All-of-a-Kind Family

One of my favorite books printe don decent paper, with decent ink and good typography. However, I wish these sellers would make it clear, abundantly clear, when a book is smaller than trade size paper back. Bought this as a gift and it just looks cheaply made.

Five young Jewish sisters are the main characters in this book. I really liked the All-of-a-Kind family series as a child. I recently learned it is semi-autobiographical, as the author herself "was" one of the sisters. I'm Christian, but I really like this series. I recently gave this to my niece...hoping to start her off in the series, too!

I loved reading this now 60-year-old classic when I was ten. Having been raised with sisters, I could easily identify with the adventures of the surnameless quintet who are the main characters of this story: Sweet and talented Ella, the oldest, the blonde, curly-haired rebel, Henny, studious, gentle, and pigtailed Sarah(whom Sydney Taylor patterned after herself), dreamy Charlotte, and baby Gertie, each born two years apart--definitely a" steps and stairs-family",as one character describes them.
Their main attire consists of matching dark dresses over snowy white and frilly aprons, and we follow this poor Brooklyn family of the early 20th century through dealing with a lost library book, having the chore of dusting turned into a game to break up the tediousness of the task, hanging out at their father's workplace, and Ella's secret crush on one of his co-workers, their enjoyment of precious reading materials,trips to Coney Island, raising money to buy Papa a birthday present, creating ways to alleviate boredom on those sequestered rainy days, a bout with potentially lethal scarlet fever, shopping for their Sabbath meal in their teaming neighborhood, all the interesting characters they meet along the way, and the well-described Jewish rituals that hold this family together.The last of these within itself is very educational.
A delightful surprise awaits the characters at the story's end.
Despite hardships, one can truly feel the love in this family, who transcend their Jewish ethnicity and whom people of all backgrounds may find so relatable.The warmth and sunnyness of this tale unfailingly rises above the gray and sepia of their world, and the merriness of childhood prevails.

This book has a timeless gentleness and calm that could easily captivate the right kind of modern young reader.
I am always leery of well-rated classics, where all of the reviews refer to how much the reviewer loved the book 40 years ago, or when the reviewer was in third grade. That really is very nice, but it doesn't tell me how the book will appeal to a modern sensibility. (Have you tried to read Cooper's "Last of the Mohicans" recently?).
The good news is that this book holds up very well, and may actually be better now, (by comparison to what else is available), than when it was first published. Of course everything is viewed through a soft-focus lens and the memories are sort of gauzy and idealized. But, it's not sappy and it does not secretly wink at the reader. It's also not overwritten with gummy, sentimental claptrap, but is rather cheerfully breezy and clear sighted.
It presents the reader with small happinesses, (the girls pooling their savings and buying Father a special birthday present), and small problems and disappointments, (the lost library book, the fact that the girls can watch the carousel at Coney Island but can't afford to ride it). But a good small book can be memorable, comforting, and exciting to the imagination - and wouldn't that be a nice gift to a young new reader?

This series, which follows the adventures of five young Jewish sisters in early 20th century New York, focuses here upon the girls' younger years, as well as the babyhood of little brother Charlie. Despite poverty and potentially dismal city living, the family's warmth, love and religious faith make every day an adventure.

With the exception of certain extending themes, such as the girls' new friend Guido, most chapters in this book may stand alone as vignettes told from various sisters' perspectives. Readers may tackle the book straight through, or select certain stories; this also makes the book an excellent choice for teachers and others reading aloud.

Chapters include:

1 - "Charlotte Catches the Stove" - On her morning to dress by the stove, Charlotte is intrigued by the glowing coals, deciding to pull a few out onto her dress with disatrous results.
2 - "One Stop After Another" - Stopping by Papa's junk shop, the sisters meet a mysterious Italian boy.
3 - "Christmas Stockings" - Seeing the beautiful doll her friend got for Christmas from a local charity, Henny schemes to get the same for her younger sisters.
4 - "Street Scene" - The girls encounter the mysterious Italian boy, Guido, as he's being accused of stealing from a street vendor.
5 - "Purim Jester" - Eldest sister Ella wants to play the queen in the annual Hebrew School pageant, but winds up the jester instead.
6 - "Business of the Bath" - All five sisters vie for the priviledge of bathing their baby brother; but true chaos ensues when Henny invites five of her girlfriends to "help" as well.
7 - "Ella Lends a Helping Hand" - Ella runs into Guido on the street and offers to help him on an errand. Their return trip to his home shows Ella just how sick his mother really is.
8 - "The Wrong Side of the Bed" - Henny has such a bad day, she decides to run away from home.
9 - "Hijinks at the Settlement" - The sisters visit Guido at the settlement house, where he is staying with a nurse, and do their best to cheer him up.
10 - "Guests for Supper" - Guido and nurse Miss Carey visit the family for supper, learning about Miss Carey's tragic past.
11 - "Sarah is Sewed Up" - Sarah is excited to get pierced ears for her tenth birthday...until she's determined to use the money toward a worthier cause.
12 - "Simchas Torah" - The family prepares for the weeklong Succos celebration.
13 - "A Thanksgiving to Remember" - The family celebrates a joyous holiday, and learn of Miss Carey's and Guido's future plans.

Although certain aspects of the girls' early 20th century life may be foreign to today's young readers, the overall plots and themes certainly won't be overlooked. Whether today or a hundred years ago, children are guaranteed to enjoy reading about the sisters' adventures, their warm and loving home, and the things they dream about and strive toward.

Reading "All-of-a-Kind-Family" by Sydney Taylor makes you wish you'd been part of a poor immigrant Jewish family living in New York's upper east side on the eve of World War I. Life is good and full of adventures for the five lively girls in the family. With no television in sight, they enjoy simple pleasures of talk, make-believe, penny candy, visiting the library, and going to Rivington street market with Mama.

The early 1900's come to reality with the descriptions of peddlers, scarlet fever, and bathing at Coney Island. Furthermore, the story is enriched with the traditions and holidays of the Jewish religion: Sabbath with Hebrew prayers, dressing up for Purim, and building wooden hut for Succos.

The author has injected much warmth and true-life quality to her writing with inspiration from her own childhood and family. The subtle humor and realistic timely descriptions make this book a one-of-a-kind read.

If you have enjoyed family stories such as "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott and "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, you will love this book as well.

Julia Shpak
Author of "Power of Plentiful Wisdom". Available on the store.

In the beginning Sarah looses her library book and goes to the library lady to tell her. There is a new library lady named Miss Allen and the family becomes very attached to her. This family is Jewish and the first holiday is Sabbath. This is a big event for the children and they loved going shopping for food with Mama. They had so much fun eatting all the good food and reading about God. The next holiday was Purim Day, which is when the children dress up and go around to family, friends, and neighbors and give them Purim baskets. Next in the story is when Passover begins and Ella, Sarah, Charlotte, and Girdie come down with scarlet fever so they don't get to celebrate Passover. The next big event is when Mama and the girls go to the beach for a day. The children where very cold from walking in the water so Mama decided to take them all to the boardwalk. While they where there they walked pass the Wonders of the World, which they called the freaks. They stopped to look but then kept on walking. Then, after a while, Mama relized that Henny wasn't with them anymore. So she looked for her but wasn't sucussful. The she sent Ella, the oldest, to look for her. Then someone told Ella to go to the police station. So Ella told Mama and they all went to the police station to find Henny sitting there eating ice-cream. Next is the holiday Succos where the family builds a Succah house to eat in at night. When the house was built the children wanted Charlie to come over. Charlie is Papa's friend, who is very handsome,but when he was younger lost the love of his life because his parent didn't want him to get married. For a long time Charlie has been looking for his long lost love. Back to the story, the children also wanted Miss Allen to come over. As it turns out, the long lost love of Charlies was Miss Allen, the library lady. After they saw each other they went to talk to Charlies parents. A new baby! Mama is having another baby. Everyone is excited except for Gerdie, the youngest, because she doesn't get to be the baby anymore. Papa wanted to have a boy but he knew after having 5 girls, there was no way Mama was going to have a boy. As it turns out... It's a BOY!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this children’s book about a Jewish immigrant family living in New York at the turn of the century. I loved that the family is a loving family experiencing typical things such as visiting a library, doing chores, being frugal with money, and celebrating holidays. The family celebrates Jewish festivals, such as Purim and the Feast of the Tabernacles. It was interesting to read the children’s excitement and understanding of these festivals.
I occasionally read children’s books so I have ideas of what to recommend to my own children to read. I like books with good morals and children who are not too sassy or overly disobedient. This book had typical children, and when the misbehaved in any way were lovingly corrected. When my kindergarten aged daughter is able to read chapter books by herself, I plan on buying all of this series for her. The recommended reading age is grades 3 to 6, but I think a typical second grader could read them and perhaps even a first grader.

This special book opens the private doors into a warm, boisterous, Jewish home with five daughters, in New York's East Side in 1912. Although they were poor by external standards, this first-generation family was rich in more meaningful ways: loving, caring and sibling interaction. Imagine--5 girls sharing one bedroom in a four-room upstairs flat. It was quite a challenge to keep secrets from Mama and each other.
We are indebted to the author for the privilege of enjoying such an intimate portrait of her girlhood; this book is is the first of four All-of-a-Kind family stories, which bring us to the eve of World War I. It's fun to guess which girl grows up to be the author. The details of female interaction in a poor family may not appeal to elementary boys, but then this book may well have been written more for adults, in praise of Family Virtues. The girls have their own unique personalities, while Mama seems almost perfect (possibly idealized by her admiring adult daughter). Pity poor Papa who seeks refuge and male companionship in his basement Junk Shop, passing time with various immigrant peddlars.
We catch glimpses of the simple pleasures of their modest lifestyle; library days and the value of books, the Jewish marketplace, penny candy treats, choosing Papa's birthday gift, Roman candles on July 4th--even inadvertant matchmaking! We share their sorrows and trials as well: scarlet fever, soup tantrums and the consequences of juvenile disobedience, lost possessions and even kids. In all this turmoil of growing up in a large family, the emphasis is always on the human element and personal dignity, which mere poverty can not demean.
As a Gentile I find it pleasant to learn about another culture and faith in Taylor's gentle, unpreachy manner. She decribes Sabbath preparations and several major Jewish holidays, so that we are enlightened while being entertained. This family truly belongs to all of us, regardless of our ethnic or religious backgrounds. They reveal their foibles a! nd frailties with warmth-- international yet truly American in appeal. As Mama explains how they are All Of A Kind: "It means we're all loving and loyal, and our family will always be that." A charming book (decades before The Waltons) which will rekindle the best memories of home for readers of all ages.

Wonderful book, I adored spending time reading about this young Jewish family. I am not Jewish and over my years living in the south and then the west I was not exposed to the Jewish faith much at all. What wonderful traditions and so nicely explained in this little book. Good book for the young and the young at heart. I am reading all of Gretchen Rubin's children and young adult books that she has recommended. My goal is to finish every suggested book in a year. Love this book!!! With this kindle edition there were a few typos but did not detract from the book.

Made up of vignette-like chapters focusing on the life of a Jewish family in '20s-'30s New York City, this book left more imprints on my imagination than any other book I read as a child. Most memorable to me were the chapters about holiday celebrations; to a Protestant girl, these descriptions of rituals, traditions, songs, prayers, and, especially, food, were magical. I didn't know about Passover, Purim, or Rosh Hashana; nor did I know about smoked salmon, gefilte fish, or hamen taschen. I do recall my mouth watering as I read about these foods, dishes that I would normally dismiss as weird or too foreign. The settings, the characters, the happiness evoked by the religious celebrations made the culinary descriptions so lively, almost central to the lives in the stories. Since then, I notice the literary allusions to food more frequently; I appreciate them more, and see their purpose in most novels or stories. I think any young child--girls, in particular--would treasure the stories of the All-of-a-Kind Family. At the age of 22, I still go back to these stories for comfort, to bring back the memories of when I was learning to read "chapter books." I'm saving the entire series for my own children, hoping they'll mean as much to them as they do to me.

Amanda Quick
Detroit, MI

My daughter just received this book and just loved it. I read it as well. The general plot has been well outlined by other posters, but what I wanted to add was that it's a great read for girls who are interested in historical fiction. For intance, my daughter has loved all the American Girl stories. This story takes place at the turn of the century, about when the American Girl "Samantha" story takes place. Samantha and the All-of-a-kind Family girls live at the same time in the same city, they just come from very opposite socio-economic backgrounds, which makes for an interesting and educational read. I liked that my daughter could read about different religious traditions than our own in simple terms that explain holidays and customs in age appropriate ways. Even though the family is poor and has no money for luxuries we don't get the feeling that anyone is going without food or proper care. The family may be poor, but the mother is portrayed as a strong proud woman nevertheless. I'm sure to look for the other books in this series.

Sydney Taylor gave each girl a well-rounded personality, with both strengths and weaknesses. Henny was both vivacious and selfish. Ella was talented and also imperious. Sarah could be both generous and a bit of a crybaby. Charlotte was loving but scattered and impulsive. Gertie was sweet but still babyish. They triumphed, got into trouble, celebrated, shared, sacrificed, learned and grew together.

The parents were also more multi-dimensional than many children's book parents. Both Mama and Papa were wise, but also human, having to deal with the stress of raising children while fighting their way out of poverty. They had to walk a fine line between creating a happy, loving home for the girls while keeping them from being so contented they wouldn't aspire to something better for themselves when they grew up. Mama and Papa had to come to realize their children's world would be different than theirs, but with a foundation of love, discipline, education, faith and trust, the girls could climb higher.

The stories woven into the book teach lessons great and small. Readers get a glimpse of immigrant life in early 20th-century America, and how New York wasn't so much a melting pot but a stew pot - each ingredient (Italian, Pole, Jew, Anglo) kept his or her own flavor while adding something to the mix. Non-Jews learn a little about Jewish life and culture. Readers get a glimpse of how children lived in a non-electronic, mostly toy-free world. Children learn from the girls' experiences - a first crush, being usurped as the baby, savoring life's little delights.

If you know a girl who likes the American Girl series, this would be a good book for them. There's history with spark, personality and warmth. And no overpriced dolls!

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of going to my hometown library & I always checked out the 'All-Of-A-Kind Family' books. I loved & enjoyed the entire series! When I started working at my first bookstore, I finally bought the series for myself. I think it's a great series because it can be so different than a typical kids' life. I grew up in a Catholic family of six in a small, Midwestern town & where our relatives all lived out of state. This became such an interesting & different perspective of families & family life. The era was after the turn of the century New York City. The family was Jewish, poor & with five girls, but had a rich heritage & connection with the neighborhood & the extended relatives & friends all living nearby. It gives a great view of how life in a different era can seem very similar, but also so different from our current life. Each book is set up easily with each chapter devoted to a new problem or predicament concerning one of the girls. The five daughters throughout the series cover every age, so girls of all ages can & will identify with any of them at different times. All in all, a great series of books for girls, but boys might also enjoy these stories too!

First, let's dispense with the idea that this book has too many stereotypes in it. In the early part of the twentieth century, most American Jewish people did live in New York and especially on the Lower East Side. The types of foods eaten in this book were, in fact, the types most often consumed in Jewish people's homes, and special ones were always part of certain holy days. Jewish and Irish people were not quite as assimilated in American culture as they are now, and parents would be silly to reject this great book just because Papa's peddler friends seem a little "Old World". (I don't believe in revisionism just to placate a bunch of over-sensitive mommies and dads.) This book has good lessons about family loyalty, taking responsibility for mistakes, looking after the things you are fortunate enough to have, and choosing chocolates instead of crackers so your midnight feasts won't be betrayed by crumbs. Modern-day kids will be able to relate to stuff like battles of will at the dinner table, chaotic outings, and the arrival of a new sibling. Celebrations of Shabbat, Purim, and Succot are made beautiful and lively by the author, and are a great way for kids to get a little insight into Jewish life. Yet these girls are American girls first and foremost, and they love the same things about American culture as any kid reading about them today. This is one of my favorite books from childhood. I will say that more girls than boys will be interested in reading it, because of many female characters, the themes of family and home life, and the wistful Charlie and his long-lost love. But this is a quality book.

Sydney Taylor won the Follett Publishing Company book award - she didn't even know her husband, Ralph, had submitted her first novel to the publisher! - for this, her first children's book. Thus began a career that is most distinguished for the series detailing the adventures of five sisters early in this century. Most distinguishing about them is the fact that they are Jewish, not as a stereotyping characteristic but rather a means to explore landscape that hadn't yet been handled in children's literature. This first in the series is particularly insightful in its introduction of the Jewish high holy days - Sabbath days, Yom Kippur, Purim and Succos among them. (Plus, the author even throws in the Lower East Side's celebration of a purely American event - Fourth of July - to demonstrate that this bright-spirited family is tied not merely to its religious roots but is nationalistic as well!) While All-of-a-Kind Family is one of those falsely sunny books that came out of the 1940s and 1950s, it's nice to believe that this is the life that Taylor lived as a child. (Incidentally, Taylor's real name was Sarah, and the stories are based loosely on her own childhood. All of the sisters' names are real.) Sydney Taylor died in February 1978. This initial story was followed by four more books in the series: More All-of-a-Kind Family, All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown, All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown and, published posthumously, Ella of All-of-a-Kind Family.