When sixteen-year-old Hope and the aunt who has raised her move from Brooklyn to Mulhoney, Wisconsin, to work as waitress and cook in the Welcome Stairways diner, they become involved with the diner owner's political campaign to oust the town's corrupt mayor.

- Diners (Restaurants); Fiction.
- Politics/Practical; Fiction.
- Cancer; Fiction.

Sixteen year old Hope Yancey and her aunt, Addie, are making the biggest move of their lives: from Brooklyn, NY to Mulhoney, Wisconsin. Addie and Hope are starting all over again, going to work as waitress and cook at the Welcome Stairways Diner. Little do they know that they will become involved in a political campaign and a community that will change their lives forever.

Hope Was Here is written in an attractively quirky way, narrated by sixteen year old Hope who has seen far more than her share of troubles. Hope is surprisingly insightful for a sixteen year old, but not cynical. She sees life from the eyes of someone who has spent alot of time around diners; consequently, her aphorisms and metaphors tend to involve comparing the situation at hand to that in a diner (GT who is sick: "Do I look that bad?" Hope: "I gave him the short order truth. 'You look like a plate of cold fried eggs. No offense.'") She is a good waitress because she connects with people. This ability is also what wins her a special place in the community at the Welcome Stairways Diner and in Mulhoney, Wisconsin. When G. T. Stoop, the owner of the Welcome Stairways Diner, decides to run for mayor despite being very ill, Hope not only learns alot about politics; she learns a lot about people. Her take on the campaign for mayor of Mulhoney, Wisconsin and the people and events surrounding it is a treat to read.

Hope Was Here is narrated by Hope Yancey, a funny, independent, resourceful sixteen year old.

1. Would you have voted for G.T. Stoop for mayor if you were a citizen of Mulhoney, Wisconsin? Why or why not? 2. Find out about a political campaign in your town, state or country. Who is running? What is each candidate like? Do you think any of the candidates has the qualities needed to be a good leader? Why or why not? Is it necessary to for this person to have prior experience in elected office? Why or why not?

This book was a Newbery Honor Book in 2001.