Rating: 
Summary: Uplifting and Inspiring
Review: I got this book in a bookorder for Newbery awarded books. It came in a set of 4 four other books that were much more well known, such as "The wanderer" and "a Long Way from Chicago". I finished them fairly quickly (just like I do with all my books) but eventually picked out "Hope Was here" as a book for my trip to Florida. I didn't really give it much thought, just popped it in my bag. When I finally arrived in Florida, I got into bed and started to read it.
*Wow* I was automatically hooked by the first five pages. I personally prefer books with dialogue, and I skip over the long boring descriptions. There was a ton of dialogue, and a fair amount of description, but I read it all with a huge smile on my face. The language is so vivid, and "appetizing". It was so much fun to read about this truthful character named Hope, who has a mom who left her with her food-obsessed (thats not a bad thing) aunt, and has moved so many times, and is struggling to fit in, in Mulhoney, Wisconsin.
Hope gets involved with a sick man with leukemia's struggle to run and win mayor. GT, is the man with leukemia, and in a lot of ways reminds me of morry from "Tuesdays with Morry". Hope is also a waitress, and describes it all with such optomism, and truthfulness, that she's different from so many other book heroines that are fake and oh too sweet. Hope is nothing like that.
Such an inspiring book. it also makes me hungry. So, make sure you have tons of food in your fridge while reading this book. If you have any doubts, forget them, and buy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Teenagers make a difference!!!
Review: How could moving to a small town turn out to be a good thing?Hope, a sophomore in high school, and her Aunt Addie are moving ... again ... this time from Brooklyn, New York to Mulhoney, Wisconsin. Hope has moved a lot ... but each time it's hard to leave her friends behind and start over again. Each time she moves she writes "Hope Was Here" someplace to show she'd made an impact on that place. This book won the Newbery Honor award in 2001. It covers a lot of hard issues ... like moving, politics, leukemia (a form of cancer), and parents. Hope is on a quest to find her dad ... but is surprised at who it ends up to be. You meet all kinds of people working in a local diner. Hope is a waitress and her Aunt Addie is the cook. The owner, G.T. wants to run for mayor. All the teenagers are supporting him. They race all over town getting signatures to put his name on the ballet. (p. 81) Farmer's Market. Bustling with people. I'd gotten one signature in an hour from Deputy Babcock, but one signature wasn't going to help much. Too many people there were from other towns and couldn't vote in our district. I walked to the parking lot to accost newcomers.
Two guys shuffled toward me. They looked old enough to vote, but they didn't look like they'd showered. They were poking each other, laughing too hard. I moved off. Too late.
"Ohhhh," said one. "She don't like us."
One raced in front of me, the other one got behind me. They looked me up and down. "But we like her." The tall one moved in close. "You got a boyfriend?"
I put my hand up. "Get away from me." They were blocking my path. I tried to get past them: couldn't. There was no one else around.
"I'd like to be your boyfriend." Their leering faces made me sick. One of them grabbed my petition, the other pointed at my STOOP button and said I was stupid to be doing what I was doing. I told him to back off; G.T. was a good man. The tall one grabbed my arm, started pulling me toward him. Fear shot through me. I bent over low like I'd learned in boxing.
"Help!" I yelled. "Help!" Can a group of teenagers prove to a town that the mayor is a crook? Can they make a difference?
Rating:
Summary: humorous, touching, engaging
Review: Hope Was Here was a touching book. Through the funny world of food service, Joan Bauer comes through with a book that is humorous, touching, and engaging. It deals with human emotions and experiences we've all felt including pride (baby Anastasia and her mother, Lou Ellen), determination (the unflappable Addie, the lovable, lukemia-diagnosed G.T. Snow, the hope-filled Hope, and all the teenagers who worked on the campaign to elect G.T. Snow as mayor instead of corrupt Eli Millstone), love, and death. This book underscores the message that youths can make a difference - a large one - in their communities, and as a teenager myself, that really hit home.
Rating:
Summary: home sweet home
Review: Joan Bauer has done it again. From the first page, it draws you in- you feel the struggles, the laughter, the love on every page. It almost is like the excitement is happening in your living room. Hope has been moved from place to place all her life. She and Aunt Addie arrive at Welcome Stairways, a small Wisconsin town diner owned by a cancer patient. But before they can even consider leaving, they must deal with a venal mayor, a un-neighborly dairy company, and a bunch of townspeople unused to change. There is enough hope to go around, and a surprise under every sandwich.
Rating:
Summary: A Delicously Satisfying Read
Review: I am a Fifth grade student at Waldron Mercy Academy "BKG". If you like fast-paced page-turners then "Hope Was Here" is the book for you. Tulip Yancee was born way to early and was way too small. She had trouble breathing and the doctors said she was going to die. Her Aunt Addy wouldn't leave her side. She prayed and prayed for Tulip to live while Tulip mother wouldn't even take a glance at her daughter. Tulip made it through and was sent to live with Addy because her mother couldn't care for her. Tulip's father left his family when Tulip was just a small girl, so the only family she had was her aunt. When Tulip got older she was teased by other kids about her name. When she reached the age of 12 her aunt let her leagally changed it to Hope. Hope and Addy were in the food business. They always moved from place to place because something always happened to the resturants they were working in. There was nothing wrong with their food, they just had bad luck. The latest move was to Mulhoney, Wisconsin. Addy and Hope were going to work at a diner called the Welcome Stairways. An old man named G.T. Stoop ran the Welcome Stairways. He was fighting for his life againest leukemia. However, no one could tell because he was a real trooper. This was the hardest move for Hope, but when she finally ajusted G.T. did something unthinkable! Copious amounts of emotional things happen in the end of the book. You'll have to read the book to find out everything that happens.
Rating:
Summary: Hope was definetely here!
Review: Though the title and cover is misleading- i wuz thinking it had something to do with the world trade center- it turned out to be an incredible book about a girl's journey as a waitress with her aunt to wisconson- where she seriously begins a new life- that often gets visits from her old life. This is also i must read book u will be intrigued to read in one sitting- it ends on a sad yet happy note that will leave u longing for a sequal- A must read for high schoolers!
Rating:
Summary: Well-done Grill and Gratitude Story
Review: Hope has a thick skin--you have to in order to be such a great waitress. But at 16, when she and her aunt move to a Midwestern small town to run the diner there, her carefully-constructed detachment is challenged when she meets the owner. G.T. has a way of drawing people in, whether they be the townsfolk he wants to get votes from, or the new waitress he wants to befriend. For Hope, this is a first: a friend who cares more about other people than he does his own health, even if he does have leukemia. Joan Bauer deserves the distinction this book has won as a Newbury Honor Book. Hope Was Here is a warm and friendly read, completely engaging and hard to put down, and I felt good about the world after I read it. It gets my highest recommendation for any teen or adult who likes Sandra Bullock movies or Maeve Binchy novels or who is curious about the other side of the counter.
Rating:
Summary: Hope was Here by Joan Bauer
Review: Hope was Here
By Joan Bauer If you are searching for a book that carries you to a written world that takes writing to a grand level of expertise then Hope was Here by Joan Bauer will fulfill your desires. Hope was Here proved to be a humorous, heart-warming, and inspiring book. Not only was this novel a brilliant book to read, but it molded my perspective on life as well. Hope, a teenage girl and the main character, lives with her aunt Addie. Addie is a cook and the two have jumped from state to state throughout Hope's life. This time, Hope and Addie end up in Mulhoney, Wisconsin at "The Welcome Stairways" which is the local diner. Soon after arriving, they find themselves caught in a whirlwind of politics, romance, friendship, hard work, faith, and living life to the fullest. Hope was Here boasts a vibrant storyline, inspiring elements, and skillfully developed characters.
Amusing plots take a lot of skill to write. Joan Bauer demonstrated the ability to do this with no difficulty. The inconsistency of Addie's job has forced Hope to move frequently throughout her life. Hope and Addie drive from Brooklyn to a tiny farm town in Wisconsin called Mulhoney. Here, the two of them meet the owner of Welcome Stairways (G.T. Stoop), the mayor of Mulhoney, and Braverman who works the grill at the diner. The mayor, Eli Millstone, is dishonest and cheats the town out of what they deserve. G.T. Stoop has leukemia but feels compelled to do what is right for the city. So he decides to run for mayor. Having become friends with him, Addie and Hope volunteer their efforts to aid the campaign. The town loves G.T but they are doubtful of his ability as a mayor noting his inexperience and the ever-present shadow of death. With the miraculous devotion of Addie, Hope, Braverman, and some local students, G.T. gains the support he needs in the fight for mayor and for life. Special, perhaps even romantic connections are uncovered. Over the time spent together, Hope and G.T knit a tight friendship. This closeness drives Hope to do all she can to live up to her name and do all she can for the town. It is up to G.T. to teach the town what true hope can really do.
Besides the remarkable plot, Hope was Here also illustrated a blueprint of the morals that should lead our lives. Don't get me wrong; our lives are completely different from the lives of the characters in this book. However, the themes and motivations that guided G.T. and Hope are consistent with the ones that should be the framework of our lives. Time is one of the most valuable possessions we have. Reading this book helped me realize what amazing things can be done with each precious moment. What struck me most deeply in this book is how the characters squeezed every ounce of goodness from each day that God gave them. G.T. Stoop looked his fear in the eye and stared it down until he was able to rise above it. I further realized the meanings of many lessons. For instance I gained the inspiration to have unwavering hope, to make the best of the situation you've been given, to live each day like it is your last, and that blessings appear in unexpected places. Reading this book will trigger some hidden understanding to rise up and dawn on your conscious like a blinding beam of sunlight. These inspirations also lay down a challenge for you and I to conquer. You must welcome these aspirations and let them soar above you, to altitudes that never before seemed within your grasp. As Hope said, "You don't know which way a thing will come at you, but you need to welcome it with your whole heart whichever way it arrives."
Characterization was an essential part in the development of this book. After the first couple of chapters, the character's roles were vivid in my mind and this clear illustration made the book much more entertaining. Hope played a calm, trusting, and diligent individual with an intriguing knack for waitressing. Her troubles were easy to relate with and she dealt with them in a mature manner. Conversely, Addie's character was feisty and outspoken; yet still welcoming and warm. Her comical fuss about food was well depicted in the kitchen of the diner. Braverman was the strength in times of weakness. He had a flame of desire that could not be extinguished. His height and brawny body corresponded with his forceful behavior. G.T. was friendly, witty, honest, and devoted. Positive liveliness radiated from every inch of his body. Unlike G.T., Eli Millstone was false and corrupt. He was willing to go to unjust extremes to win the position as mayor. The characterization displayed was distinctive and appealing. Differences in characters sparked interest and caused the clashes that withheld the plot.
Astounding writing expertise and a motivational touch were delicately intertwined to construct the book Hope was Here. When humor intersects with life lessons, you know that you have a tremendous book in your hands. Not many authors can draw insight from a hamburger being cooked in a diner. Imagination was overwhelmingly evident with the unique setting, characters, and plot. Although the "bitter-sweet" finish was unsatisfying, it definitely added to the realistic style of the story. Whenever Hope left one home, she would write: Hope was here on an old wall or under the counter. This symbolizes her influence on each place. While I read Hope was Here the emotions in it captivated my mind and unleashed new challenges and hopes for my life.
Rating:
Summary: great humor, great pathos
Review: Not many books can make me both laugh and cry out loud. This one did!
Rating:
Summary: Hope Was Here
Review: Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer Brief Summary and Review: Hope is a young girl who was given to her aunt the day she was born. Because her Aunt Addie is a great cook the two girls travel from place to place working in diners. Growing up on the road Hope has been forced to adjust to new places quickly. So, when they move from New York to a small town in Wisconsin Hope isn't sure that she will fit in, but that is not the case this time. Hope's exhilarating personality and excellent waitress skills help her fit in at the Stairway diner right away. The owner of the diner, G.T., has decided to run for mayor, but there is one problem, G.T. has leukemia. Even though G.T. is up against the odds, the staff at the diner and other people in the community pull together to help with G.T.'s election. Through the election and her time at the diner, Hope begins to form a relationship with a cook named Braverman. While Hope's relationship is flourishing, so is the relationship between Aunt Addie and G.T. Even though the election is a struggle, G.T. wins and is elected mayor of Mulhoney. G.T. also wins the love of Addie and she becomes his wife. Hope is very excited about this marriage because it is the first time she will have had a father figure in her life. Hope finally has somewhere she can call home. This is a great story about a young girl who finds out about herself through the trials of life. It incorporates every emotion from happiness to sadness, and it relates to real life as well. This book would be interesting for students in grade 5. Teachers and parents could use this book to incorporate social studies, language art, and the trials of life and death.
-Edie and Brandon
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