A Line in the Sand : The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence : Gonzales, Texas, 1836 (Dear America Series) [Hardcover]

Sherry Garland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998 | Age Level: 9 and up

In the journal she receives for her twelfth birthday in 1835, Lucinda Lawrence describes the hardships her family and other residents of the "Texas colonies" endure when they decide to face the Mexicans in a fight for their freedom.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Thirteen-year-old Lucinda Lawrence recounts the story of the Texas Revolution, from September, 1835, to April, 1836. Important incidents, such as the "Runaway Scrape" and the Battle of San Jacinto, come to life with the girl's description of how these events affected her family. Carefully researched and historically accurate details add interest and give a clear picture of the many hardships and simple joys of early Texas farm life. Lucinda's diary also becomes a way for her to express the excitement of a teen crush, sadness over the deaths of family members, and disgust and disappointment over the horrors of war. Unfortunately, the narrative occasionally seems disjointed and lacks the transitional links that provide a smooth continuity from one diary entry to the next. Also, Lucinda's family often travels from one location to another, resulting in plot threads that don't always seem necessary. The title and cover are misleading; they imply that the book focuses on a girl's eyewitness experiences during the Alamo confrontation. That battle segment actually occurs late in the book, proportionally few pages are devoted to it, and the protagonist's only experience with it is hearing booming cannon fire as her family flees San Antonio. Still, this is a pleasurable story. An addendum summarizes the history of Texas from 1519 to 1847, and includes black-and-white reproductions.
Phyllis Graves, Creekwood Middle School, King-
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 206 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; First Edition edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590394665
• ISBN-13: 978-0590394666
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #77 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Military & Wars

More About the Author

Sherry Garland is the award-winning author of twenty-eight books for children, teenagers and adults. Several of her books focus on the Vietnamese culture due to her close friendships with Vietnamese families. As a fifth generation Texan, she also sets many of her books in the Lone Star State. She especially likes to write historical works. For more information, visit her website: www.sherrygarland.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great new Dear America book., August 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Line in the Sand : The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence : Gonzales, Texas, 1836 (Dear America Series) (Hardcover)

For her thirteenth birthday in 1835, Lucinda Lawrence's grandmother sends her a diary. Lucinda lives in Gonzales, Texas, when the American settlers were fighting to break free of Mexico, and she writes of many historical events, including the Alamo (where she loses a brother and an uncle), Goliad (where another of her uncles is killed), the Battle of San Jacinto, and the "Runaway Scrape," when the women and children of Texas barely escaped a step ahead of the Mexicans. Lucinda's diary is another wonderful Dear America book and I highly reccomend it.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pioneer girl comes of age during the time of the Alamo., July 24, 2000

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Line in the Sand : The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence : Gonzales, Texas, 1836 (Dear America Series) (Hardcover)

Living in the tiny, remote settlement of Gonzales, Texas, in 1835, pioneer farm girl Lucinda Lawrence has just celebrated her thirteenth birthday. Her father is against war with Mexico - he learned the horrors of war firsthand during the War of 1812. Lucinda's brothers find the idea of war glorious - her oldest brother, Willis, is eager to fight against the oppresive Mexicans. Lucinda's mother just doesn't want to lose anymore children - her youngest, a baby girl, died during the journey from Missouri to Texas years earlier. Lucinda's friend, Mittie Roe, wants her father to come home safely from his trading expedition. And Lucinda herself isn't sure what she wants - the Mexicans are treating the American settlers badly, but she fears the war will go poorly for the outnumbered, ragtag settler army. But like it or not, over the next few months, Lucinda and all her family and friends will be swept up in the war for Texas independence. Some of them will survive, and some of them will not. But through it all, Lucinda matures from a girl to a young woman who knows where she stands and what is worth fighting for. I highly reccomend this excellant book, particuarly to fans of the Dear America series.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Diary of a Texas Pioneer Girl, December 13, 2006

By 

Acute Observer (By the Shore NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Line in the Sand : The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence : Gonzales, Texas, 1836 (Dear America Series) (Hardcover)

Sherry Garland's forefathers settled in Texas when it was a Republic (1836-1845). Garland wrote this novel to tell what it would be like for a young girl living at the time of the Alamo. Garland has written twenty-five books and received numerous awards and honors. The novel is written as a diary covering the days from September 9, 1835 to April 24, 1836. The `Epilogue' tells of the later lives of the characters. The `Historical Notes' tells of the settlement of Texas. The Spanish built missions in Texas between 1670 and 1793.

In 1821 Mexico declared its independence from Spain. The new Republic of Mexico welcomed Americans to settle in areas of Texas where Indians predominated. These colonists had to pass tests to legally settle in the lands. The Mexican Constitution of 1824 was similar to the US Constitution. But the aristocracy and the rich objected to democratic rule. They convinced Santa Anna to overthrow the democratic government and set up a dictatorship that would tax and oppress the people. [There were many reoccurrences of this in South American history. America avoided these problems with its "well-regulated militia", a small standing army, and a law of division to break up aristocratic wealth.] The state of Zacatecas first fought Santa Anna but lost, and their militia was exterminated. The state of Texas also fought; they were far off from the Mexican government, and their Second Amendment experience and history gave them better odds. They lost the first battles, but under the leadership of Sam Houston won the Battle of San Jacinto. Houston wisely extracted a peace treaty that recognized Texas independence as the price for releasing Santa Anna to return to Mexico with his armed guards. The "Napoleon of the West" met his Waterloo. The Republic of Texas encouraged immigrants from Europe to settle there, much as the Mexicans had earlier encouraged immigrants from America. They fled the aristocratic despotism of Europe.

This novel is based on the known facts, and can entertain and educate the readers. It is not a substitute for a real history book, but official history seldom tells you about daily life for ordinary people. A historian may note some information that isn't accurate. James Michener wrote a much longer book about "Texas" that you may read; it covers much more in Texas history.