Hilda's Mascot: A Tale of "Maryland, My Maryland"

"Hilda's Mascot: A Tale of 'Maryland, My Maryland'" by Mary E. Ireland is children's story from the early 1900s about a girl named Hilda and how she deals with her life alongside her aunt, Mrs. Ashley, showing how important family is and how to be strong when things are tough. The book starts with a sad scene of two kids, Jerusha and Horace Flint, being dropped off at an orphanage because they lost their mother, which makes you feel the sadness and confusion they're going through. It sets up a story about love, feeling lost, and trying to find where you belong as Hilda’s story and relationships show how she grows up and deals with the world.