Dave At Night (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) [School & Library Binding]

Gail Carson Levine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2001 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. When orphaned Dave is sent to the Hebrew Home for Boys where he is treated cruelly, he sneaks out at night and is welcomed into the music- and culture-filled world of the Harlem Renaissance.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Gideon the Genius" and "Dave the Daredevil," their father called them: two Jewish boys growing up in 1920s New York, playing stickball and--in Dave's case--getting into trouble. But when their father dies, Dave finds himself separated from his older brother and thrust into the cold halls of the HHB, the Hebrew Home for Boys (which he later dubs the "Hopeless House of Beggars" and the "Hell Hole for Brats," among other things).

Eager to escape the strict rules, constant bullying, and tasteless gruel of the orphanage, the Daredevil hops the wall one night to explore the streets of Harlem. He hears what he thinks is someone--or something?--laughing, but traces the sound to a late-night trumpeter shuffling backward into a wild "rent party." And just as quickly as he'd found himself stuck in the HHB, Dave is immersed in yet another world--the swinging salons and speakeasies of the Harlem Renaissance. Cramped, crazy parties packed with the likes of Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen give Dave refuge from life at the orphanage and awaken his artistic bent. And Dave's new friends, among them a grandfatherly "gonif" ("somebody who fools people out of their money") and a young "colored" heiress who takes a shine to him, help turn things around for him at the HHB.

The skilled Gail Carson Levine, Newbery Medal-winning author of Ella Enchanted, clearly tells this tale from her heart, as the story is based on her own father's childhood spent in the real-life HOA (Hebrew Orphan Asylum). (Ages 8 to 12) --Paul Hughes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

In a dramatic departure from her fairy tale fare, Levine (Ella Enchanted) creates a chiaroscuro effect as she contrasts the bleak days and colorful nights of Dave Caros, an orphan growing up amid the Harlem Renaissance. When his woodcarver father dies in October 1926, Dave's older brother, Gideon, goes to live with their Uncle Jack in Chicago, but none of Dave's relatives can afford to take him. Dave's stepmother places him at the Hebrew Home for Boys (nicknamed Hell Hole for Brats), and the 11-year-old vows to run away. But first he must retrieve his most prized possession, his father's carving of Noah's Ark, which was stolen by the superintendent Mr. Bloom (aka "Doom"), who is infamous for beating up boys. In the meantime, Dave finds a way to sneak off the grounds for the evening. Thus begins Dave's secret life, revealed through his first-person narrative. On his first night out, he meets Solly, a self-proclaimed "gonif" with a heart of gold, who uses Dave as a sidekick in his fortune-telling gigs. Solly introduces him to an avant-garde group of thinkers, painters, writers, musicians and Irma Lee, the young niece of a prominent African-American socialite. As Dave waits for the opportunity to reclaim his carving, he settles into his double life. His fellow "elevens" at the orphanage emerge as distinct, colorful personalities who come through for him time and again. Mr. Hillinger, the unwittingly hilarious art teacher who cannot complete a sentence, becomes a champion for Dave's artistic talents. And his nocturnal adventures lead to an abiding friendship with pretty and kind Irma LeeAas well as shed light on a fascinating corner of American history. In describing 1920s Harlem from a child's perspective, Levine articulates what it might have been like for anyone exposed to such innovation in art or the sounds of jazz for the first time: "It was wide-awake music, nothing like the waltzes Papa used to whistle. If I could have painted it, I would have used bright colors and short straight lines." This poignant and energetic novel, inspired by the author's father's childhood, comes with an all's-well-that-ends-well conclusion that brings a sense of belonging to Dave and his orphan friends, yet delivers a surprise as well. The Artful Dodger has met his match in Dave. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• School & Library Binding: 281 pages
• Publisher: Turtleback (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613346696
• ISBN-13: 978-0613346696
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,527,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gail Carson Levine grew up in New York City and has been writing all her life. Her first book for children, Ella Enchanted, was a 1998 Newbery Honor Book. Levine's other books include Dave At Night, an ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults; The Wish; The Two Princesses of Bamarre; and her Princess Tales books: The Princess Test, The Fairy's Mistake, Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep, Cinderellis and the Glass Hill, For Biddle's Sake and The Fairy's Return. She is also the author of the picture book Betsy Who Cried Wolf, illustrated by Scott Nash. Gail, her husband, David, and their Airedale, Baxter, live in a two-hundred-year-old farmhouse in the Hudson River Valley.

In Her Own Words..."I grew up in New York City. In elementary school I was a charter member of the Scribble Scrabble Club, and in high school my poems were published in an anthology of student poetry. I didn't want to be a writer. First I wanted to act and then I wanted to be a painter like my big sister. In college, I was a Philosophy major, and my prose style was very dry and dull! My interest in the theater led me to my first writing experience as an adult. My husband David wrote the music and lyrics and I wrote the book for a children's musical, Spacenapped that was produced by a neighborhood theater in Brooklyn.

"And my painting brought me to writing for children in earnest. I took a class in writing and illustrating children's books and found that I was much more interested in the writing than in the illustrating.

"Most of my job life has had to do with welfare, first helping people find work and then as an administrator. The earlier experience was more direct and satisfying, and I enjoy thinking that a bunch of people somewhere are doing better today than they might have done if not for me."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Jewish orphan fights to escape from an orphanage., October 20, 1999

By 

Emma (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dave at Night (Hardcover)

I think this book was fantastic. It was incredibly descriptive and wasn't sugar-coated. It had many suspenseful parts that were planned out very well. You got to know the character's personalities, and they were all very interesting. I would reccommend it to all ages who are looking for a light, fun read.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars what a great book, January 1, 2000

By 

lauren regis (United States of America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dave at Night (Hardcover)

I found this book, great, even though it was historically incorrect. Gail Carson Levine has always been one of my favorite authors, and when I found out theat she had a new book out, I just had to get it. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dave by Day or Night is a lot of fun, October 19, 2000

By 

Julie Robinson (Fort Collins, Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dave at Night (Hardcover)

Dave by Night is a heartwarming story about an inquisitive Jewish boy who finds himself in an orphanage by day and out enjoying the scene of the Harlem Renaissance by night.

Levine captures both the warmth and discord of the Hebrew Home for Boys (HHB takes on many monikers throughout the book) as Dave makes his plans for his great escape. But wait! Where will he go? Won't he miss his buddies and those special art lessons too much? Also, he cannot leave until he rescues his father's carving from the notoriously wicked (and truly vile) superintendent of the home, Mr. Doom.

Among his new nightlife acquaintances, Dave befriends Irma Lee, a lonely African-American girl whose adopted mother throws the most talked about parties ("salons") in Harlem. Incorporating vivid descriptions of the salons into this novel provides a stark contrast between the wealthy and the poor of the 1920s, as it gives contemporary readers a chance to experience Harlem in its heyday. Hanging out with Dave around the clock gives readers a chance to learn more about how old cars ran, tricks "gonifs" play on the unsuspecting victims, lessons in sketching, and the joys of true friendship.

Sometimes funny, sometimes tragic-- Dave by Night is an adventure through times and cultures.