The House on Walenska Street (Puffin Chapters)
Grade 3-5 --Esther, Rose, and Leah live with their mother in a small village in Russia around the turn of the century. Their father has recently died, and their mother supports the family by baking bread and renting a corner of the small house to Zimmel, the cobbler. Little Esther is always getting into scrapes, much to the annoyance--and amusement--of big sister Leah. Letters to and from relatives in faraway Minnesota are a highlight of life, as is a chance to run an errand that takes one past the shop windows in the village. Small details of Jewish life and customs are woven into the simple story. Herman tells her tale with obvious affection for the characters, and, while the ending is a bit abrupt, the overall effect is warmly nostalgic. Aimed at a slightly younger audience than many of her other novels, this will appeal to readers of Miriam Chaikin's books about Yossi, or Carol Snyder's stories about Ike and Mama. --Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MACopyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.