All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown [Paperback]

Sydney Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001 | Age Level: 10 and up

Based on the author's family and childhood, these charming books capture the everyday life of a home with little money but lots of love and good times to share. Each book shares the ups and downs in the lives of this special family, through the eyes of Ella, Charlotte, Henny, Sarah, Gertie, and their little brother, Charlie.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-It is a feat worth noting when a children's book survives from generation to generation. The All of a Kind Family books by Sydney Taylor evoke a simpler and gentler time, and have been rediscovered anew since the 1950s. The setting is New York's Lower East Side, teaming with immigrants. The author portrays a loving Jewish family, and paints a rich tapestry of their experiences in pre-World War I America. In All of a Kind Family Downtown (IPG Chicago, 1988 reprint ed.), the five sisters are at the center of their loving family. Their laughter, adventures, and old-fashioned activities will delight sensitive readers. Suzanne Toren's nuanced reading brings the characters to life. She perfectly captures the voices of the young sisters, and her rendition of the immigrant accents of New York keeps the reading lively. While the story is not gripping by today's standards, children will find themselves captivated by the family's warmth and humor, and fascinated by the details of Jewish life and celebrations at the beginning of the 20th century.

-Emily Herman, Mary Lin Elementary School, Atlanta, GA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Review

Narrator Suzanne Toren's voice is every bit as comfortable as the stories themselves. -- The Horn Book

This excellent audiobook will find an eager audience in schools and public libraries. -- School Library Journal

This is a gentle tale of a very different time, and there's value to that. -- The Providence Journal --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 187 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Productions Ltd (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929093070
• ISBN-13: 978-0929093079
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,256,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A story of family and friends, July 28, 2000

By 

J. Austin "jodylync" (Dublin, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown (Hardcover)

Although this is the 4th book of the series, it actually takes place between All-of-a-Kind Family and More All-of-a-Kind Family. This story is part of the continuing tale of a Jewish family living in New York's lower East Side in the early 1900's. Although they are poor, they are rich in their love of each other and their friends. Now there is a new baby in the house and talented Ella, mischevious Henny, studious Sarah, dreamy Charlotte, and little Gertie help Mama with the baby and find friends along the way. In this book, we meet Guido, a poor Italian boy who is trying to care for his sick mother and Miss Carey, a nurse who works at the Settlement House. Through the eyes of these characters, we understand what it must have been like growing up in the lower East Side before World War I. We learn about their sorrows and their joy over the little things in life. A highly recommended book.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So real I thought I was there., March 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown (Hardcover)

I have read All-of-a-Kind Family. It's about five little girls. Their names are Ella, Henny, Sara, Charlotte, and Gertie. This book has so much detail it feels real. One time Sara lost her library bok . She was so upset when she had to tell the library lady about it. The library lady was so nice that she said she could take out more books, but she still had to pay for the book she lost. I thought I was Sara. At the end of the book, their mother has a baby. Its name is Charley. Everyone was expecting a girl, but it was a boy. Gertie used to be the baby and did not want to be a big sister. When she sees the baby she bounces up and down because of him. Everyone was happy, Now that's an all-of-a-kind family! I Like this book a lot. It has lots of adventures. Read one page and you can't stop.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A sequel worth reading, March 22, 2009

By 

Carny Asada "reading rainbow" (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown (Paperback)

If you and your child are already fans of this gentle series, "Downtown" is certainly worth reading and enjoying. The main plot, which involves an orphan Italian boy and requires a series of coincidences that strain belief, is not as realistic or strong as in the earlier novels, but the characters are still winning and the historical details, fascinating. We call "All-of-a-Kind Family" the equivalent of the "Little House" books for children whose ancestors went through Ellis Island, and like the "Little House" books, their appeal is timeless.