Rating: 
Summary: You Gotta Have Hope
Review: 16-year-old Hope Yancey, the spunky and admirable heroine of Joan Bauer's novel Hope was Here, is a waitress extrodinare. Living with her Aunt Addie, a diner cook always shifting jobs, Hope never really settled down in one place. Being forced to leave good old Brooklyn to head to Wisconsin was just another move Hope was forced to make. Little did she know that this would be the move to change her life. Hope was Here is an incredibly inspiring novel. From Hope to G.T. to Addie to Braverman to little Anastasia, the characters are all wonderfully developed, and most of them you're gonna end up rooting for because of there genuine goodness and undying hope. Because that's what this novel is all about. It's not all about waitressing, family, or love. The heart of the novel is rooted in hope and the belief that through the pain, things will get better. Hope was Here is a novel that will make an impact on you that will last forever. Reccommended to all.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but not Great
Review: This book is entertaining but I wouldn't say that it's Newberry material. I'm aware, however, that the Newberry judges are known for picking books that grown-ups like and approve of and not necessarily what children like to read. This book is cute, gives teenagers all the right messages and is just brimming with positivity. But readers beware: there are some bad scene transitions at the beginning to middle of the book that will throw you off. There are also grammatical errors that were very obvious to me but somehow missed by an editor, located at the beginning of the book. This will confuse you as well.
Also, this book is recommended for a higher age group than I believe it should be intended for. I think ages 10-12 would be more appropriate than 12-18. Like the typical Newberry book I felt that it was written specifically for the grown-up stamp of approval. Ms. Bauer seems to be very aware of reader trends and the way the book reads I expect she wants it to be made into a movie. It would make a nice "made for TV" movie.
Rating:
Summary: Hope is Comfort!
Review: I got this book as a present, and was very doubtful about reading it, but when I started it, I could not put it down. This book makes you laugh, cry, pity, and feel many more emotions.
When the story starts, Hope is just telling you things about her life, like how the dent in the buick door got to be, (she hit it with a rock when she was 7 or 8). Now she is moving.. Again...to Mulhoney Wisconsin. It is not their fault, but wherever she and her Aunt, Addie, go, the restruants keep closing down. They are going to a diner in Mulhoney to waitress for Hope, and Addie is going to be a cook and manager, because the owner, GT Stoop, has leukemia, and needs to slow down. Now during all of this Hope is moping for her best friends who are still in Brooklyn, their names are Harrison and Miriam. Hope gives you excerpts from all of the places she has lived at different times, so keep your eyes open when reading this book, because there are lots of little catches that keep the story together.
That is just part of this wonderful book, I hope you read it and enjoy it, just like I have.
Rating: 
Summary: what i think about Hope Was Here
Review: Hope Was Here is a great book. I expected to read about a more rough character than what Hope really was. I thought that she would be totally against having a boyfriend, instead of wanting a boyfriend. Hope was brave enough to take chances and was willing to move to different places so that her and her Aunt Addie could earn money and live decently. She became a waitress when she was thirteen and hasn't stopped yet. Her mother left her with her aunt when she was two months old and comes to visit ever once in a while which hope doesn't like. At the restaurant called the Welcome Stairways her aunt finds someone she loves. Hope finds her boyfriend and some new friends named Jillian and Adam and starts working on a campaign to help the owner become mayor. Hope has always wanted a real dad and hasn't found one since the moved to Wisconsin to work. Every place that she has been and has moved from, Hope carves in wood with something like a pen "Hope was here"
I love how Hope was able to work things out and accept what happens is what happens and you can't go back and change it.
This is one of the best I have ever read. I recommend that you read this book! This book is so great that you won't want to put it down until the last page. I expected it to turn out to be different than how it ended and the plot and how it was set up.
Rating:
Summary: Not What I expected
Review: Because of Hope's situation and the kinda rough-looking cover picture, I expected her to be a more hardened character- I thought her name would turn out to be ironic. Well, that wasn't the case. In fact, Hope is young for her sixteen years, and has remained stubbornly optimistic in spite of being abandoned by her mother. Her naivete and, sometimes, immaturity bothered me at times, but the plot was strong (a heated political race between the corrupt current mayor and a diner owner who, although much more scrupulous, is dying of cancer). The quirky characters and the surprising ending kept me interested, and I finished it in about a day and a half. A worthwhile read- but perhaps more appropriate for a middle-grade audience than the recommended "young adult."
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Summary: The Best Book Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This is one of the best books i have read in a long time. I have recomend this book to about a dozon people and they all have read it. Everyone said that is was a very good book and they only took about five days to read the book. Now remember that was after they did their homework and any other after school activties. The book is about a girl named Hope and her aunt Addie. Hope and Addie are back on the road. Addie is a diner cook extraordinaire,and has travled to many different states just because o her talents. Hope and Addie have to face this move from New York City to Wisconsin which threatens to be the hardest one yet. You will have to get the book to find out what happens in the end but i garentee it will be worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Hope Was Here
Review: Hope Was Here, by Joan Bauer, is a story written from a teenager's point of view. It is a story about moving away from the comfort of home and friends to a place where the future is not clear. Hope and her Aunt Addie are on the move again. The diner where they worked folded, and they were off to a new town and a new diner. Hope and her Aunt arrive at a diner called "Welcome Stairways," in Mulhoney, Wisconsin and things start looking up. But, Hope was in for more then what she could have ever imagined. The owner of Welcome Stairways was running for mayor and was in remission from Leukemia. Hope soon finds herself helping with his campaign. The story shows the blossoming of a new love between Hope and Braverman and the story also brings closure for Hope in her search for a father. She was able to put the pain of her childhood behind her and look to her future. Bauer does a wonderful job of conveying Hope's feelings to the reader. Writing the story from Hope's point of view allows the reader to make a connection with her the main character. Children and adults alike are able to relate to Hope, as many, like her, have felt the pain of moving away from familiar places and loved ones to face an uncertain future. Hope struggles to deal with the pain of abandonment by her mother to her Aunt Addie and of not having a father in her life. This again is something the reader can relate to, as many in our society today are left to relatives to raise or are given up for adoption. Hope wants to know who she is and that she is somebody. She keeps the scrapbooks of her father to give her an identity, a way of connecting with him. She leaves her mark whenever she and Aunt Addie move away by writing, "Hope was here," She does not want to be forgotten. This is also significant in showing that as Hope and Aunt Addie were moving on to a new place, hope was present. She had hope that the next place would help her to realize her dreams and hope that she would find her father. Hope finds what she has been searching for at the Welcome Stairways, in the person of Braverman. Hope has come home. Hope Was Here is a well written book that is easy and enjoyable to read. The dynamics of Hope's personality and the easy narrative style bring this book to life. It should have received the Newberry Award.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent story about a girl who has lot's of problems
Review: Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer was an excellent book. I reckemend it to anybody who likes to read. I really like this book, because it makes me fell like I am really there. With the characters. This is the first Bauer book I have read. It makes me want to read more. Hope is a 18 year old girl, who is a waitress. While working Hope makes a new friend, named G.T. G.T has cancer. But, he's running for mayor. Since he has cancer nobody thinks that he would make a good mayor. Does G.T. die while trying to become mayor? Read Hope Was Here and find out!
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Summary: Hope Was Here
Review: - Hope was Here, is a book written by Joan Bauer. This book has adventure and proves happiness.This book is talking about a girl named Hope. She with her aunt which she considered as her mother. Her aunt and she went traveling around finding a restraunt to work at. At every restraunt they went Hope carved HOPE WAS HERE in a wooden. When they came along to a restraunt called the Welcome Stairways, they went in and asked for a job, Hope would be a waitress and her aunt would be cook. The owner right away hired them both and also gave them an apartment up above the restraunt. Soon after Hope fell in love with the other cook and the aunt fell in love with the owner. When the owner shared the news that he had cancer Hope's aunt fell more in love, she wanted to take care him. He started wanting to be govener. Many sad things happen in this book, fist Hopes boyfriend gets in a accident and is on the death bed. The rest of the book is what you need to find out. I really recomend this book to anyone who likes adventure.
Rating:
Summary: A Positive Teen
Review: I can summarize this book in two words: Positive teen! It was delightful to read a young adult book that dealt with a teenage girl who handled her problems in a positive way. So many young adult fictional books have teenagers that go through many negative emotions and I think this can create negative emotions in the reader. "Hope Was Here" had the main character happy with herself and fairly positive with her life. Although she had problems - a desire to know her real father, the death of her step-father - Hope recognized the good things that she had and she strived to help others.
I was also pleased with the "lack" of swearing and references to sex and/or sexual problems. Teenagers are faced with a lot of pressure in today's world and many enjoy (and need!) fictional stories that can be read without having adult situations thrown in. There are still many parents who encourage abstinance and positive, Christian morals. I appreciated Hope's attitude in this book. Overall, I would encourage any Junior/Senior high school student to read this book. Specifically teenage girls would enjoy "Hope Was Here". Not really a book to create a lot of "deep" discussions, but positive "book talk" could come from reading "Hope Was Here".
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