taken over by British soldiers.

[Julie Pollitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book!

I absolutely love these books! I feel like I'm right there in midst of the story. This series is so rich with history and is a wonderful book for any age reader. I learned so much. Love this book!

[Eric W · Rating 4 out of 5]

i learned that during the REV- war it must
have been very scary to know that the
redcoats might invade their town!

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I imagine Faith is adorable. I wonder about thier cats, their names and colors and all that stuff.

[Sheila Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book and the book one 2 than I found out about a library and didn't have either of them. I loved knowing that the author loves putting facts into a book for teenagers.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids have really enjoyed this book as well as the first book of the three. I used this series to introduce "journal" writing.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In spite of being books for middle-schoolers, I love the My America series.

[Stephanie Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was faster paced and more exciting then the first but I still felt the characters were flat.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Junior fiction. Very good for pre teen & teen readers.

[Lorena Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular book!! Loved it!!

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, the seriousness of war through the innocence of a child is a very nice contrast