Hannah Diamond is a young girl growing up in rural New York State in 1937. Bored and tired of writing 16 letters to her best-friend-who -moved-away-and -didn't-write-back, Hannah decides to get a pen pal. She draws a name from the big Pen Pal box on her teacher's desk. Hannah writes her new pen pal a long letter telling him all about her life. The boy writes back, too-two sentences. Any ordinary person would be discouraged, but not Hannah! She writes to her aunt, her grandmother,President Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt,and Miss Missy, The President's Secretary.She also writes to a young hobo who stopped by her father's restaurant, and eventually even, Edward, her not-so boring pen pal who turns out to be a good friend and an interesting person. Hannah writes witty letters that are very amusing to read. Also, if you are interested in either of the Roosevelts, this is the book for you!This book teaches about the Great Depression, and is a good read.
I also enjoyed this book because I have several pen pals of my own.
(Inappropriate Content: Ms. Van Dam, the grocer's wife, yells a bad phrase, then tells Hannah she shouldn't have said it and says never say ugly words. However, Hannah gets mad at a bully on the bus and yells the bad word anyway.)
