kids encyclopedia robot

My Name Is America facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts


My Name Is America is a cool series of historical novels published by Scholastic Press. Each book is like a secret journal written by a fictional young person living through an important time in American history. Imagine reading about the Revolutionary War or the Civil War from someone your age! The series stopped being published in 2004, but some books were reissued later.

Journals from American History

This series lets you step into the shoes of young people living through major moments in American history. Each book is a diary, sharing their thoughts and experiences.

  • The Journal of William Thomas Emerson: A Revolutionary War Patriot, Boston, Massachusetts, 1774 by Barry Denenberg (September 1998)
  • The Journal of James Edmond Pease: A Civil War Union Soldier, Virginia, 1863 by Jim Murphy (September 1998)
    • Follow James, a young soldier fighting for the Union during the Civil War in 1863. His diary shares the harsh realities of war in Virginia.
  • The Journal of Joshua Loper: A Black Cowboy, The Chisholm Trail, 1871 by Walter Dean Myers (April 1999)
    • Join Joshua, a Black cowboy, on the famous Chisholm Trail in 1871. Experience the challenges and adventures of a cattle drive.
  • The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins: A World War II Soldier, Normandy, France, 1944 by Walter Dean Myers (June 1999)
  • The Journal of Sean Sullivan: A Transcontinental Railroad Worker, Nebraska and Points West, 1867 by William Durbin (September 1999)
    • Sean helps build the amazing Transcontinental Railroad in 1867. His diary shows the hard work and dangers of this huge project.
  • The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559, Mirror Lake Internment Camp, California, 1942 by Barry Denenberg (September 1999)
  • The Journal of Wong Ming-Chung: A Chinese Miner, California, 1852 by Laurence Yep (April 2000)
    • Travel to California in 1852 with Wong Ming-Chung, a Chinese miner during the Gold Rush. Discover the hopes and struggles of finding gold.
  • The Journal of Jasper Jonathan Pierce: A Pilgrim boy, Plymouth, 1620 by Ann Rinaldi (July 2000)
  • The Journal of Augustus Pelletier: Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1804 by Kathryn Lasky (September 2000)
    • Join the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804 through Augustus's journal. Explore the wild American West with this brave group.
  • The Journal of Otto Peltonen: A Finnish Immigrant, Hibbing, Minnesota, 1905 by William Durbin (September 2000)
  • The Journal of Biddy Owens: The Negro Leagues, Birmingham, Alabama, 1948 by Walter Dean Myers (April 2001)
    • Biddy plays baseball in the Negro Leagues in 1948, in Birmingham, Alabama. His diary shares the challenges and triumphs of Black baseball players.
  • The Journal of Jesse Smoke: A Cherokee Boy, The Trail of Tears, 1838 by Joseph Bruchac (June 2001)
  • The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds: The Donner Party Expedition, 1846 by Rodman Philbrick (November 2001)
    • Douglas is part of the ill-fated Donner Party expedition in 1846. His diary reveals the desperate struggle for survival on the Oregon Trail.
  • The Journal of C.J. Jackson: A Dust Bowl Migrant, Oklahoma to California, 1935 by William Durbin (April 2002)
  • The Journal of Jedediah Barstow: An Emigrant on the Oregon Trail, Overland, 1845 by Ellen Levine (September 2002)
    • Jedediah travels the long Oregon Trail in 1845. His diary captures the adventure and difficulties of heading west.
  • The Journal of Finn Reardon: A Newsie, New York City, 1899 by Susan Campbell Bartoletti (May 2003)
    • Finn is a "newsie" (newspaper seller) in New York City in 1899. His journal gives a glimpse into the lives of working children.
  • The Journal of Rufus Rowe: A Witness to the Battle of Fredericksburg, Bowling Green, Virginia, 1862 by Sid Hite (October 2003)
    • Rufus witnesses the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862 during the Civil War. His diary shares the impact of war on civilians.
  • The Journal of Brian Doyle: A Greenhorn on an Alaskan Whaling Ship, The Florence, 1874 by Jim Murphy (April 2004)
    • Brian is a new sailor on a whaling ship in Alaska in 1874. His journal describes the exciting and dangerous life at sea.

New Editions: The Series Returns!

The My Name Is America series was reissued starting in March 2012. Some of the original books were given new titles.

  • We Were Heroes: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins, a World War II Soldier, Normandy, France, 1944 by Walter Dean Myers (March 2012)
  • Into No Man's Land: The Journal of Patrick Seamus Flaherty, United States Marine Corps, Khe Sanh, Vietnam, 1968 by Ellen Emerson White (June 2012)
  • On Enemy Soil: The Journal of James Edmond Pease, a Civil War Union Soldier, Virginia, 1863 by Jim Murphy (September 2012)
  • A True Patriot: The Journal of William Thomas Emerson, a Revolutionary War Patriot, Boston, Massachusetts, 1774 by Barry Denenberg (December 2012)
  • Down to the Last Out: The Journal of Biddy Owens, the Negro Leagues, Birmingham, Alabama, 1948 by Walter Dean Myers (January 2013)
  • Until the Last Spike: The Journal of Sean Sullivan, a Transcontinental Railroad Worker, Nebraska and Points West, 1867 by William Durbin (September 2013)
  • Staking a Claim: The Journal of Wong Ming-Chung, a Chinese Miner, California, 1852 by Laurence Yep (November 2013)
  • On This Long Journey: The Journal of Jesse Smoke, a Cherokee Boy, The Trail of Tears, 1838 by Joseph Bruchac (January 2014)
  • Blazing West: The Journal of Augustus Pelletier, Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1804 by Kathryn Lasky (February 2014)
  • Stay Alive: The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds, The Donner Party Expedition, 1846 by Rodman Philbrick (December 2021)
kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
My Name Is America Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.