Five Smooth Stones : Hope's Diary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1776, (My America) [Hardcover]

Kristiana Gregory (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2001 | Age Level: 7 and up | Series: My America

Kristiana Gregory's first My America, book one of Hope's Diary, details in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. Part of the My America series, this story is set in 1776 Philadelphia, where nine-year-old Hope records events both large and small in her diary. The greatest worry is for her father, a patriot who has gone on a sea journey and is overdue. Other trials include school, where a nasty schoolmaster makes things difficult, and her brother's running away to become a Tory. The intense political developments of those days are sketched in via brief references to delegates and their work. The war's presence grows too, and by the story's end, Hope and her family must flee Philadelphia to stay at her uncle's farm. Gregory does an effective job of evoking the times; the hard work routinely done by young children may be an eye opener for today's readers. Story-wise, however, kids may be unhappy that the fates of Hope's father and brother are left hanging. Denise Wilms
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 108 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; First Edition edition (February 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439148278
• ISBN-13: 978-0439148276
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,030,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More 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.

"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, "Stalked," a YA thriller set in NYC tenements in 1912; and "Curiously Odd Stories: Vol. 1" with the celebrated 'Paper Monument', a futuristic book-banning with horrific consequences.

"My Darlin' Clementine" [Holiday House] takes place in an Idaho mining camp of 1866, based on the song of that name, and was Idaho's top pick for the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. "Bronte's Book Club" [HH] 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.

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, 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read that takes place un such an interesting place, January 14, 2001

By 

"scarlettjulie" (Philly, PA

Philly, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Five Smooth Stones : Hope's Diary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1776, (My America) (Hardcover)

I loved Hope's diary, and I think you will too. Of the four now published My America's, Five Smooth Stones was by far the best. If you have read Winter of Red Snow which takes place in Valley Forge, PA. not too far from Philadelpha, it will be neat for you to read about a girls journey in Philadelphia this time, instead of Abigail in Valley Forge. Some parts of it are sad, but a lot of history is, and a happy part marked by great joy when a birth occurs in such an uncertain time. To anyone out there who needs to read a book for school, or just cooped up on a snow day, read it right away.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Do judge this book by it's cover, October 22, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Five Smooth Stones: Hope's Revolutionary War Diary (My America)(Book One) (Paperback)

Five Smooth Stones is about a regular girl in the Revolutionary War period.Hope has her father is at war, her brother is away and her mother is expecting a baby. This novel revolves around the lifestyle and history of the late 1700's and gives you a great lesson about that time period and has you conncet with a girl in that world. Although this book is only 93 pages not counting photos and drawings and has a little bit large typing the book give you a lot of feelings to take in and the use of the words, shall, ye, and thou are many.I reccomend this book to girls or boys with an avid interest in history within a diary formed book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great historical novel, May 2, 2002

By 

hiphopgirl_1000 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Five Smooth Stones : Hope's Diary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1776, (My America) (Hardcover)

Nine-year-old Hope Penny Potter is finding the Revolutionary War tearing apart her family. Since Christmas her father has been gone for purposes still unknown to her family and now her brother Ethan is accusing her father of being a Tory and abandoning the family. Hope finds little comfort but she does have her best friend Polly who she confides in about her family problems. There is also hope in the family of better times for Hope's mother is expecting a new baby. However their happiness is shattered when one day Ethan runs away from home, most likely looking for his father. As the British press closer and closer the Philadelphia Hope finds that she might have to leave her beloved home too. Will Hope's family ever be reunited again? Or will the Revolutionary War keep her apart.