By: Rachel S
Texas, Grade: 6

Dear Diary,
Something happened today that nearly broke my heart. Momma informed us that Carol, my baby sister, needed a new coat for winter, so we all went out to town.As we walked by, I noticed homeless people.I wasn't terribly bothered. I was born just 2 years before the depression began, and now it is 1938, I grew up around this. What bothered me is that my little brother, Bennie, asked Momma if we could stop to take a look at the toys, and she said he may.As he pressed his nose up against the glass windows, his eyes locked onto a set of tin soldiers, with little flags and tanks and everything.He stood there so long, the glass fogged and I could tell he really wanted them.I held back tears, for Momma always said to be strong.Then I glanced over at all the homeless, ragged, dirty, people and thought back to the stories Momma used to tell me at bedtime.They were about the 1920's, and they were fabulous.Not nearly as many were homeless, and we had a radio!We had to sell ours a couple years back.Anyways, everything was so splendid and then suddenly, one day in October, it all came crashing down.America had become like another realm, another world entirely different from our own.The soldiers were expensive, and I had just 2 dollars to my name, but I was willing to give it up, so I whispered my ideas to Momma and a tear slid down her pale cheek.Then I ran inside the store, to buy Bennie those soldiers.