Dear America Friend To Friend Game

Getting started is easy. Once the game screen loads up, type your name in the first field then hit enter. This will be what the characters call you. The next box that pops up is the password box, make sure it's something you will remember and hit enter once you have typed it in. The last box that appears is the password hint box. Once you have filled out all three screens, you will be taken to the friends screen where you get to pick which girl to read about.

If you already have an account, simply click your name and hit the green arrow at the bottom, then enter your password to continue on. If you would like to add a new player, click the New Player button on the right of the screen, and follow the steps to set up the new account.



The friends screen has the 6 girls you can learn about and talk to. If you don't choose one immediately, all 6 will take it in turns to tell you a little bit about themselves. To get a more in-depth idea without actually choosing the girl, simply click on the picture and information will appear in the green oval in the center. If you wish to choose that girl, click the green arrow at the bottom of the oval. Otherwise, click another girl for her information.

Active buttons in the game have tool tips that tell you what they do. To get the tool tips to appear, hover your cursor over the button for a few seconds. A banner will appear that tells you how to use the button, to make it go away again, simply move your cursor.

To get the Global Toolbar, move your cursor to the bottom left corner of your screen. 3 images appear. Click on the arrow to quit the game, your progress is automatically saved. Click on the book to be taken to your diary. Click on the Music button to turn the background music on or off.

Besides getting to read the diary of your 6 friends, you also get to create your own. This is the reason you choose a password in the beginning of the game. That way, only you get to read what you have written.

Just start typing on the first page, the words will appear where the blinking cursor is. When you need a new page, it automatically appears for you. New entries are created everytime you sign in, and once a new entry is made, you can no longer edit an older entry. So be sure you are done with the entry for that date and time before exiting the program.

Besides writing in your own diary, you can decorate it. Simply click the Diary Tools Drawer (the round gold handle-like thing on the far right of the screen). It will open and you can click the decorations to add them to the pages. From here, you can also delete entries or print them out.

The tabs on the diary are as follows:

* The first tab (red) takes you to the cover of your diary.
* The second tab (purple) takes you back to your current entry if you are somewhere else in your own diary.
* The third tab (yellow) takes you to the personal information section. You can fill out your likes, dislikes, and other info there.
* The fourth tab (green) opens your inbox. (This no longer applies. When the game first came out, you were able to connect to the internet and send parts of your diary to friends. Unfortunately, this is no longer supported by KnowledgeAdventure.)
* The fifth and final tab (orange) opens the help pages that show how to use your diary if you forget.

And the feather quill at the top right will open the FriendLink if you get stuck and need ideas for what to write about. The last girl you spoke with will give you some suggestions.

In order to follow the life of the friend you have chosen, you read her diary to see what is happening. To get to her diary, first you must click the Magnifying Glass on the top right side of your own diary. This will bring you into the room of the girl. From there, click on the diary she is writing in. This brings you to the first page of her diary. To read the entries, click the golden arrows at the bottom. The one on the right gives you the current entry, the one on the left lets you scroll back to re-read entries you have already read.

After reading an entry from your friend, the quill at the top of the screen will sometimes make a chiming noise and wiggle. When this happens, click it and an instant messenger screen will appear. Your friend will make a comment about something happening in her life currently based on the entry you just read. And then she will ask for your input. Based on the responses you make, she will either ask another question, or sign off after saying something else.

The tabs on her diary function similar to yours, with the following changes:

* The first tab (red) is her current diary entry.
* The second tab (purple) holds information about your friend. Age, location, likes and dislikes, chores, favorite memories, and pictures for her scrapbook.
* The third tab (yellow) are questions she will ask you about her collectables. They only unlock after you find out about the item in her diary. Once you get the questions right, you are able to see the item in her room. If you miss any question, you have another chance after her story is over.
* The fourth tab (green) is the help section on your friends diary. In case you forget what all the tabs do and how to use them.

The music note to the left of your friends diary will change the background music, but not turn it off.

The picture of your friend under the music note, will tell you little things about her life if you click on it.

The Secret Self Activities are little question games that may tell you interesting things about yourself. To access them, click the heart-shaped lock from your own diary. There are 4 activities in all.

Answer Me: Answer 6 random and sometimes silly questions. At the end of it, you will get a screen that tells you what you are like on the inside.

Picture Me: You are shown 4 pictures of items and asked to choose the one that you think best represents you. After each choice, you will be shown 4 new items. This happens at least 3 times, sometimes up to 6 times. After the last choice, you will be on a screen that tells you about your personality.

Tell Me: Gives you 4 different possible career paths and asks you which of them you would be most interested in. Then it takes that one away and asks you to choose again. When you are down to two left, you choose one and it brings you to a screen that tells you about what kind of spirit you have.

Dear America Quiz: Unlike the other 3 activities, this one is based entirely on your knowledge of the Dear America books. You are asked a series of questions about things that happened in the books and if you get them wrong, they sound disappointed and tell you to go back and read the book again.

Margaret Ann Brady is the first of the 6 girls you can meet. Her information is as follows:

Age: 12
Location: Whitechapel, London
Year: 1910

Margaret is an English orphan who dreams of being reunited with her brother William in Boston. Will you help her find passage to America?

Distinctive Personality Traits:
"I have a mischievous love of teasing and mimicking others (in a subtle way, of course). I confess I often speak impulsively and have a tendency to misbehave. In truth, I usually keep my deepest feelings to myself. I guess I have an ambitious urge to better myself."

Age: 12
Location: Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
Year: 1778

Abigail nursed Revolutionary Army soldiers back to health during the harsh winter of 1777-78. Now, as the struggle for freedom carries on, she needs your help to face her greatest challenge yet.

Distinctive Personality Traits:
"I always try to be polite and respectful with my elders. I am much more cautious than my friend Lucy or my sister Sally, but also feel a desire for adventure. I confess I haven't much patience for the silly and irresponsible boys here at Valley Forge, but I've never been able to watch someone wounded or suffering, no matter what age, and stand idly by."

Age: 14
Location: Oregon City, Oregon Territory
Year: 1848

Hattie and her family completed the long and dangerous journey on the Oregon Trail. If you choose to join them in the American frontier, challenges, danger, and opportunity await you.

Distinctive Personality Traits:
"I'm an adventurous girl, I guess, having come all the way from Missouri practically on foot. I have to admit, though, that I tend to worry about things too much. My friend Pepper says I'm romantic and sentimental. When I see someone try to take advantage of me or anyone I care about, I can get really upset."

Age: 14
Location: Lower East Side, New York
Year: 1905

Zippy is a Jewish immigrant from Russia who lives in a rundown tenement apartment in New York City. Her destiny is to become a famous actress, but she needs your help to follow her dream.

Distinctive Personality Traits:
"I am extremely determined and know my own mind -- even if it does change frequently. I admit I sometimes get impatient with people who cling to old-fashioned ways. Maybe it's because I am so driven and passionate about taking advantage of every opportunity in life. I also think I am enthusiastic about learning new things and very loyal."

Age: 13
Location: Belmont Plantation, Virginia
Year: 1860

Clotee is a slave who leads a secret life as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Join her on the Virginia plantation where she risks her life helping fellow slaves escape to freedom.

Distinctive Personality Traits:
"Despite all I seen and experienced, I'd say I'm optimistic, At least, I got a strong vision of helping others get to a better life and maybe making a better life for myself. As a conductor and knowing how to read and write and all, I got to keep to myself pretty much lest I get caught. But Uncle Heb used to tell me that I got a real inquisitive mind and that I'm a natural leader."

Age: 13
Location: Plimoth Settlement
Year: 1622

Mem and her fellow Pilgrims barely survived the first harsh winter at Plimoth settlement. Join Mem as she experiences a new life and new adventures in the New World.

Distinctive Personality Traits:
"I consider myself to be a proper Christian girl, though not as prim as some here be. Hannah says that I am perceptive and sensitive, while Father says that I am open-minded and curious about the unfamiliar and different. I do feel a strong inclination for adventure and desire to see as much as I can of this New World. I believe I am genuine with people I truly care about and I cannot bear to see anyone treated badly."

This is a really fun game, even for people older than the recommended 8-12 years. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be widely avaliable anymore. You can find it on Amazon occasionally in used condition, and sometimes on eBay. Beyond that, I haven't seen it.

The quotes used in the profiles of the 6 girls come directly from the game, which is copyright KnowledgeAdventure and Scholastic.