Dear America: Friend to Friend

The program begins with a personal feel: each player is required to log on with a name and password, suggesting secrets to share. Choosing which character to visit first is hard--each is well developed and true to both her time and environment. From Hattie Campbell (who endured the Oregon Trail in 1848) to Clotee (a conductor of the Underground Railroad), Dear America shares the experiences of both historical joys and hardships through the personalities of each character.

The program's breadth of activities is its most appealing quality. Players can speak with every character--gaining both friendship and historical knowledge--and modify the direction of each story. Secret Self activities provide outlets for personal development and discovery through personality quizzes and other intellectual challenges. Additional features include musical selections from each time period, a private journal, and a search for historical collectibles. (Ages 8 to 12) --Madeleine J. Miller

Amazon.com Product Description
Dear America: Friend to Friend is an interactive historical adventure that lets kids learn about and "chat" with six extraordinary girls from the past. Using FriendLink Technology, kids can have conversations and develop friendships with girls like Clotee, a slave girl seeking freedom in 1860, Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish immigrant and aspiring actress in New York in1905, and Hattie Campbell, a pioneer roughing it on the Oregon frontier in1848. Hear their unique stories, accompanied by beautiful 3-D graphics and period music. Write in a private journal, discover inner strengths through inspiring personality quizzes, and explore the worlds of the different characters to find hidden collectibles. With FriendLink Technology, you can chat with your favorite Dear America heroines, ask questions, and listen to their stories unfold (no Internet connection is required). Your responses influence the replies.

This game was not worth [the price] .. It should have been [less].


2 Thumbs up!   December 25, 2001
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

My 11 year old daughter says this was her absolute favorite Christmas gift. She has been glued to the computer since we installed it. The graphics are great. The characters are interesting. Very educational. My daughter really enjoys the interaction with the characters. The only reason I didn't rate this a 5 star program is that I believe that the products ability to remain interesting is limited. In other words, after my daughter has read all of the characters, interacted with them, etc, that's it. Overall, I still consider this as an awesome piece of software for girls. Buy it!


It's Fun But It Isn't Long Lasting   November 11, 2001
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

It is extreamly fun at first, because the software takes you deeper into the lives of the Dear America girls, but after you read all there is to read about them, it is finished. But you can still keep a diary with the sofware.