John's Reviews > Hope Was Here

Okay, as I write this review, please note that I am a 29-year old male. I would have been approximately 26 at the time I read this book. This was a book that my wife and I picked up at a Scholastic Warehouse sale and so I eventually got around to picking it up and giving it a try.

There, that's the background about me...someone who I would not necessarily expect to love Joan Bauer books, but I do!!

This was my first book of Joan Bauer and I thought it was great.

1) The main character. I've read plenty of books and I've read a variety of female characters. When I read this book, I had a 1-year old daughter (who is now almost 5) and I can't help but say how much I like the character, Hope. For one thing, she's a very real girl written in a very real setting in a very real situation. Furthermore, her greatest assets are not her looks or her athleticism; not some magical power and not even her brains. She is a great, young female character because of the way she cares about her family, cares about her friends, and is willing to work hard to make her community a better place. She has very real weaknesses, but in the end she doesn't let them get in the way of making good decisions.
This is the type of female character that I am excited to have my little girl read some day. (Bonus note: I've now read 2 more of Joan's books and she continuously writes great female characters)

2) Teen Activism/Education. In this book, there is an election coming up in Hope's town. She and her friends feel strongly that change is needed and that one of the nominees is definitely the man to support. Hope and most of her friends, though, aren't even old enough to vote...but I love that their inability to vote does not dampen their ability to share their stories and thoughts and influence the community. Ever since I've read this book, I've wanted to take copies of this book and put them into the hands of Junior High/High School social studies teachers. It is one thing to learn about the election process and discuss local politics, but this is a great book that can help young students understand just what kind of a role they can play even before they turn 18.

3) Content. No need to entice readers with sexual innuendos. No need to sneak in course language. And furthermore, a very compelling story based on the real-world and not fantasy...something that today's writers seem to struggle to accomplish.

Just a great book that I would recommend to anyone.