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• First Book Published:
  September 1996
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Fast Facts

1. Several of the authors got the storylines for their DEAR AMERICA novels from their own personal experiences or their family's history. Sherry Garland's VALLEY OF THE MOON was based on her interest in her family's Mexican ancestors, A PICTURE OF FREEDOM was inspired by Patricia McKissack's great-great-great grandmother who was a slave, and ONE EYE LAUGHING THE OTHER WEEPING draws on the real experiences of the mother of DEAR AMERICA's creator Jean Feiwel.



2. The Swift's family home depicted in CHRISTMAS AFTER ALL: The Great Depression Diary of Minnie Swift is designed after Kathryn Lasky's grandparents' home in Indiana where her mother, her aunts, her uncle and their chickens all lived during the Depression years.



3. Among the numerous book awards received by these authors are the Newbery Medal, 3 Newbery Honors, 6 Coretta Scott King Awards, and 14 American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults awards.



4. The first DEAR AMERICA was published in 1996. There are now over 9 million books in print.



5. Three more companion series have been added: MY NAME IS AMERICA, adventure based-journals for boys; THE ROYAL DIARIES, based on real life princesses and other royalty; and MY AMERICA, diaries for young readers.



6. In 1999, HBO began airing half-hour episodes based on the series books.