Beautifully written historical fiction about 14 yr. old Joe Michtom, child of Russian immigrants set in turn of the century Brooklyn. The family has invented the “teddy bear” inspired by Roosevelt and turned their small candy store into a bear factory. Immigrant family life is well represented as the extended family lives either within their block in Brooklyn or just over the Bridge.
Joe longs to visit exciting Coney Island, the new amusement park but always seems to have to work on bears, even the family has taken a back seat to these bears.
Joe falls in love, out of love, experiences loss, anger and frustration but is building his fine character all the while.
An unusual side story of orphan children that live underneath the Brooklyn Bridge parallels Joe’s story. It takes some reflection and thought to bring the two ideas together but the orphans strengthen the readers knowledge of the emotions and societal events of the time period.
Showing posts with label family life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family life. Show all posts
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
42 Miles by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
At first, her parent's divorce wasn't too bad since they only lived four blocks apart in Cincinnati, Ohio. But when her father moved into Grandpa's farm after Grandpa died, it was a whole 42 miles away!
JoEllen became two persons: a city girl named Ellen enjoying fashion, baseball, and old movies with her mother during the week and then a country girl named Jo going to the country fair and visiting the bookmobile with her father on the weekends.
Finally, she decides she has had enough and merges the two lives together by introducing her city friends to her country cousin, creating new organic dishes, changing her clothes and hair and spending time enjoying the things she likes most.
The whole coming of age experience is written in simple free verse poems that describes the two lifestyles magically ("Farm Nights & "Cincinnati Nights").
JoEllen became two persons: a city girl named Ellen enjoying fashion, baseball, and old movies with her mother during the week and then a country girl named Jo going to the country fair and visiting the bookmobile with her father on the weekends.
Finally, she decides she has had enough and merges the two lives together by introducing her city friends to her country cousin, creating new organic dishes, changing her clothes and hair and spending time enjoying the things she likes most.
The whole coming of age experience is written in simple free verse poems that describes the two lifestyles magically ("Farm Nights & "Cincinnati Nights").
Thursday, October 16, 2008
You Know Where to Find Me
This contemporary novel incorporates many social issues such as alternative lifestyles, suicide, depression, obesity, substance abuse, and self-esteem, but yet it does not seem exaggerated.
Laura and Miles are biological cousins but they grow up more like sisters in a wealthy part of Washington, DC.
They are very different superficially: Laura is thin, pretty, popular, smart and rich while Miles is fat, ugly, likes to eat, drink and smoke. Laura has many friends and is accepted to Georgetown. Miles is a year behind in school, and has only one friend. That's why Laura's suicide stuns Miles and she spends time searching for a reason while slowly falling into a deeper hole. Eventually, only her faith in herself and friends she did not realize that cared help her rebuild her life.
Laura and Miles are biological cousins but they grow up more like sisters in a wealthy part of Washington, DC.
They are very different superficially: Laura is thin, pretty, popular, smart and rich while Miles is fat, ugly, likes to eat, drink and smoke. Laura has many friends and is accepted to Georgetown. Miles is a year behind in school, and has only one friend. That's why Laura's suicide stuns Miles and she spends time searching for a reason while slowly falling into a deeper hole. Eventually, only her faith in herself and friends she did not realize that cared help her rebuild her life.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Author: C, Kashmira
Title: Keeping Corner
Publisher: Hyperion Date: 2007 ISBN: 9780786838592
Price: $15.99 #of pgs: 281 Call number: FIC SHE
Annotation: Keeping Corner is the story of a young girl named Leela who has been sheltered and spoiled her entire life. She and her family live in a small village on the border of India and Pakistan (around 1918-19) where Leela focuses most of her attention on jewelry, clothing and her pending arranged marriage to a boy she hardly knows. She has no use for or interest in school, learning or the growing unrest in her country between the British colonists and the people of India; many of whom live in poverty. Rather, Leela spends her days looking forward to the presents and adoration that she will receive when she gets married. But when Leela's new husband dies and her life changes forever. Instead of being showered with attention and expensive baubles, she finds that she must "keep corner" for an entire year. During this period of isolation, Leela must shave her head and give away her most prized possessions in preparation for the life of mourning she will now be expected to live for the remainder of her life. However, it is only during this period of seclusion that Leela's eyes are opened to the plight of her countrymen, the political unrest that is shaking her nation and the wave of excitement being started by the non-violent protests of a man named Gandhi.
Strength: Historical fiction with sympathetic and interesting characters. Topics relating to
multiculturalism and social justice are explored with honesty and wit.
Weakness: Unfamiliar terminology
Title: Keeping Corner
Publisher: Hyperion Date: 2007 ISBN: 9780786838592
Price: $15.99 #of pgs: 281 Call number: FIC SHE
Annotation: Keeping Corner is the story of a young girl named Leela who has been sheltered and spoiled her entire life. She and her family live in a small village on the border of India and Pakistan (around 1918-19) where Leela focuses most of her attention on jewelry, clothing and her pending arranged marriage to a boy she hardly knows. She has no use for or interest in school, learning or the growing unrest in her country between the British colonists and the people of India; many of whom live in poverty. Rather, Leela spends her days looking forward to the presents and adoration that she will receive when she gets married. But when Leela's new husband dies and her life changes forever. Instead of being showered with attention and expensive baubles, she finds that she must "keep corner" for an entire year. During this period of isolation, Leela must shave her head and give away her most prized possessions in preparation for the life of mourning she will now be expected to live for the remainder of her life. However, it is only during this period of seclusion that Leela's eyes are opened to the plight of her countrymen, the political unrest that is shaking her nation and the wave of excitement being started by the non-violent protests of a man named Gandhi.
Strength: Historical fiction with sympathetic and interesting characters. Topics relating to
multiculturalism and social justice are explored with honesty and wit.
Weakness: Unfamiliar terminology
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