Do those names ring a bell for you?
They’re the five sisters in the “All-of-a-Kind Family” books by Sydney Taylor. Hats off and much gratitude to Guusje, who reminded me of them. Lena lost her first upper front tooth yesterday and the tooth fairy took that as the perfect excuse to buy a copy of All-of-a-Kind Family. Of course the tooth fairy indulged herself in a nostalgic re-read before slipping it under Lena’s pillow.
This lovely little series is about the daily life of a Jewish family living in New York’s Lower East side around the turn of the (last) century. It’s rich with details such as the Yiddish-speaking peddlers in the open-air market, and written just right for a 3rd grader (*cough* — Lena’s just finishing first grade, but her reading level — *cough*). Would make a great read-aloud, too. The tooth fairy could not put it down, and stayed up way past her bedtime last night.
5 Comments
They certainly do! It’s been ages since I last read this series and I feel compelled now to embark on a reread. How wonderful to get to share your favourites with your daughter. I hope she enjoys it.
I remember this series! The most memorable scene for me, for no particular reason, concerns one of the sisters getting a stain on a dress that she borrowed from another sister. To fix the dress, she dyed the whole thing the color of the stain (using tea, I believe) and pronounced it to be ecru. That was the first time I had heard that word.
Thanks for the little memory lane stroll!
My girls have all loved this book so far (only Megan and Caitlyn have read it). Granted, we’ve only read the first one. Are the others any good??
Did you name Lena after their aunt by marriage who gets introduced in More All of a Kind Family? Remember she rescues Baby Charlie?
Great series.
I, too loved this series as a child! Isn’t there an “All of a Kind Family Uptown” and “Downtown”? Thanks for the tip! I just finished reading “The Penderwicks” with my 2 girls and they LOVED it, as did I. The tooth fairy might like it, too.