There's something to be said for a book that makes you wish you'd been part of a poor immigrant family living in New York's upper east side on the eve of World War I. Sydney Taylor's time-honored classic does just that. Life is rich for the five mischievous girls in the family. They find adventure in visiting the library, going to market with Mama, even dusting the front room. Young readers who have never shared a bedroom with four siblings, with no television in sight, will vicariously experience the simple, old-fashioned pleasures of talk, make-believe, and pilfered penny candy. The family's Jewish faith strengthens their ties to each other, while providing still more excitement and opportunity for mischief. Readers unfamiliar with Judaism will learn with the girls during each beautifully depicted holiday. This lively family, subject of four more "all-of-a- kind" books, is full of unique characters, all deftly illustrated by Helen John. Taylor based the stories on her own childhood family, and the true-life quality of her writing gives this classic its page-turning appeal. (Ages 9 to 12)


From School Library Journal
Gr 3-6-Five young sisters experience life in New York's Lower East Side at the beginning of the 20th century in this reading of Sydney Taylor's story (Follett, 1951). The close-knit group encounters everyday realities such as boring chores, missing library books, and trips to the Rivington Street market, as well as those details which bring the early 1900's to life--scarlet fever, peddlers, and bathing at Coney Island. Woven into the story are the traditions and holidays of the Jewish religion. The girls celebrate the Sabbath with Hebrew prayers, and dress up for Purim so they can deliver baskets to friends and relatives. Suzanne Toren delivers flawless narration, using different accents to distinguish between characters of various cultures and backgrounds. Her intonations and pacing ably reflect the actions and emotions of the characters and fully convey the warmth and humor of the story. This excellent audiobook will find an eager audience in schools and public libraries which need materials reflecting the Jewish culture or serve children who enjoy family stories such as Little Women and Little House on the Prairie.-Paula L. Setser, Deep Springs Elementary School, Lexington, KYCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
Taylor's autobiographical series of books about a Jewish family on the Lower East Side of New York at the turn of the twentieth century is a classic. These endearing vignettes of family life are brought to life by Suzanne Toren. Her evenly paced narrative adroitly expresses each situation. The dialogue is done well, giving us the Papa's gruff voice, Mama's firm but loving voice, various New York accents, and the young voices of the girls so full of wonder and amazement. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

ANNOTATION

Portrays the joys and troubles of five high-spirited sisters as they grow up in New York City.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Meet the All-of-a-Kind Family ￯﾿ﾽ Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie ￯﾿ﾽ who live with their parents in New York City at the turn of the century.

Together they share adventures that find them searching for hidden buttons while dusting Mama's front parlor and visiting with the peddlers in Papa's shop on rainy days. The girls enjoy doing everything together, especially when it involves holidays and surprises.

But no one could have prepared them for the biggest surprise of all!\

About The Author:
Sydney Taylor has written many books for children, including the All-of-a-Kind Family series: All-of-a-Kind Family, More of All-of-a-Kind Family, All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown, All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown and Ella of All-of-a-Kind Family.

About The Narrator:
Suzanne Toren has appeared on and off Broadway and in regional theaters throughout the country. She occasionally appears on television, most recently in Law and Order, and has recorded hundreds of audiobooks. She was the recipient of the Narrator of the Year Award for her recordings of Talking Books For the Library of Congress and of the TORGI Award from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

SYNOPSIS

All-of-a-Kind Family, a 'Yearling Perennial' book, tells the heart-warming story of Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte and Gertie, five sisters who live with their parents in New York City's Lower East Side at the turn of the century.

They share adventures that find them searching for hidden buttons while dusting Mama's front parlor and visiting with the peddlers in Papa's shop on rainy days. The five girls enjoy doing everything together, especially when it involves holidays and surprises.

But no one could have prepared them for the biggest surprise of all!

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Book Watch - Childrens Book Watch

Set in the beginning of the twentieth century in New York's Lower East Side, All-Of-A-Kind Family introduces five young sisters (Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie). We follow along as they search for hidden buttons while dusting Mama's front parlor, explore the basement warehouse of Papa's peddler's shop on rainy days; and simply enjoy doing everything together -- especially when it involves holidays and surprises. But they are not prepared when confronted with the biggest surprise of their life! All-Of-A-Kind Family is a lively, superbly narrated, four hour, highly recommended, unabridged recording of a thoroughly delightful, totally engaging, fun story that will leave the young (and not so young!) listener with a true and memorable "theater of the mind" satisfaction.

The Providence Journal

Here's a book in which nothing much happens, over the course of four hours... and which absolutely charmed my kids on a recent family car trip.

It's the story of a family on the Lower East Side of New York at the turn of the 20th century. There are five daughters, plus Mama and Papa, and their adventures are simple -- they go to Coney Island on a hot day, or to the library or to the market. They dust the house and get sick.

But the market they go to is alive with sounds and smells of a different time, and when scarlet fever strikes there's no simple trip to the doctor's for a few antibiotics ---the doctor comes to them and places the house under quarantine for weeks. There's a plot involving two family friends and their problems with love, but it's the least believable and sappiest part of the story. Much better are the moments when the family celebrates Jewish holidays, each described with loving care as it was celebrated a century ago.

Taylor wrote the book in 1951, based on her childhood memories and it was out of print for some years before being issued last year. The time between her experiences and the recounting of them undoubtedly colored the stories with sentimentality.

But this is a gentle tale of a very different time, and there's value to that. Toren, a theater and TV actress, reads with an attention to accent that helps create characters from the daughters and those who surround them.

New York Times Book Review

Memorable

Chicago Sunday Tribune