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Brooklyn Bridge
It's the summer of 1903 in Brooklyn and all fourteen-year-old Joseph Michtom wants is to experience the thrill, the grandeur, and the electricity of the new amusement park at Coney Island. But that doesn't seem likely. Ever since his parents--Russian immigrants--invented the stuffed Teddy Bear five months ago, Joseph's life has turned upside down. No longer do the Michtom's gather family and friends around the kitchen table to talk. No longer is Joseph at leisure to play stickball with the guys. Now, Joseph works. And complains. And falls in love. And argues with Mama and Papa. And falls out of love. And hopes. Joseph hopes he'll see Coney Island soon. He hopes that everything will turn right-side up again. He hopes his luck hasn't run out--because you never know. Through all the warmth, the sadness, the frustration, and the laughter of one big, colorful family, Newbery Medalist Karen Hesse builds a stunning story of the lucky, the unlucky, and those in between, and reminds us that our lives--all our lives--are fragile, precious, and connected.
"Brooklyn Bridge" is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
"Brooklyn Bridge" is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2008
26 people are currently reading
482 people want to read
About the author
Karen Hesse
64 books482 followersKaren Hesse is an American author known for her children's and young adult literature, often set in historical contexts. She received the Newbery Medal for Out of the Dust (1997), a verse novel about a young girl enduring the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. Hesse’s works frequently tackle complex themes, as seen in Witness (2001), which explores the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in a 1920s Vermont town, and The Music of Dolphins (1996), which tells the story of a girl raised by dolphins. Her novel Stowaway (2000) is based on the real-life account of a boy aboard Captain Cook’s Endeavour. Over her career, Hesse has received numerous accolades, including a MacArthur Fellowship in 2002 and the Phoenix Award for Letters from Rifka (1992).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
May 28, 2008
Karen Hesse is back, baby! A person only gets so many golden opportunities in their life, you know. There are only so many times you get a chance to say that someone’s back. Someone who may have taken a small vacation from writing for a while. Karen Hesse is a good example of this. She’s done some picture books and short stories but her last novel, Aleutian Sparrow came out in 2003. Now she’s returned to the field in force and with a full-length no-verse-in-sight middle grade novel on her hands. I mean Hesse was always the queen of verse. Her Out of the Dust won itself a Newbery, and I cherish in a soft place in my heart The Music of Dolphins. I guess you could say it was my favorite Hesse book . . . until now. Brooklyn Bridge takes a fancy to the summer of 1903. A time of bears, Coney Island, hot nights, and sharp delicious pickles.
To hear fourteen-year-old Joseph Michtom tell it, everything was fine before the bears. Yeah, his family wasn’t rich or anything. His dad ran a candy store and they were like everyone else in their neighborhood. They made do. Then President Roosevelt had to go and NOT shoot a bear and everything went wrong. His Dad got this crazy idea about making stuffed bears out of cloth instead of wood or metal and suddenly everyone and his brother wanted one! Now Joseph’s dad never has time to do little things like take his kids to Coney Island, and with all the family drama Joseph’s feeling a little shut out. Paired alongside Joseph’s thoughts are stories of a group of street kids that live underneath the Brooklyn Bridge at night. Haunted, both literally and figuratively, by a past tied unknowingly to Joseph's, their story highlights the boy's newfound status.
The book has a large cast of characters, all of them single-minded and interesting. All three of Joseph’s aunts act and react off of one another in ways that have become almost rote over the years. Pay close attention to when Hesse chooses to switch between their nicknames (“The Queen”, “Aunt Beast”, and “Aunt Mouse”) and their real names. That’s a lesson in narrative power right there. As for other family members, Joseph’s younger sister Emily is the wise one in the family, a fact that both she and Joseph recognize without animosity on either end. Really, that was one of the best parts of the book. The sheer levels of affection between different family members. Even when they’re fed up or frustrated with one another, you can feel a deep and abiding love there. The family of the Michtoms is also mirrored in the rag tag family of stray kids under the bridge. There’s loyalty in both groups, though one seems like a pale knockoff of the other.
As for the writing itself, Hesse using the two narratives (Joseph’s vs. the kids under the bridge) to try things out. Joseph’s story is straightforward with little poetic asides but nothing overly lyrical. The bridge kids get all the pretty words, maybe to make up for their crummy little lives. A boy who feels affection for a girl simply called The Bride is described as, “close to no one until The Bride came, the white-necked bride, who no longer wore her hair pinned up in the fashion of a lady, but down, in one thick braid, like a farm girl from Nebraska, like the mother he’d never known.” Or about a small girl who, for reasons unknown, once drank poison. “She just cried. Silent tears rolling down her cheeks, her eyes two green bruises in a dusky face.” Simpler still, just the use of an adjective at the right point makes all the difference in the world when closing out a chapter. “... and the sun rose, evicting the sharp-shouldered children from under the bridge for one more day.”
I say that the novel is prose rather than verse, but that isn’t to say that Hesse’s poetic sensibilities have taken a back seat. No sir! Not she. The novel splits into two separate narratives. On the one hand you have Joseph, his life, and his worries. And on the other hand you have the children that live under the Brooklyn Bridge and their stories. Now, when you compare Joseph’s woes (woes = how his parents are too busy to take him to Coney Island) to the woes of the kids under the bridge (woes = drinking acid, sleeping with corpses, stealing, madness, and worse), you’d be naturally inclined to think that Joseph was going to come across as a pretty whiny kid. He thinks HE has problems? Has he ever heard of Mattie, a boy who knew about “eating things no one should eat”? Hesse, however, is exceedingly clever. First of all, for a lot of kids reading this book, they’re going to sympathize with Joseph. Having parents so consumed by their professional lives that they fail to spend enough time for their family? Not exactly a non-existent problem today. Fact of the matter, I’d say that most kids that read this book would identify more closely with Joseph than someone like Mattie. But by pairing his frustrations alongside those of the homeless street kids, Hesse is able to keep returning to the notion of being lucky. The very first sentence in this book is, “The guys say I’m lucky.” For immigrants coming to America for the first time, you needed luck. The kids under the bridge don’t have it and Joseph does, and on some level he’s aware of this even if he isn’t aware of the specific existence of the kids themselves. At one point in the tale Joseph’s little brother gives a small girl his bear. Once he does so he’s amazed by the amount of freedom he has. And then Joseph thinks to himself, “What bear had I been carrying . . . And what would it take for me to let it go?” Even the lucky ones amongst us have bears. It’s the letting go that’s difficult.
Spoiler alert, by the way. I was also amazed that Joseph never ran across the kids under the bridge. There’s one moment where he passes Guy on the street, but it’s a throwaway moment for him. He barely registers the kid’s existence. And yet, his own story, the one that waits until the end of the book to be told, is tied very closely to the story of the bridge kids. This, if anything, was the weak point of the book. The sudden reveal at the end that the ghost under the bridge is Joseph's cousin? It felt like it came out of left field. If Joseph had been feeling guilty about this role in the boy's death, shouldn't that have been alluded to in ways that are less oblique than the ones found here?
It’s an older book than Hesse’s others. There are references to nasty things done by Cossacks to young girls, and children beaten until they almost die. It’s never explicit and never described in any depth, but there's enough to cause me to suggest that maybe this book would be more appropriate for the older set. The 12 and up crowd, perhaps. This is perhaps one of Hesse’s most accomplished novels. It’s historical fiction that uses the past as a point of reference rather than as the point of the novel. Hesse is weaving together so many seemingly disparate elements and living breathing characters that the end result feels more like a film, a theatrical production, or a scene on a city street than a book for kids. I use the word “beautiful” when describing works of fiction because it’s a difficult term to justify. But this book is beautiful. Beautiful and weird and real in a way that will touch you. If five-year absences yield books as fine as this, I urge every writer to take an extended vacation pronto.
Ages 12-15
To hear fourteen-year-old Joseph Michtom tell it, everything was fine before the bears. Yeah, his family wasn’t rich or anything. His dad ran a candy store and they were like everyone else in their neighborhood. They made do. Then President Roosevelt had to go and NOT shoot a bear and everything went wrong. His Dad got this crazy idea about making stuffed bears out of cloth instead of wood or metal and suddenly everyone and his brother wanted one! Now Joseph’s dad never has time to do little things like take his kids to Coney Island, and with all the family drama Joseph’s feeling a little shut out. Paired alongside Joseph’s thoughts are stories of a group of street kids that live underneath the Brooklyn Bridge at night. Haunted, both literally and figuratively, by a past tied unknowingly to Joseph's, their story highlights the boy's newfound status.
The book has a large cast of characters, all of them single-minded and interesting. All three of Joseph’s aunts act and react off of one another in ways that have become almost rote over the years. Pay close attention to when Hesse chooses to switch between their nicknames (“The Queen”, “Aunt Beast”, and “Aunt Mouse”) and their real names. That’s a lesson in narrative power right there. As for other family members, Joseph’s younger sister Emily is the wise one in the family, a fact that both she and Joseph recognize without animosity on either end. Really, that was one of the best parts of the book. The sheer levels of affection between different family members. Even when they’re fed up or frustrated with one another, you can feel a deep and abiding love there. The family of the Michtoms is also mirrored in the rag tag family of stray kids under the bridge. There’s loyalty in both groups, though one seems like a pale knockoff of the other.
As for the writing itself, Hesse using the two narratives (Joseph’s vs. the kids under the bridge) to try things out. Joseph’s story is straightforward with little poetic asides but nothing overly lyrical. The bridge kids get all the pretty words, maybe to make up for their crummy little lives. A boy who feels affection for a girl simply called The Bride is described as, “close to no one until The Bride came, the white-necked bride, who no longer wore her hair pinned up in the fashion of a lady, but down, in one thick braid, like a farm girl from Nebraska, like the mother he’d never known.” Or about a small girl who, for reasons unknown, once drank poison. “She just cried. Silent tears rolling down her cheeks, her eyes two green bruises in a dusky face.” Simpler still, just the use of an adjective at the right point makes all the difference in the world when closing out a chapter. “... and the sun rose, evicting the sharp-shouldered children from under the bridge for one more day.”
I say that the novel is prose rather than verse, but that isn’t to say that Hesse’s poetic sensibilities have taken a back seat. No sir! Not she. The novel splits into two separate narratives. On the one hand you have Joseph, his life, and his worries. And on the other hand you have the children that live under the Brooklyn Bridge and their stories. Now, when you compare Joseph’s woes (woes = how his parents are too busy to take him to Coney Island) to the woes of the kids under the bridge (woes = drinking acid, sleeping with corpses, stealing, madness, and worse), you’d be naturally inclined to think that Joseph was going to come across as a pretty whiny kid. He thinks HE has problems? Has he ever heard of Mattie, a boy who knew about “eating things no one should eat”? Hesse, however, is exceedingly clever. First of all, for a lot of kids reading this book, they’re going to sympathize with Joseph. Having parents so consumed by their professional lives that they fail to spend enough time for their family? Not exactly a non-existent problem today. Fact of the matter, I’d say that most kids that read this book would identify more closely with Joseph than someone like Mattie. But by pairing his frustrations alongside those of the homeless street kids, Hesse is able to keep returning to the notion of being lucky. The very first sentence in this book is, “The guys say I’m lucky.” For immigrants coming to America for the first time, you needed luck. The kids under the bridge don’t have it and Joseph does, and on some level he’s aware of this even if he isn’t aware of the specific existence of the kids themselves. At one point in the tale Joseph’s little brother gives a small girl his bear. Once he does so he’s amazed by the amount of freedom he has. And then Joseph thinks to himself, “What bear had I been carrying . . . And what would it take for me to let it go?” Even the lucky ones amongst us have bears. It’s the letting go that’s difficult.
Spoiler alert, by the way. I was also amazed that Joseph never ran across the kids under the bridge. There’s one moment where he passes Guy on the street, but it’s a throwaway moment for him. He barely registers the kid’s existence. And yet, his own story, the one that waits until the end of the book to be told, is tied very closely to the story of the bridge kids. This, if anything, was the weak point of the book. The sudden reveal at the end that the ghost under the bridge is Joseph's cousin? It felt like it came out of left field. If Joseph had been feeling guilty about this role in the boy's death, shouldn't that have been alluded to in ways that are less oblique than the ones found here?
It’s an older book than Hesse’s others. There are references to nasty things done by Cossacks to young girls, and children beaten until they almost die. It’s never explicit and never described in any depth, but there's enough to cause me to suggest that maybe this book would be more appropriate for the older set. The 12 and up crowd, perhaps. This is perhaps one of Hesse’s most accomplished novels. It’s historical fiction that uses the past as a point of reference rather than as the point of the novel. Hesse is weaving together so many seemingly disparate elements and living breathing characters that the end result feels more like a film, a theatrical production, or a scene on a city street than a book for kids. I use the word “beautiful” when describing works of fiction because it’s a difficult term to justify. But this book is beautiful. Beautiful and weird and real in a way that will touch you. If five-year absences yield books as fine as this, I urge every writer to take an extended vacation pronto.
Ages 12-15
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2014
I always enjoy historical fiction by Karen Hesse. This story is actually based on the real, Russian immigrant family, that invented the "Teddy Bear." It is set in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn New York. New York was a thriving, crowded city filled with recent immigrants. Joseph Mitchtom is 14 in the summer of 1903. His family ownes and operates a candy shop, until a story in the news paper about Teddy Roosevelt refusing to kill an injured and restrained bear on a hunting trip, inspires his parents to create and sell the first "Teddy Bears."
This story also has a darker side to it. In between the chapters about Joseph's family are short passages telling of the children who are homeless, some orphans, others the victims of abuse, who live under the Brooklyn Bridge. There is even a ghost who haunts the bridge and predicts the disappearance of children who live there. It is not a pretty picture. Theses children are literally "throw-aways." The ones no one wants or cares about. They struggle every single day just to survive. Reading this story makes one wonder how caring people could have turned their backs on helpless children. But then, things like that don't happen now days...or do they?
I would recommend this books for older elementary aged students or middle schoolers. It might be a little frightening for younger children or those who are more sensitive to "scary" stuff.
This story also has a darker side to it. In between the chapters about Joseph's family are short passages telling of the children who are homeless, some orphans, others the victims of abuse, who live under the Brooklyn Bridge. There is even a ghost who haunts the bridge and predicts the disappearance of children who live there. It is not a pretty picture. Theses children are literally "throw-aways." The ones no one wants or cares about. They struggle every single day just to survive. Reading this story makes one wonder how caring people could have turned their backs on helpless children. But then, things like that don't happen now days...or do they?
I would recommend this books for older elementary aged students or middle schoolers. It might be a little frightening for younger children or those who are more sensitive to "scary" stuff.
March 10, 2014
This was not an easy book. I'm not talking reading level, but in terms of impact. It was in turns emotionally jarring, spooky, and I wouldn't actually read this to a kid because there were some serious, even scary, situations detailed (made harder to read because they were happening to kids). There were also lighter moments, but they didn't quite balance out the difficult ones.
That said, this is one of those books you read and you don't soon forget, for all of those reasons. It was in turn a coming of age story, and a ghost story. A story about the kids who made it, and the ones who didn't, or just barely survived. It was well written, and I listened to it in one night. The narration was superb, with a fantastic Brooklyn accent used for the protagonist, and wonderful voices all around.
This is a truly unique book, and if you are interested in this era, and/or like coming of age stories, and you want a kick to the heart, then this will deliver.
That said, this is one of those books you read and you don't soon forget, for all of those reasons. It was in turn a coming of age story, and a ghost story. A story about the kids who made it, and the ones who didn't, or just barely survived. It was well written, and I listened to it in one night. The narration was superb, with a fantastic Brooklyn accent used for the protagonist, and wonderful voices all around.
This is a truly unique book, and if you are interested in this era, and/or like coming of age stories, and you want a kick to the heart, then this will deliver.
February 23, 2020
Setting: Brooklyn, 1903
This was a difficult book to rate. I loved the historical fiction aspect of Brooklyn in the early 1900’s. My favorite chapter involved Emily setting up a library for neighbors to check out books! For this I probably would have rated 5 stars, because I love books in this time period about New York. BUT...
the “ghosting” parts dropped it down to a three-star rating for me.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg.156)-“Lit by thousands of lights, I saw now what the guys meant. It (Coney Island) looked like the best dream you could ever have. Like fairyland and heaven all rolled into one. Only you didn’t have to be asleep or dead to get in.”
(Pg. 143)-“Emily was wonder struck by this delivery of the wisdom of the world on our to our doorstep, in awe of the fact that she was suddenly the keeper of the words.”
This was a difficult book to rate. I loved the historical fiction aspect of Brooklyn in the early 1900’s. My favorite chapter involved Emily setting up a library for neighbors to check out books! For this I probably would have rated 5 stars, because I love books in this time period about New York. BUT...
the “ghosting” parts dropped it down to a three-star rating for me.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg.156)-“Lit by thousands of lights, I saw now what the guys meant. It (Coney Island) looked like the best dream you could ever have. Like fairyland and heaven all rolled into one. Only you didn’t have to be asleep or dead to get in.”
(Pg. 143)-“Emily was wonder struck by this delivery of the wisdom of the world on our to our doorstep, in awe of the fact that she was suddenly the keeper of the words.”
September 5, 2008
Joseph feels trapped in his Brooklyn apartment surrounded by the Teddy Bears that his family invented a few months ago. The bears have taken over their lives, their space and their toy store. Now Joseph spends his days stuffing bears, packaging them, and being responsible for his younger brother and sister. And all he longs to do is go to Coney Island, the symbol of all that is fun and all that is not his current life. But life isn't that simple, as he quickly finds out as he faces falling in love, a death in the family, and much more during the summer he's fourteen years old.
Hesse has created a novel filled with characters that are so well written they come to life. Even the more extreme characters in the family ring true and have hidden complexities to them which are a treat to discover. Joseph himself is a true teen with a certain focus on himself rather than his family. It is when he faces hardship that his true character shines through. Hesse's voice as a writer is equally strong here with attention to period detail that make the setting as much a part of the story as the characters. Never intrusive, her voice is a guiding light bringing the period to life for children who may have no knowledge of it. Hesse has also blended humor, tragedy and a real family into this story. One never knows quite where the book is heading because of her skillful writing, elevating what could have been a simple quiet story into something with dramatic tension that is hard to put down.
Highly recommended as great historical fiction that is very well-written and conceived, this book is appropriate for 10-13 year olds. It would also work as a book to read aloud and discussed in a 5th or 6th grade classroom.
Hesse has created a novel filled with characters that are so well written they come to life. Even the more extreme characters in the family ring true and have hidden complexities to them which are a treat to discover. Joseph himself is a true teen with a certain focus on himself rather than his family. It is when he faces hardship that his true character shines through. Hesse's voice as a writer is equally strong here with attention to period detail that make the setting as much a part of the story as the characters. Never intrusive, her voice is a guiding light bringing the period to life for children who may have no knowledge of it. Hesse has also blended humor, tragedy and a real family into this story. One never knows quite where the book is heading because of her skillful writing, elevating what could have been a simple quiet story into something with dramatic tension that is hard to put down.
Highly recommended as great historical fiction that is very well-written and conceived, this book is appropriate for 10-13 year olds. It would also work as a book to read aloud and discussed in a 5th or 6th grade classroom.
July 30, 2018
Okay, here I go again swimming against the chorus of critics, many of whom I think are biased once an author has won an award or two (or three).
First of all, there is too much here I've read before. There's the gruff relative with a secret heart of gold doing good works--that's Uncle Chris in Kathryn Forbes' "Mama's Bank Account". There are characters and plotlines from"All of A Kind Family and even "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn"
Then there's the fact that this book has multiple personality disorder.
There's the historical fiction/family story. There's the tales of poor kids living under the bridge. There's some sort of ghost story. They DO tie together, but only at the very end and just barely and not in a satisfying way. It makes the whole thing disjointed.
Perhaps librarians, teachers and other adults who read this book will get a lot from it. But I don't think kids will have the patience to do so.
Karen Hesse can write characters that live vividly--even when she does it in blank verse.
But that's just not the case with this book.
First of all, there is too much here I've read before. There's the gruff relative with a secret heart of gold doing good works--that's Uncle Chris in Kathryn Forbes' "Mama's Bank Account". There are characters and plotlines from"All of A Kind Family and even "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn"
Then there's the fact that this book has multiple personality disorder.
There's the historical fiction/family story. There's the tales of poor kids living under the bridge. There's some sort of ghost story. They DO tie together, but only at the very end and just barely and not in a satisfying way. It makes the whole thing disjointed.
Perhaps librarians, teachers and other adults who read this book will get a lot from it. But I don't think kids will have the patience to do so.
Karen Hesse can write characters that live vividly--even when she does it in blank verse.
But that's just not the case with this book.
January 12, 2009
Wow - I was blown away by this book, perhaps moreso because I didn't expect to be. I am really impressed by Brooklyn Bridge.
The setting of turn-of-the-century Brooklyn is vividly brought to life in the reader's imagination through 14-year old Joseph's first-person narration, excerpts describing Coney Island from actual newspapers from that time, and a parallel story of street children living under the Brooklyn Bridge that contrasts with Joseph's comfortable life with a large, loving family. The arc of the plot's action builds in layers with a final climax that I really did not see coming although in hindsight the foreshadowing and clues were there. Rich characterizations and subplots that initially seem unrelated to the main story are all expertly woven together by Hesse by the book's end, which I was sorry to reach.
But...kid appeal? I think kids who are avid readers would enjoy it, if it is recommended to them, but most won't pick it up on their own. A good choice for upper elementary historical fiction assignments.
The setting of turn-of-the-century Brooklyn is vividly brought to life in the reader's imagination through 14-year old Joseph's first-person narration, excerpts describing Coney Island from actual newspapers from that time, and a parallel story of street children living under the Brooklyn Bridge that contrasts with Joseph's comfortable life with a large, loving family. The arc of the plot's action builds in layers with a final climax that I really did not see coming although in hindsight the foreshadowing and clues were there. Rich characterizations and subplots that initially seem unrelated to the main story are all expertly woven together by Hesse by the book's end, which I was sorry to reach.
But...kid appeal? I think kids who are avid readers would enjoy it, if it is recommended to them, but most won't pick it up on their own. A good choice for upper elementary historical fiction assignments.
September 13, 2008
This is a sweet tale from the perspective of the main character, Joseph Michtom. His family, in our country's real history, created the ever popular teddy bear. Joseph's story tells of his struggles as a 14-year-old...coming to terms with how his life changes due to the creation of the stuffed bear (friends' perception, family, etc...) and wanting to experience the thrill of Coney Island. Plus, he has a secret about which no one knows, which is revealed at the end.
Karen Hesse, one of my favorite authors for young kids, does a wonderful job of telling Joseph's tale and capturing the struggle of immigrants in New York City at the beginning of the 20th century. She also gives brief stories about children who came to live under the Brooklyn Bridge, which eventually ties in with Joseph's secret.
Karen Hesse, one of my favorite authors for young kids, does a wonderful job of telling Joseph's tale and capturing the struggle of immigrants in New York City at the beginning of the 20th century. She also gives brief stories about children who came to live under the Brooklyn Bridge, which eventually ties in with Joseph's secret.
October 16, 2018
This was a coming-of-age novel set during the early 1900s. Joseph is 14 years old, and he is annoyed that not only are his parents working almost all the time following their popular invention of the Teddy Bear but that they make him work on the stupid bears too, and what is worse, he must be the only boy in Brooklyn who hasn't been to Coney Island. Anyway, the novel was well written and informative, and there was quite a surprising plot twist near the end. However, there were numerous vignettes included at the end of the chapters about a group of street children living under the Brooklyn bridge that I didn't like--at the end of the book, I understood why these parts had been included, but I still found them creepy and unpleasant, especially since this is a children's book.
November 18, 2020
3.6 stars-
This makes me want to go to New York
This makes me want to go to New York
August 31, 2008
My Review of BROOKLYN BRIDGE by Karen Hesse
Well worth the five year wait, award winning author Karen Hesse’s new book, Brooklyn Bridge, is a memorable mix of historical fiction with a trace of enchanting fantasy. Hesse introduces this immigrant tale with a quote by Isaac Newton:” We build too many walls and not enough bridges”. This quote could be considered “a spoiler” if one could interpret its relevance prior to reading the story. However, readers must finish the book in order to see what Ms. Hesse means by using this quotation symbolically in relation to the actual Brooklyn Bridge and humanity, especially in the special era she wrote about.
In the early 1900s, the family of fourteen-year-old Joseph Michtom has come from Russia to settle in America where the streets are made of gold. His is the typical lively and colorful family who has come to live the immigrant life of 1903 Brooklyn. Joseph who has a pretty good life for a kid in those days, filled with stick ball, a good home, family and lots of friends, is blessed but his dream centers on going to the new and thrilling amusement park known as Coney Island. However, Coney Island must wait. The Michtom family, in Joseph’s mind, is doing fine with their candy store when suddenly his Dad gets an idea that instead of making toy bears out of metal or wood, they should be made of cloth. Before you can say ‘teddy bear’, the idea takes off and the family is swamped with the demand for these bears. Joseph’s family time is now devoted to this new “invention” and there is no time for Coney Island much less his “regular” boyhood life of friends and frivolity.
Interspersed between the chapters that tell of Joseph and his family and friends comes the haunting story of the kids who live under the bridge. Karen Hesse writes of these somewhat mystical children in a different, almost poetic way. Theirs is a life of suffering and misery which includes their individual stories of horror, starvation, pain, and even death. The central character under the bridge is one known as the Radiant Boy who glides in like a phantom spirit and frightens the children as they know that when he comes and takes someone with him, the child never comes back. How these children relate to Joseph’s story is almost like a parallel universe in that Joseph doesn’t seem to even meet any of these kids or acknowledge their existence for the most part. Their connection to Joseph, however, is one that is subtly alluded to throughout the story but it isn’t until the end that the reader will see the significance of this story within the main story.
What is the connection between the kids under the bridge and Joseph? As for Coney Island, does Joseph ever get there? As you read this remarkable work by Karen Hesse, the answers to these and many more questions just may satisfyingly and incredibly be revealed. I recommend this as a perfect book for children 11 and older, as well as for adults who want to learn more about a time when our ancestors migrated to this country and settled in that magical place in New York known as Brooklyn. For those of us who know the area, the allure and magnificence of Coney Island and the wonderful Brooklyn Bridge will never cease to exist but rather be enhanced and remembered by reading Karen Hesse’s novel, Brooklyn Bridge.
Chris Sheban did the wonderful cover art and adds to this amazing book with his interior illustrations as well.
Submitted by Karen Haney, August, 2008
Well worth the five year wait, award winning author Karen Hesse’s new book, Brooklyn Bridge, is a memorable mix of historical fiction with a trace of enchanting fantasy. Hesse introduces this immigrant tale with a quote by Isaac Newton:” We build too many walls and not enough bridges”. This quote could be considered “a spoiler” if one could interpret its relevance prior to reading the story. However, readers must finish the book in order to see what Ms. Hesse means by using this quotation symbolically in relation to the actual Brooklyn Bridge and humanity, especially in the special era she wrote about.
In the early 1900s, the family of fourteen-year-old Joseph Michtom has come from Russia to settle in America where the streets are made of gold. His is the typical lively and colorful family who has come to live the immigrant life of 1903 Brooklyn. Joseph who has a pretty good life for a kid in those days, filled with stick ball, a good home, family and lots of friends, is blessed but his dream centers on going to the new and thrilling amusement park known as Coney Island. However, Coney Island must wait. The Michtom family, in Joseph’s mind, is doing fine with their candy store when suddenly his Dad gets an idea that instead of making toy bears out of metal or wood, they should be made of cloth. Before you can say ‘teddy bear’, the idea takes off and the family is swamped with the demand for these bears. Joseph’s family time is now devoted to this new “invention” and there is no time for Coney Island much less his “regular” boyhood life of friends and frivolity.
Interspersed between the chapters that tell of Joseph and his family and friends comes the haunting story of the kids who live under the bridge. Karen Hesse writes of these somewhat mystical children in a different, almost poetic way. Theirs is a life of suffering and misery which includes their individual stories of horror, starvation, pain, and even death. The central character under the bridge is one known as the Radiant Boy who glides in like a phantom spirit and frightens the children as they know that when he comes and takes someone with him, the child never comes back. How these children relate to Joseph’s story is almost like a parallel universe in that Joseph doesn’t seem to even meet any of these kids or acknowledge their existence for the most part. Their connection to Joseph, however, is one that is subtly alluded to throughout the story but it isn’t until the end that the reader will see the significance of this story within the main story.
What is the connection between the kids under the bridge and Joseph? As for Coney Island, does Joseph ever get there? As you read this remarkable work by Karen Hesse, the answers to these and many more questions just may satisfyingly and incredibly be revealed. I recommend this as a perfect book for children 11 and older, as well as for adults who want to learn more about a time when our ancestors migrated to this country and settled in that magical place in New York known as Brooklyn. For those of us who know the area, the allure and magnificence of Coney Island and the wonderful Brooklyn Bridge will never cease to exist but rather be enhanced and remembered by reading Karen Hesse’s novel, Brooklyn Bridge.
Chris Sheban did the wonderful cover art and adds to this amazing book with his interior illustrations as well.
Submitted by Karen Haney, August, 2008
September 30, 2016
I love this book better than most of the historical fiction books I have read. This story is actually based on the real, Russian immigrant family, that invented the "Teddy Bear." It is set in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn New York. New York was a thriving, crowded city filled with recent immigrants. Joseph Mitchtom is 14 in the summer of 1903. His family owns and operates a candy shop, until a story in the news paper about Teddy Roosevelt refusing to kill an injured and restrained bear on a hunting trip, inspires his parents to create and sell the first "Teddy Bears."
The sub-plot of this book didn't really make sense until the end, and some characters under the bridge weren't even mentioned until the end of the book. This book was very well written and was steady as in the plot staying together throughout the whole entire book. I will definitely give this book a 5/5 stars. My favorite genre of books is historical fiction, and I love to learn the history of Presidents. So when I saw this book and read the inside cover, I fell in love.
The reverse thought of not wanting wealth or fame certainly caught my attention as if is was part of the Mitchtom household, I would take advantage of it in some ways. I like how the author ties in the time period on how Coney Island was one of the most popular destinations in the country a the time and how he had a hankering to go. If it hadn't been for the awful sub-plot, this would have been an easy 5 out of 5 book in my eyes. This book pictures the business of a family hard at work each day, working and working and not stopping. This book is definitely unique as far as the Russian family who invented the "Teddy Bear".
Some downsides of this book were some characters were hard to track and pin down it the subplot, one such example is the character Frances. She wasn't mention until the very end of the book. And when she was introduced, I had a hard time tracking the sub plot after that. Another fault is that the nick names used for some of the characters were used to often and sometimes confusing, especially the 3 three aunts confusing nicknames. Here is a list of the names:
Aunt Mouse A.K.A Aunt Lena
Aunt Beast A.K.A Aunt Zelda
Tante Golda A.K.A Golda a/k/a "The Queen"
Lizzie Kaplan A.K.A real estate agent A.K.A Uncle Meyer's new bride
In conclusion, this book is very well written, displayed in my mind wonderfully. Had a few flaws, such as the subplot predicament and a few others. I loved this book. And if you are looking for a honest opinion, this book was wonderful!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2014
This is good and touching, but different than I expected. I thought it was going to be about the apparently epic task of constructing the bridge, as in the McCullough history, The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge, that I want to read.
Instead, it is about her fictional version of what life was like for the Russian immigrant family that invented the Teddy Bear, as narrated by a 15-yr-old son. This is all very interesting with funny and sad things about their immediate family and extended family, all escaped from persecution in Russia, as well as their poor immigrant community. However, it's the type of thing more adults will like than teenagers.
The other thread is the tragic stories of the homeless children living in a semi-community underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. There are more than a dozen anecdotes, with these telling a separate story that eventually ties back into the main Russian immigrant family's story. These are very sad and sometimes hard to read for me even without being graphic at all.
There's also another supernatural element like in Witness, though a bit more prominent. And there are also running quotes about the newly constructed Coney Island from actual period newspapers because the main kid wants to go there so bad.
The problem was that these different parts didn't mesh together seamlessly. In fact, I didn't really think the Coney Island quotes added much even though the fact they're from the time period is interesting. The sad homeless kid profiles don't connect either until the end, and that rushed part didn't quite feel natural.
That said, I still loved the main story so much that it overcame the weird plot appendages for me. It was a good, wholesome book that brought to life the reality of poverty and love and loss and change. Others may find the disjointed plot more jarring, and this won't excite large numbers of teens.
Instead, it is about her fictional version of what life was like for the Russian immigrant family that invented the Teddy Bear, as narrated by a 15-yr-old son. This is all very interesting with funny and sad things about their immediate family and extended family, all escaped from persecution in Russia, as well as their poor immigrant community. However, it's the type of thing more adults will like than teenagers.
The other thread is the tragic stories of the homeless children living in a semi-community underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. There are more than a dozen anecdotes, with these telling a separate story that eventually ties back into the main Russian immigrant family's story. These are very sad and sometimes hard to read for me even without being graphic at all.
There's also another supernatural element like in Witness, though a bit more prominent. And there are also running quotes about the newly constructed Coney Island from actual period newspapers because the main kid wants to go there so bad.
The problem was that these different parts didn't mesh together seamlessly. In fact, I didn't really think the Coney Island quotes added much even though the fact they're from the time period is interesting. The sad homeless kid profiles don't connect either until the end, and that rushed part didn't quite feel natural.
That said, I still loved the main story so much that it overcame the weird plot appendages for me. It was a good, wholesome book that brought to life the reality of poverty and love and loss and change. Others may find the disjointed plot more jarring, and this won't excite large numbers of teens.
January 7, 2010
Fourteen-year-old Joseph Michtom knows he’s one of the lucky ones in New York during the early 1900s. He’s the son of a successful Russian immigrant. He’s got a warm place to live, enough food so he doesn’t go hungry, and family to love him. Although sometimes he doesn’t feel so lucky, because his parents no longer spend much time with him now that they are consumed with their new venture—sewing and selling as many of the new “Teddy bears” they created as they can. Joseph’s parents came up with the idea for creating the cuddly animals after President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a cornered bear while on a bear hunt.
Joseph’s family has found new wealth and prestige from their invention, but the boys in the neighborhood treat Joseph differently, as though he’s changed from the same old Joe who has always been a friend. Joe spends a lot of time with his sister Emily and their baby brother Benjamin. Joe and Emily dream of going to Coney Island one day, but it doesn’t seem as though their parents will ever take enough time off to take them there.
Interspersed with Joe’s story are vignettes of homeless children living under the Brooklyn Bridge. They leave home for many reasons, either they are abused or orphaned or crippled in some way, but they find shelter and solace with each other.
Karen Hesse’s novel Brooklyn Bridge is a wonderful portrait of family in its many facets as well as the story of the struggle of immigrants to leave their old lives behind and fit into their new country. It paints a rich picture of Brooklyn in the early 1900s. We get a picture of life in Russia that many of Joseph’s friends and family left, and of his aunt who worked tirelessly so that many could leave their homeland and find opportunity in the U.S. There’s a strong sense of family obligations, helping out your fellow man, and showing respect to adults. Issues to discuss with mother-daughter book clubs include homelessness, historical events in Russia and the U.S., immigration, sibling relationships and family dynamics. Highly recommended for clubs with girls aged 9 to 12.
Joseph’s family has found new wealth and prestige from their invention, but the boys in the neighborhood treat Joseph differently, as though he’s changed from the same old Joe who has always been a friend. Joe spends a lot of time with his sister Emily and their baby brother Benjamin. Joe and Emily dream of going to Coney Island one day, but it doesn’t seem as though their parents will ever take enough time off to take them there.
Interspersed with Joe’s story are vignettes of homeless children living under the Brooklyn Bridge. They leave home for many reasons, either they are abused or orphaned or crippled in some way, but they find shelter and solace with each other.
Karen Hesse’s novel Brooklyn Bridge is a wonderful portrait of family in its many facets as well as the story of the struggle of immigrants to leave their old lives behind and fit into their new country. It paints a rich picture of Brooklyn in the early 1900s. We get a picture of life in Russia that many of Joseph’s friends and family left, and of his aunt who worked tirelessly so that many could leave their homeland and find opportunity in the U.S. There’s a strong sense of family obligations, helping out your fellow man, and showing respect to adults. Issues to discuss with mother-daughter book clubs include homelessness, historical events in Russia and the U.S., immigration, sibling relationships and family dynamics. Highly recommended for clubs with girls aged 9 to 12.
May 4, 2009
I loved this book!! This is a wholesome book that can be read by any age 4th grade up. It is about the Michtom family who were the ones that created the teddy bear inspired by Teddy Roosevelt's refusal to shoot a bear cub. It qualifies as historical fiction, but don't tell the kids. They think they hate historical fiction. It also has "interior chapters." (I borrow that term from the "Grapes of Wrath".) The interior chapters are about the children that live under the Brooklyn Bridge and they are written as vignettes about each child's particular story. They are somewhat supernatural/spiritual in nature, but come to play out in the fast paced, fascinating conclusion of the story of the Michtom family.
It is a immigration story, an American story, a family story, a success story, a failure story - funny, heartbreaking, clever, poignant, and sweet beyond measure. It will be acceptable to both sexes, though it is not action packed. The narrator of the Michtom story is told by the son, 14-year-old Joe, who wants more than anything to go to Coney Island, but his family is just too busy making teddy bears. Through Joe's eye we see and "judge" all the people that make up the fabric of his neighborhood ( like Dilly the man with the pickle cart) and Joe's family.
Karen Hesse is a fantastic writer; most of her novel have been written in poetry form and all are very good to excellent, but this is the best! I hope everyone will read this book.
It is a immigration story, an American story, a family story, a success story, a failure story - funny, heartbreaking, clever, poignant, and sweet beyond measure. It will be acceptable to both sexes, though it is not action packed. The narrator of the Michtom story is told by the son, 14-year-old Joe, who wants more than anything to go to Coney Island, but his family is just too busy making teddy bears. Through Joe's eye we see and "judge" all the people that make up the fabric of his neighborhood ( like Dilly the man with the pickle cart) and Joe's family.
Karen Hesse is a fantastic writer; most of her novel have been written in poetry form and all are very good to excellent, but this is the best! I hope everyone will read this book.
October 13, 2008
I did not know that this would have been so good. I did not expect that I would have loved it so much and that I could not stop reading it and pretty much finishing it in one "fell swoop." It seems Dickensian, but that might not be a fair comparison because it is actually quite sparing and except for the intentional repetitive phrasing in those dream-like segments about the children "under the bridge" (and so effective, those poetic passages.. *sigh*), there is not that much repeated sentiment. I was drawn in, felt like I lived side by side with Joseph, and often was surprised at the richness and the vividness of the world I "saw" through the text. It doesn't hurt that I (and my family) adore the sense of place and history and the bustling life of Coney Island.
I wasn't sure at first about the vignettes of the children under the bridge but found them so mesmerizing and expanding of the experience of the turn-of-century Brooklyn - not only those who "made it" but of those who struggled and failed... I imagine that I'll remember Joseph's story for a long time, but I will never forget the Radiant Boy's, or Mattie's, or Otto's, or the story of May who almost died from eating the poisonous meal, twice.
It's an intricate tapestry and an "important tale" that is beautifully woven in the hand of a artisan.
I wasn't sure at first about the vignettes of the children under the bridge but found them so mesmerizing and expanding of the experience of the turn-of-century Brooklyn - not only those who "made it" but of those who struggled and failed... I imagine that I'll remember Joseph's story for a long time, but I will never forget the Radiant Boy's, or Mattie's, or Otto's, or the story of May who almost died from eating the poisonous meal, twice.
It's an intricate tapestry and an "important tale" that is beautifully woven in the hand of a artisan.
December 2, 2015
Theodore Roosevelt spared a bear cub. This family turned it into a business making Teddy's bears. And life became difficult for the teenage son.
So many families pay help but not their own children doing the same work. They are family and that is what the family does. But a teenage boy seeing friends get paid resents being broke.
Coney Island is THE place to go over the summer. All the family does is make bears. What happened to real family life? wonders their son.
The death of the family matriarch changes the lives of all those in the family and some of those whom this aunt paid to bring over from Russia. The upshot is an argument and the revelation of a family tragedy.
The ads about Coney Island were fun.
The stories of the children under the bridge were heart breaking. It is so hard to realize children are left to fend for themselves not only in the early 1900's but today. This was the one part of the book, although eventually tied in as important to the story, that I found hard to listen to.
The trials and tribulations of a Jewish teenage boy growing up in Brooklyn around 1903 was interesting and worth the time to listen to or read about.
I heard this as an audio book, unabridged. The reader did a nice job even bringing out both the Brooklyn flavor of speech and the Jewishness of the characters.
So many families pay help but not their own children doing the same work. They are family and that is what the family does. But a teenage boy seeing friends get paid resents being broke.
Coney Island is THE place to go over the summer. All the family does is make bears. What happened to real family life? wonders their son.
The death of the family matriarch changes the lives of all those in the family and some of those whom this aunt paid to bring over from Russia. The upshot is an argument and the revelation of a family tragedy.
The ads about Coney Island were fun.
The stories of the children under the bridge were heart breaking. It is so hard to realize children are left to fend for themselves not only in the early 1900's but today. This was the one part of the book, although eventually tied in as important to the story, that I found hard to listen to.
The trials and tribulations of a Jewish teenage boy growing up in Brooklyn around 1903 was interesting and worth the time to listen to or read about.
I heard this as an audio book, unabridged. The reader did a nice job even bringing out both the Brooklyn flavor of speech and the Jewishness of the characters.
January 29, 2013
Another skillfully crafted novel by Karen Hesse. This woman has a true gift for taking historical facts and plumping them into characters and lives for us to enjoy, and I am so glad I found this on the shelf. One of the classes with whom I work is in the middle of their big immigration study, so I'm paying particular attention to stories about immigrant families in New York. Also, since I'm a resident of Brooklyn and have worked with traditional Jewish families, this book really piqued my interest. The protagonist is the adolescent eldest brother in the family which first created the stuffed Teddy bear, and it covers a stress-filled summer as the family goes through myriad changes. There's a little bit of a love story, some ghost story, some social justice and injustice, and a lot of family drama--exactly what made me want to keep reading! It's a great story to share with third- and fourth-graders, and a good independent read for kids who like historical fiction. The interview with Hesse at the end of the book is good, too, as she described how she built BROOKLYN BRIDGE out of a little blurb she read in another book about how things were invented. I highly recommend it, especially for young female readers.
January 30, 2009
Initially I was put off by the character of Joseph Michtom: a priveleged boy whining about his good fortune. But Hesse positioned Joseph in such a unique and compelling historical setting -- Brooklyn at the turn of the 20th century, where immigrants struggle for their piece of the American Dream, baseball is becoming the national pastime, and Coney Island is the great equalizer with its entertainments that beckon all who have the dime to get through the gate. So at first, I read in spite of Joseph. But that didn't take long to change. Joseph experiences so much growth in this story. It was wonderful to see that happen, and made me glad that we started where we did. I would have liked to see more of the sub-story of Stephen from the outset, and better fleshing out of the 'bear' on Joseph's back, but it really was such a rewarding story to read. The last three endpapers are so colorful and fun that I wonder why the publisher didn't include more throughout the book -- those pages really evoke a wonderful tone an feeling.
November 23, 2008
Karen Hesse is a wonderful writer of historical fiction who always gets to the heart of her characters. This time we are taken to Brooklyn in 1903, where we become involved in the life of a Russian-Jewish family who have just gotten their lucky break, changing their fortune: they were the first to create a stuffed "teddy's bear", and they can't make them fast enough. Joseph, their son, tells us their story, though he resents the changes to their family and home life that the success brings -- he feels apart from his friends now, treated differently, and he misses the time his father used to spend with him. He also longs to go to Coney Island more than anything, but again, there is no time for his family to take him. Interspersed throughout the book are haunting vignettes of children who have had to make their home under the Brooklyn Bridge, for a variety of tragic reasons. Karen Hesse joins these separate stories together in a way that does not disappoint.
March 8, 2009
Historical fiction - not my genre - how many times have I said this?
Yet, when one is good, it is very very good and that's what I got from this book. The main narrative, of Joseph, whose father invents the "teddy bear" (and I was WAAY into this story before I realized that I actually had the question with Morris Michtom at trivia just 2 weeks ago.) (And actually the fact that Hesse took real people and utterly fictionalized them was slightly annoying, one of the things that knocks this down to 4.)
However, pretending that they weren't real people this is a great story, about 2nd generation immigrants, about turn of the century Brooklyn. And the touch of magical realism, while slightly confusing, offers a lot of satisfaction for a sophisticated reader.
Highly recommended. AND the fact that I finished it at 4:30 last night during a bout of insomnia, in which 10 pages usually puts me under, was another credit to this book and its strong writing. (Also....short chapters!)
Yet, when one is good, it is very very good and that's what I got from this book. The main narrative, of Joseph, whose father invents the "teddy bear" (and I was WAAY into this story before I realized that I actually had the question with Morris Michtom at trivia just 2 weeks ago.) (And actually the fact that Hesse took real people and utterly fictionalized them was slightly annoying, one of the things that knocks this down to 4.)
However, pretending that they weren't real people this is a great story, about 2nd generation immigrants, about turn of the century Brooklyn. And the touch of magical realism, while slightly confusing, offers a lot of satisfaction for a sophisticated reader.
Highly recommended. AND the fact that I finished it at 4:30 last night during a bout of insomnia, in which 10 pages usually puts me under, was another credit to this book and its strong writing. (Also....short chapters!)
May 22, 2015
One of the best books I've read so far this year.
I rarely cry at books, but this one brought tears to my eyes on several occasions. I imagine it was because the book told the story of how class, family dynamics and money played a huge role in the lives of immigrant families coming to the USA in the early 1900's. This book did an incredible job of juxaposing the lives of children who came from an immigrant family who made a great deal of wealth after inventing the first teddy bears and the lives of children and young adults who grew up abused, orphaned, in poverty and discriminated against.
The writing was so beautiful. This story would not have been as emotionally moving if the author had not been as gifted with crafting gorgeous sentences. There was just the right amount of magical realism that made this the perfect read for me. I highly recommend this book, not only for older children but adults, too.
I rarely cry at books, but this one brought tears to my eyes on several occasions. I imagine it was because the book told the story of how class, family dynamics and money played a huge role in the lives of immigrant families coming to the USA in the early 1900's. This book did an incredible job of juxaposing the lives of children who came from an immigrant family who made a great deal of wealth after inventing the first teddy bears and the lives of children and young adults who grew up abused, orphaned, in poverty and discriminated against.
The writing was so beautiful. This story would not have been as emotionally moving if the author had not been as gifted with crafting gorgeous sentences. There was just the right amount of magical realism that made this the perfect read for me. I highly recommend this book, not only for older children but adults, too.
December 8, 2010
I really enjoyed this audiobook. I thought the narrator did a great job. I did not think I would like this book. The cover is boring to me and the summary really did not sound that exciting, but once I started listening to it I wanted to sit in my car to find out what was going to happen next. The story about the immigrant family inventing the teddy bear and the tie in with the runaway children under the bridge makes me want to go learn more about this time in history. The book had me when the young sister wrote a letter to get permission to start a library in her parent's store. The young boy's desire to visit Coney Island is not the only thing going on in this story. There is so much more to it! I was so afraid the little brother was going to die. I did not want this to be a story about the baby brother dying. My apologies for my review being all over the place.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2015
I enjoyed reading this story. In fact, I couldn't put it down. I felt like I was inside the Michtom family experiencing the challenges and successes of an immigrant family. I read the stories of the kids under the bridge and wept for their loss of family. I understood Joseph's feelings of maturing; a little scary and a little exciting.
My great-grandparents were immigrants and I feel closer to them and the struggles they endured to make a good life in America. Without their dedication to building a new life across a huge ocean, I wouldn't be enjoying my wonderful life. I am a lucky person. And we all need to pause and say thank you to those who had the strength to start again. Hopefully, this story helps kids start asking questions about their family history and the stories from their ancestors.
My great-grandparents were immigrants and I feel closer to them and the struggles they endured to make a good life in America. Without their dedication to building a new life across a huge ocean, I wouldn't be enjoying my wonderful life. I am a lucky person. And we all need to pause and say thank you to those who had the strength to start again. Hopefully, this story helps kids start asking questions about their family history and the stories from their ancestors.
January 3, 2009
It took me a while to get used to this; at first, the slight tinge of Yiddish accent and the interludes with the street children were distracting, but eventually the dialect felt natural and I was caught up in the stories of the street children. I was disappointed in the slightly bizarre turn the book took at the end, but in general, I thought this was solid. It really could have used some more laughs--the one laugh-out-loud moment I found was well-done and well-incorporated--and I think would keep more kids reading. As is, this is a lot like All-of-a-Kind Family without the jokes.
Still, I think it would be a good Newbery Honor. The sense of place and sense of the community are excellent.
Still, I think it would be a good Newbery Honor. The sense of place and sense of the community are excellent.
November 23, 2014
For this book report I read Brooklyn Bridge by Karen Hesse. This book is a historical novel which is grouped with drama. Joseph Michtom feels as if he's more lucky than most kids in his neighborhood, his family owns a candy store which soons changes, because of this reason there family is starting to get more money. Joeseph's aunts are trying to move but is not working out well. For 10 years his aunt has been living by herself because of a horrible accident and while she was at Coney Island she ran into someone that will completely change her life. Throughout the book more drama and mysteries occur which is why I liked it. Out of 5 stars I rated this book a 4. This is because I think the author could've been a bit more specific on some of the events that happened.
February 4, 2016
Narrated by Fred Berman. A delightful story about the day-to-day life of a Jewish Russian immigrant family living in Brooklyn. Joseph, the older son, knows his family is extremely lucky to have succeeded in the teddy bear business but with so much work put into it, all he dreams of is taking a break and enjoying a day at Coney Island. Until then, the family experiences the ups and downs of life: sister Emily gets to establish a home lending library; the baby develops pneumonia; a matriarch aunt dies. Interludes between chapters describe a society of rejected and homeless kids living under the Brooklyn Bridge. Narrator Berman reads in a Jewish New York City accent that brings out the spirit of this historical novel.
January 22, 2010
Two individual stories finally converge at the end of this book, giving the reader an "aha!" moment. The book takes place in early-20th century Brooklyn. The plot revolves around a Jewish family that used to run a candy store but due to the father's bright flash of an idea, have started a new business. He saw a picture of President Theodore Roosevelt holding a bear cub, and he got the idea to create and sell "Teddy bears." The business has suddenly outgrown the upstairs apartment, and pieces of bears are everywhere, much to the consternation of 14-year-old Joseph. The warmth of the family and the neighbors on the street provide a strong base for an outstanding story.
November 10, 2015
I rather adored this book for a really long time in middle school, read it a bunch and am now sad that I gave it to the library/my sister's friend. I really hope it was the former, so I can go check it out and reread it at some point.
That said, I do agree that the plotline about the kids under the bridge was weird and frankly not that compelling. In my opinion, however, Joseph's storyline shines enough to make up for that.
That said, I do agree that the plotline about the kids under the bridge was weird and frankly not that compelling. In my opinion, however, Joseph's storyline shines enough to make up for that.
February 13, 2014
This is an touching and exciting book that covers so many topics. First of it is historical, young adult fiction. There's mystery, lost children, suspense and orphans. It is a story about the family that made the first teddy bear, but it touches on the hisotires of baseball, Coney Island, social reform, immigration and refugees. all wrapped up in the coming of age story of a boy in Brooklyn.
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