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.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Appropriateness: Intermediate

Review: This chapter book is a good example of historical fiction. It mentions many real-life people such as Edwin Booth and talks about the reconstruction period after the Civil War. The main family is fictional, but the book does a great job describing what life for middle-lower class families was like in New York at that time. The main character of Virignia is round and dynamic. Because it is written as her diary we know much about her from her thoughts and feelings. Also, she is dynamic because of her experiences involving theatre and working, which result in a more mature, perceptive young woman.
Media: None