Customer Reviews

Nicky Deuce: Welcome to the Family

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Being second generation Italian I was, believe it or not, a little hesitant to read this book. I had seen the movie "The Godfather" and "Good Fellows." And I thought, this is great, now they are hitting the kid market with the stereotypes.

But I was wrong.

This book is all about growing up, making mistakes; it's about family, and also about stereotypes.

Nicholas lives in an upscale, vegitarian home. When he has to stay with his Grandma Tutti for a few weeks his new environment, lower middle class, meat eating neighborhood where everyone knows your name, is a bit of a culture shock.

Nicholas becomes Nicky Deuce (renamed by his Uncle Frankie) and his transformation and life lessons are very believable and endearing.

The writing is deceptively easy, sucking you in. Before you know it, you're halfway through the book.

Would I want my kid to hang around with Tommy Caporelli? No! But from the safety of the printed page a kid can get in trouble and learn that doing these things can have dire consequences.

And what would an Italian story be without food! Great idea to include a few of Grandma Tutti's recipes at the end of the story.

Long live the Goomba!

Whitebread Nicholas has to spend a couple of weeks with his grandma in Brooklyn, and gets to know his Uncle Frankie, whose existence was a deep dark family secret. In the process he learns to be a "goomba" and learns to cook alongside his grandma (great incentive for boys to try the recipes for various traditional dishes), how to NOT make friends, and how to get in serious trouble with the law AND the mob. One of the good things is Nicky learn to make chicken with too much oregano and it's a hit. See recipe on www.cookingupreading.com for details.

I'm appalled at the idea of these books for children.
What other ethnic group is treated this way in this day and age?
Why is it acceptable to denigrate people based on their origins,
the vast majority of whom came to America as hard-working citizens
ready to help build this country?

Yes the Mafia exists, even today. But every ethnic group has a criminal element. If people bothered to check their facts, they'd know that
Italians have struggled in solidarity and at great sacrifice to fight the gangs.

What these books teach to children is a despicable form of prejudice, presented as lighthearted fare. What a way to educate.

This is a handbook for juvenal delinquency and certainly not recommended for youngsters.