Valley of the Moon: The Diary of Maria Rosalia de Milagros, Sonoma Valley, Alta California, 1846

Childhood Education, Winter 2001/2002 by Weiss, Meredith

Garland, Sherry VALLEY OF THE MOON. The Diary of Maria Rosalia de Milagros, Sonoma Valley, Alta California, 1846. ISBN 0-439-08820-8. New York: Scholastic, 2001. 218 pp. $10.95. This

"Dear America" diary is told through the voice of Rosa, an orphaned half-Indian girl who is a servant to a wealthy, Mexican family living in the Sonoma Valley. She longs to know her true heritage and is willing to risk anything to learn who her parents were. Rosa's character reflects how the Spanish and Indian ways meshed to form the Mexican culture. She gives a historic account of life in Northern California just prior to the Bear Flag Revolt. Ages 9-12. Reviewed by Meredith Weiss, Twin Valley Middle School, Elverson, PA