Dear Diary,  It's a new book, and we (mostly Jen) were so worried about this one! Mary Pope Osborne takes on a huge challenge with her book, Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan. Our main character, Catharine (Caty), is a Quaker living with her family on the frontier of Pennsylvania in 1763. Tensions with local Native American tribes are high after a series of broken treaties and border skirmishes. Caty's father urges her to see Indigenous people in a sympathetic light, but this gets tricky when Caty and her brother, Thomas are taken captive by a Lenape tribe. Understandably, Caty has a lot of feelings about being forcefully separated from her family, and we sit on the edge of our seats to see how Mary Pope Osborne will thread this narrative needle. Tune in!  Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen   RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  It's guest-pert day! This week, we have not one, but TWO guests to talk to us about the real history of life in the tenements of the Lower East Side. Read on to get to know our guests a little better!  Kathryn Lloyd is the Vice President of Programs and Interpretation at the Tenement Museum, where she oversees museum programming and educator training to explore social issues through personal experiences, and to connect people to each other through interpretation of the past. Most recently, she lead the interpretive development for the newest permanent exhibit, A Union of Hope: 1869, about a Black tenement family in post-Civil War New York, and lead the project team that developed the museum’s newest walking tour, Reclaiming Black Spaces. Through her work with Turnstile Tours and her previous roles in tourism and the museum world, Amanda has brought her passion for storytelling, and for the city’s history and culture to visitors from around the world. As a native New Yorker with immigrant roots in New York’s Lower East Side, the experience of turn of the century Jewish immigrants has always been a subject of particular interest.  Amanda has a background in museum education and visitor services, having worked previously for the Museum of Modern Art, Tenement Museum, HistoryMiami, and as the host of How to Be American, the Tenement Museum’s podcast that explores multiculturalism and American identity through the stories immigrants, migrants and refugees. When she’s not working, Amanda enjoys traveling, crafting and spending time with her husband, two sons and rescue pooch, Millie.  Tune in for our fascinating conversation!  Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen   RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  This week, we're finishing our recap of Dreams in the Golden Country: The Diary of Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish Immigrant Girl. What an action-packed second half! This book has everything: family drama, tragic deaths, labor issues, entrepreneurship, and Yiddish theater! Join us as we dig deeper into Zippy's first year in America.  Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen   RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary, Fall is here, and we're back in the podcast saddle! This week we're starting our discussion on Dreams in the Golden Country: The Diary of Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish Immigrant Girl. The book was written by Kathryn Laskey (her second of the series) and was published in 1998.  Zipporah (Zippy), her Mama, and two sisters have just arrived at Ellis Island after fleeing Russian pogroms. While she is thrilled to be reunited with her father, Zippy is not immediately impressed by the small tenement they are to live in on Orchard Street in the Lower East Side of New York. She is even less thrilled to meet their tenant, Reb Simcha.  Luckily, Zippy meets some new friends, Bluma (Blu) Wolf, and Yitzy Silver. The Feldman family and their friends must find the balance between preserving their faith traditions and adapting to American culture. Tune in, and count how many references we make to Fiddler on the Roof! Yours Truly, Cate and Jen   RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary, This week we are wrapping up our discussion on West to a Land of Plenty: The Diary of Theresa Angelino Viscardi! And boy, there is so much to discuss.  We pick up where we left off, with the Viscardis and Co. who have exchanged a steam train for a wagon train and are making their way across the Dakotas. Disease and death plague the travellers and families are forced to make tough decisions. Theresa finds her courage but loses something important. Tune in to find out what happens!  Yours truly,  Cate and Jen    RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  New story time! Today we are starting our recap of West to a Land of Plenty: The Diary of Theresa Angelino Viscardi. This story takes place in 1883 and follows Theresa and her family as they travel west to the Idaho Territory. The book was written by Jim Murphey (his first Dear America book) and published in 1998.  The first half of this book mostly takes place on a train, but to avoid our recap being too "railroaded" (SEE WHAT WE DID THERE), we go on lots of tangents talking about the side characters in Theresa's life. There are the friends she left back home, her nosy sister, Netta, and a handsome young man who likes to wave at Theresa from his train car (SWOON!). Full steam ahead! Yours truly,  Cate and Jen   RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  We made another new friend! Added to our collection of National Parks Service Ranger guests is Ranger Sam Mischke from the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park in Beaufort, South Carolina.  Sam told us the fascinating history of Beaufort's role as a hub for the Union Army and freed African Americans beginning in 1861. We talk about different ideas about how best to bring the country back together after the war and what people groups those plans benefitted most. Ranger Sam also tells us about the community of Beaufort and what it is like being a ranger in the area she grew up in. Tune in for a great conversation!  Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen    RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  Today we accomplished a true feat by charging through the rest of Patsy's story! Join us as we power through to find out what happens to Patsy and the rest of the freed folk of Davis plantation.  Will they ever get a teacher? Will Patsy choose her new name?  Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen   RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  This week we are cracking open a new book! I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl was written by Joyce Hansen and published in 1997. It was awarded the Coretta Scott King Award in 1998, which recognizes "outstanding books for young adults and children by African Americans that reflect the African American experience." In this book, we meet Patsy, a 12-year-old girl who uses others' tendency to underestimate her to her advantage. Now that the Civil War has ended, Patsy wonders what freedom means when she still lives and works on a plantation in South Carolina. Does she still have to hide the fact that she can read? Will she and her fellow freed folk get what has been promised?  Join us as we delve into the history of Reconstruction and discuss this remarkable book.  Yours Truly, Cate and Jen    RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  We have a special extra treat for you! We are here with a further historical note about the Irish Famine with author, Susan Campbell Bartoletti! Bartoletti is an author and speaker who does not shy away from tough topics in history. We had her on the show to talk about writing history and historical fiction for young readers. We also had a lot of questions for Susan about her book, Black Potatoes: The Great Irish Famine 1845-1850, which Cate read in preparation for our discussion on So Far From Home.  Tune in to hear our conversation and the forging of a new friendship!    Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen   P.S. We might hear more from Susan Campbell Bartoletti in the future!   RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,    This week we got to talk to Ranger Aubrey Brown who works at the Lowell National Historic Park! Aside from becoming instant best friends, we also learned a lot about the real history of Lowell, Massachusetts, and the textile mills that made it famous.  Tune in to hear about how the city of Lowell was planned, how textile mills worked hard to recruit young women, and how those young women worked hard while pursuing their other passions.    Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen    RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  On to the second half of our discussion of So Far From Home: The Diary of Mary Driscoll, an Irish Mill Girl! This time, we finally make it to Lowell and the mills!  Mary catches on quickly to her work in the mills. Thanks, in part, to her new friend, Annie. And aren't they just great gal pals? But life in the mills is hard work. Accidents happen, the hours are long, and the cotton fibers get everywhere. Will Mary join in with the Yankee girls to fight for better working conditions? Or does her responsibility to save money for her family get in the way? Tune in to find out!  Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen   RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  It's new book time! And this one is a fan favorite. We're reading So Far From Home: The Diary of Mary Driscoll, an Irish Mill Girl. This is the second book in the series by Barry Denenberg and it was published in 1997.  The story begins in Skibbereen, Ireland where Mary Driscoll lives with her Ma and Da. Ireland is in the depths of the potato famine, with Skibbereen being hit particularly hard. But hope is on the horizon. Mary is headed to America to find work in the textile mills and hopefully save enough money to bring the rest of the family over in time. But first, she must survive a treacherous journey across the ocean.  Join us as we discuss Mary's journey to America and get really passionate about the horrors of the Irish potato famine.  Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen   RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit  

Dear Diary,  We got to talk to an old friend of Jen's, Chris Carey about his work at the Whitman Mission National Historic Site! Chris had some great facts to share about life on the Oregon Trail and some fresh insight into the story of the Whitman Mission. Chris also had a surprise choose-your-own-adventure game at the end of our conversation! Oregon Trail TTRPG (tabletop role-playing game) anyone?  Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen     RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  It's the second half of our recap of Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell! We get to find out what happens to the Campbells and their wagon train as it continues along the trail.  Will Hattie ever get a straight answer about what marriage is like? Will Wade ask Hattie to dance? Will the klepto Mrs. Kenker ever get caught? Tune in to find out!  Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen    RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  We took a nice long break but we're back with another season and a new book! This week we're reading the first half of Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell. It was written by Kristiana Gregory and it was published in 1997. This marks our first repeat author!  In the book, we are introduced to Hattie Campbell, a young girl traveling the Oregon Trail with her family. Hattie learns many valuable lessons during her journey, including overcoming prejudice and the importance of caring for community. We're excited to be back! Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen   RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook and Instagram   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  We finished our first season with a great chat with Paul Ringel! Paul is a history professor at High Point University, and an author of books including Commercializing Childhood: Children's Magazines, Urban Gentility, and the Ideal of the Child Consumer in the United States, 1823-1918 and Kid History, Inc.: Selling Children the American Past.  We talked about Emma and Clotee's stories. What they did well and what they could have done better. We also talked about how to write history for kids that is both engaging and historically accurate. Tune in to hear Paul's thoughts on these Dear America books and hear more about his projects.  See you again soon for season 2!  Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen   Check out Paul Ringel's website paulbringel.com RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  We finished recapping A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl by Patricia C. McKissack, and what an incredible story! So much happened: we learned more about the abolitionists and Spicy's history, and Clotee figured out what freedom looked like to her. An engaging and essential read. Tune in to hear more!  Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen    RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Join our Facebook Group!   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  On to a new book, and boy, this one is different than the last! A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl was written by Patricia C. McKissack and was published in 1997. (a very good year!) Clotee is a clever 12-year-old girl who works in the Big House on a plantation in Virginia and teaches herself how to read and write. She writes candidly about her opinions on slavery and those who participate in it and about her friends and loved ones. It's a good read!  Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen   RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  We're back for part 2 of our discussion of When Will This Cruel War Be Over?: The Civil War Diary of Emma Simpson written by Barry Denenberg. Is it better than the first half? Wellllll...... on the plus side, there's more action!  Tune in to find out what's in store for Emma, Tally, and Cousin Rachel. What happens when the Yankees come to town? Most importantly, should we care? Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen   RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  We've reached book 3 in the series! And it's... certainly something! Author Barry Denenberg tackles a big topic with When Will This Cruel War Be Over?: The Civil War Diary of Emma Simpson.  We have a lot of thoughts about this book, namely, why did they choose to focus on a slave-owning white girl from the South? Tune in to hear our hot takes, bad southern accents, and odes to Ken Burns' docu-series, The Civil War.  Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen    RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit  

Dear Diary,  Now that we're done reading The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, we got to talk to a park ranger from Valley Forge National Historical Park!  Ranger Beth Dhunjisha shared with us some great information about the history of the Continental Army's winter encampment of 1777-1778. We talked about myths versus reality and about teaching history to kids at a national park!  We hope you enjoy it! Yours Truly,  Cate and Jen   Find more information about Valley Forge National Historical Park on their official website   For show notes and book recommendations, visit RibbonBookClubPod.com Or find us online  @RibbonBookPod on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,    This week we finished recapping The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart. We learned about Baron Von Steuben training the Continental Army, Elizabeth learned what happened to her bounty coat, and we had a lot of feelings about George Washington and Lucy's parents!  Tune in to hear all that, and stay tuned until the end for a very special reading of a very real diary.    Yours Truly,    Cate and Jen    RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  On to book two! This week we're recapping the first half of The Winter of Red Snow: The Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart written by Kristiana Gregory and published in 1996. In Abigail's diary, we learn about the winter encampment at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-1778. We meet George Washington and Abigail's friend, Lucy. Topics of discussion include an 18th-century recipe for egg nog, bounty coats, and historical inaccuracies!  We hope you enjoy! Yours truly, Cate and Jen    ribbonbookclubpod.com for reading notes and book recommendations @RibbonBookPod on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit

Dear Diary,  We had our first guest on the show! Tom Begley from Plimoth Patuxet Museums spoke to us about what he does at the museum, life in the early Plimoth settlement, and writing historical fiction for young readers. We had a lovely conversation, and we hope you enjoy listening to it!  Yours truly,  Cate and Jen    P.S. You can find Plimoth Patuxet online at https://plimoth.org/ and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram   RibbonBookClubPod.com @RibbonBookPod on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter   Edited by Danny Heck   Theme music by Ericka Page @theerickapage  Cover art by Chelsea Tanis @TheTrumpetClub Research help by Callie Cherry  @_likethefruit