Dave at Night (Hardcover)

by Gail Carson Levine (Author) "FROM THE START, I've always made trouble..." (more)
Key Phrases: drawing violins, slish slish, parrot squawked, Irma Lee, Aunt Sarah, Aunt Lily (more...)

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

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.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Seventh Printing edition (September 8, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060281537
• ISBN-13: 978-0060281533
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,347,452 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 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

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dave at Night, February 6, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Dave at Night (Paperback)

Dave At Night
It was eleven o'clock. You could hear a pin drop. Dave tiptoed down the hallway. He opened the door. He's out of the home! He moves towards the gate. He grabs the handle. It's locked! This is just one of the parts in the great book Dave at Night by Gail Carson Levine.
First of all I would like to tell you why I liked this book so much. One of those reasons is that the genre was historical fiction and that genre is one of my all time favorite genres. Also I liked this book because everyone in the story was nice to each other except Mr. Bloom. The only reason I disliked the book was because of the beginning. The beginning is so boring because there was no action what so ever and I like books that jump right into the action.
Now I'll give you a little teaser of a summary. In the beginning Dave's dad falls off the roof of a house he was building and dies. Then Dave's stepmom cannot and will not take care of Dave so he is sent to the H.H.B. or Hebrew Home for Boys (or as Dave calls it Hell Hole for Brats) in New York, New York. When Dave is there he discovers that eleven year old has his own "bully" who eats the eleven's food and bosses them around. Also he discovers that he can sneak out of the home every night he wants to. Then one time when Dave comes back from one of his adventures Mr. Bloom (or as Dave calls him Mr. Doom) is waiting for him. Then Mr. Doom brings Dave in to his office and starts to yell out questions. Then when Dave doesn't answer Mr. Doom starts to beat Dave and... To find out what happens to Dave and what he does when he sneaks out you'll have to read the book yourself.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining book........, October 8, 2000

By A Customer

Dave an 11 year old rascal becomes an orphan when his father dies and his stepmother is unable to take care of him. Dave ends up at the Hebrew Home for Boys better known as the HHB, an orphanage for boys. Here he learns the true meaning of friendship, as well as the lesson that not all people are nice and trustworthy. The writing is somewhat dramatic. Dave vividly explains his feelings after losing his papa and the love for his newfound friends. However, the book is not written with a serious tone. There are numerous scenes that are comical and depict Dave for the pure rascal he is. The reader laughs and wonders how will Dave ever get out of each predicament, but some how Dave manages to get out of them only to get into another. Dave has many experiences at the orphanage and they change the way the he perceives people and life in general.