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From Sarah to Sydney: The Woman Behind All-of-a-Kind Family
The untold life story of All-of-a-Kind Family author Sydney Taylor, highlighting her dramatic influence on American children’s literature
This is the first and only biography of Sydney Taylor (1904–1978), author of the award-winning All-of-a-Kind Family series of books, the first juvenile novels published by a mainstream publisher to feature Jewish children. The family—based on Taylor’s own as a child—includes five sisters, each two years apart, dressed alike by their fastidious immigrant mother so they all look the same: all-of-a-kind. The four other sisters' names were the same in the books as in their real lives; only the real-life Sarah changed hers to the boyish Sydney while she was in high school.
Cummins elucidates the deep connections between the progressive Taylor’s books and American Jewish experiences, arguing that Taylor was deeply influential in the development of national Jewish identity. This biography conveys the vital importance of children’s books in the transmission of Jewish culture and the preservation of ethnic heritage.
This is the first and only biography of Sydney Taylor (1904–1978), author of the award-winning All-of-a-Kind Family series of books, the first juvenile novels published by a mainstream publisher to feature Jewish children. The family—based on Taylor’s own as a child—includes five sisters, each two years apart, dressed alike by their fastidious immigrant mother so they all look the same: all-of-a-kind. The four other sisters' names were the same in the books as in their real lives; only the real-life Sarah changed hers to the boyish Sydney while she was in high school.
Cummins elucidates the deep connections between the progressive Taylor’s books and American Jewish experiences, arguing that Taylor was deeply influential in the development of national Jewish identity. This biography conveys the vital importance of children’s books in the transmission of Jewish culture and the preservation of ethnic heritage.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published June 22, 2021
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436 people want to read
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May 1, 2023
3.5 really, but rounded up because I'm glad the book exists; it's the first biography of Sydney Taylor ever published, and possibly even the first full length scholarly work of any kind devoted to her. This is surprising, because Taylor's such an important figure in American children's literature, her All-of-a-Kind Family series being the first works portraying Jewish life to reach a mainstream audience. The books are set in the early 1900s in New York City's Lower East Side (and later, the Bronx) and are semi-autobiographical. Originally published in the 1950s, they were, and remain, immensely popular, being still in print to this day. They were perennial rereads of my childhood, and on learning this biography was forthcoming, I was immensely eager to read it, as the fascination of learning which parts of beloved books are "true" has a strong hold on me.
Sydney Taylor (born Sarah Brenner) was the child of German-Jewish immigrants (a distinction that set her family somewhat apart from the largely Eastern European immigrants of her childhood neighborhood). She grew up in poverty with a tight knit family of five sisters and two younger brothers (who in fiction, and, seemingly in life, remained rather peripheral characters in the family). She didn't graduate from high school, but, along with her sisters, she made the most of the educational and cultural opportunities the city had to offer, and aspired to an intellectual life. After several secretarial jobs, she became involved in dance and theater (and was a member of Martha Graham's dance company), interests she maintained throughout her life. After her marriage, thanks to the success of her husband's business, she settled into a comfortable and secure respectability, but remained culturally active, devoting most of the summers of her adult life to organizing dramatics at a Jewish camp where most of her sisters also worked. And of course, penning her award winning children's books, which, long before the term "multi-cultural" was coined, gave young Jewish readers the chance to see themselves in fiction, and also engagingly introduced the traditions of Jewish culture and holidays to many more kids who knew nothing of them at all.
While I was quite interested in the book from start to finish, unfortunately I didn't find the reading experience to be quite as delightful as I'd anticipated. A lot of this isn't author June Cummins' fault, as she couldn't help that the documentation of Taylor's childhood and youth is spotty, still less that Taylor's family was seldom as happy as was portrayed in the fictionalized account. Taylor herself I sometimes found irritating (especially in her overly earnest socialist youth, and in her reactionary, rather fussy old age). I did find though, that the organization of the book gave it a rather choppy quality. The biography is chronological up until the point of Taylor's marriage, but thereafter, chapters are organized thematically (one about the youth of her daughter, Jo; one on her work with Camp Cejwin; one on the publication of her first books, etc.), and as each chapter can encompass decades, this gives the book a disjointed feeling, as it sometimes results in details about earlier parts of her adult life being filled in later. For example, in a chapter on personal losses Taylor experienced in the 196os, we're told that Taylor and her husband didn't take their annual Spring trip to Europe while her mother was gravely ill. This is the first we've heard of Taylor ever going to Europe; only in a later chapter do we learn more about the nature of these trips, when they began, and what they meant to Taylor and her husband Ralph. I also found myself wishing that the biography had encompassed more of the "All-of-a-kind" family. Readers like myself who grew up loving the books are just as interested in what became of Sarah's real-life sisters, who are equally as important as characters in the books as Sarah herself. We hear in passing about marriages, jobs, and children, but their lives feel only partially sketched in.
Sadly, From Sarah to Sydney was published posthumously due to June Cummins' untimely death from ALS. I'm so glad this valuable biography was able to see the light of day, which I'm sure is greatly to the credit of Cummins' assistant and collaborator Alexandra Dunietz, but I wonder in what ways (if any) it might have been different had Cummins herself been well enough to see it through to publication.
Sydney Taylor (born Sarah Brenner) was the child of German-Jewish immigrants (a distinction that set her family somewhat apart from the largely Eastern European immigrants of her childhood neighborhood). She grew up in poverty with a tight knit family of five sisters and two younger brothers (who in fiction, and, seemingly in life, remained rather peripheral characters in the family). She didn't graduate from high school, but, along with her sisters, she made the most of the educational and cultural opportunities the city had to offer, and aspired to an intellectual life. After several secretarial jobs, she became involved in dance and theater (and was a member of Martha Graham's dance company), interests she maintained throughout her life. After her marriage, thanks to the success of her husband's business, she settled into a comfortable and secure respectability, but remained culturally active, devoting most of the summers of her adult life to organizing dramatics at a Jewish camp where most of her sisters also worked. And of course, penning her award winning children's books, which, long before the term "multi-cultural" was coined, gave young Jewish readers the chance to see themselves in fiction, and also engagingly introduced the traditions of Jewish culture and holidays to many more kids who knew nothing of them at all.
While I was quite interested in the book from start to finish, unfortunately I didn't find the reading experience to be quite as delightful as I'd anticipated. A lot of this isn't author June Cummins' fault, as she couldn't help that the documentation of Taylor's childhood and youth is spotty, still less that Taylor's family was seldom as happy as was portrayed in the fictionalized account. Taylor herself I sometimes found irritating (especially in her overly earnest socialist youth, and in her reactionary, rather fussy old age). I did find though, that the organization of the book gave it a rather choppy quality. The biography is chronological up until the point of Taylor's marriage, but thereafter, chapters are organized thematically (one about the youth of her daughter, Jo; one on her work with Camp Cejwin; one on the publication of her first books, etc.), and as each chapter can encompass decades, this gives the book a disjointed feeling, as it sometimes results in details about earlier parts of her adult life being filled in later. For example, in a chapter on personal losses Taylor experienced in the 196os, we're told that Taylor and her husband didn't take their annual Spring trip to Europe while her mother was gravely ill. This is the first we've heard of Taylor ever going to Europe; only in a later chapter do we learn more about the nature of these trips, when they began, and what they meant to Taylor and her husband Ralph. I also found myself wishing that the biography had encompassed more of the "All-of-a-kind" family. Readers like myself who grew up loving the books are just as interested in what became of Sarah's real-life sisters, who are equally as important as characters in the books as Sarah herself. We hear in passing about marriages, jobs, and children, but their lives feel only partially sketched in.
Sadly, From Sarah to Sydney was published posthumously due to June Cummins' untimely death from ALS. I'm so glad this valuable biography was able to see the light of day, which I'm sure is greatly to the credit of Cummins' assistant and collaborator Alexandra Dunietz, but I wonder in what ways (if any) it might have been different had Cummins herself been well enough to see it through to publication.
March 30, 2025
One day, long, long ago (back in the 70’s!), a first-grade teacher began to read a book called “All-Of-a -Kind Family” to her class. One little girl in particular was absolutely enthralled. She sought out other books in the series and read them all, fascinated by the lives of five little Jewish girls growing up in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the 20’s. The paperback copies she received the Christmas she was eight were read and re-read until they fell apart, but she hung onto them anyway; they were treasures.
Fast-forward 30 years:
That little girl grew up, but she still loved that book series. She found first edition hardcovers on Ebay, and got to visit the Tenement Museum in NYC ( she walked the streets with her family that the five girls walked with theirs!) When she discovered that a biography of the author Sydney Taylor had been published, she bought it immediately!
***********************************
After reading this biography, I was even more enamored with these favorite books from my childhood!
There were wonderful photographs scattered throughout the book, of the family that I had grown up with, as children and as adults with their families. Sarah, in her graduation dress. Sydney Taylor, reading one of her books to a group of kids.
And, the biography contained many, many interesting, and some surprising facts. Such as, that the author had available to her an unpublished memoir written by the sister Charlotte, called “Touched With Fire”! And, that Sydney Taylor had begun a manuscript called, “ Henny of All-of-a-Kind-Family” before her death!
So, now I’m going to take my copies of these books from the cabinet where they are lovingly kept, and re-read them, again. And thoroughly enjoy spending time with Ella, Henny, Sarah(Sydney!), Charlotte, Gertie, and little Charlie, because I’ve missed my old friends.
Fast-forward 30 years:
That little girl grew up, but she still loved that book series. She found first edition hardcovers on Ebay, and got to visit the Tenement Museum in NYC ( she walked the streets with her family that the five girls walked with theirs!) When she discovered that a biography of the author Sydney Taylor had been published, she bought it immediately!
***********************************
After reading this biography, I was even more enamored with these favorite books from my childhood!
There were wonderful photographs scattered throughout the book, of the family that I had grown up with, as children and as adults with their families. Sarah, in her graduation dress. Sydney Taylor, reading one of her books to a group of kids.
And, the biography contained many, many interesting, and some surprising facts. Such as, that the author had available to her an unpublished memoir written by the sister Charlotte, called “Touched With Fire”! And, that Sydney Taylor had begun a manuscript called, “ Henny of All-of-a-Kind-Family” before her death!
So, now I’m going to take my copies of these books from the cabinet where they are lovingly kept, and re-read them, again. And thoroughly enjoy spending time with Ella, Henny, Sarah(Sydney!), Charlotte, Gertie, and little Charlie, because I’ve missed my old friends.
March 21, 2022
From Sarah to Sydney is the first biography of Sydney Taylor, author of All-of-a-Kind Family and its sequels, one of the most significant Jewish American writers of the 20th century. It's also the first major critical work on Taylor's corpus, doubling its importance in the field. Cummins died in the final stages of writing the book, and Alexandra Dunietz completed it. Cummins and Dunietz had an amazing level of freedom with Taylor's papers, some of which repose in archives and most of which are held by the family. Cummins was able to interview the living siblings (most of the sisters lived into the 1990s) and their correspondence shows up in the biography as well. First biographies of major subjects are often not the best ones, but From Sarah to Sydney avoids the pitfalls of hagiography and engineered narratives that plague different, worse first biographies. Her closeness to Taylor's family did not inhibit her sometimes stringent analysis of the subject.
If you are at all curious about the real-life background of All-of-a-Kind Family, Cummins has tracked down genealogical details, starting with the parents' life stories in Germany and their move to New York City. There's no surname in the AKF books, and the real-life Brenner family is not the sunny, unproblematic coterie of the fiction. While Morris and Cilly Brenner enjoyed how they were portrayed in the books, their real personalities differed greatly from how they really were, Cilly especially. I'm fascinated by autofiction like AKF and Little House, where grown-ups immortalize their child selves and their families. Just as Pa was not quite so scrupulous as Laura Ingalls Wilder made him out to be, the Brenner family had a few skeletons in the closet Taylor did not write about. Cummins makes it clear that Taylor's purpose was to write about Jewish immigrant life in the Lower East Side, not just to write about her childhood. The myth of the books (how they were written/published, what stories were truest to life and how) was not a constant message. It varied over time, probably with different emphases on different snippets of fact.
Projects like this, that are finished by a person other than the author, often fail to some extent. Unless the finalizing author was very close to the project (like a research assistant), the level of intimacy with the subject can't be replicated. I noticed this most in the lackluster afterword, which didn't have the emotional impact it should have had. It's the one place in an academic book where the author can really say something meaningful about their subject and what this project means to the world--and I missed that. It felt cut off, a list of death dates of Taylor's siblings (she was the first to die) and a nice quotation about Taylor's feelings about her legacy.
Cummins does an excellent job of setting Taylor in her own time, particularly in the world of Jewish immigrants in New York City. This is the primary task of a biography, in my opinion, and for a literary biography it's especially important. Cummins artfully weaves information about the books with Taylor's biographical details. For example, Sarah's graduation dress was true to life, and is one of the few surviving objects from Taylor's childhood. The chapter "Award-Winning Author: 1950-1960" can stand on its own for any readers curious about the publication of the AKF books who don't care to read an entire book about Sydney Taylor. Taylor's relationship with her editor Esther Meeks is really interesting, though Meeks only published three of the AKF books, the latest two (More and Ella) being published with different editors.
Sarah Brenner started calling herself Sydney as a teen, restyling herself as she pursued dance and theater, which became one of her most important connections to Judaism as an adult. She became Sydney Schneider when she married Ralph, but his whole family changed their name to Taylor (same occupational meaning) and Sydney joined suit. It's not really dramatic enough to be the title of the book, but the title does illustrate the contrast between Sarah of the books and Sydney of reality.
Whenever I read the AKF books again, it will be with a new and deeper appreciation of the work Taylor put into them, and for her project in preserving the Jewish immigrant culture of the 1910s Lower East Side. Sure, learning about the truth of the Brenner family (see content warnings below) was disenchanting, but so was learning that Charles Ingalls moved his family around to escape debt, and the Little House books are not the worse for me because of it. Taylor herself lived a vibrant life, much of it at Cejwin Camps where she and all of her sisters worked in different capacities over the decades. Learning about her time as a playwright there, and how she incorporated extemporaneous drama into her book tours, was really special. I'm sure if Cummins had finished her project she would have included some analysis about Taylor's lifelong role as a performer and director, and how that informed her role as author of autofiction. Rather than contrasting the real and fictional all-of-a-kind families, we can explore the autofiction as performance. Yet, this is where future scholars must step in and keep thinking about Taylor and her role in American literature. Taylor's life and books are ripe for the analytical picking, and so little has been said about them that it will be easy to find something new and constructive to contribute.
Endnotes, a list of works cited, and an index augment the usefulness of the text. Black-and-white copies of photos are included at appropriate points within the text rather than in one block. (Helpful for a reader like me, who always looks at the pictures first.) I wish a family tree had been included; it was hard to keep track of the sisters' families (husband's names, new surnames, children).
As From Sarah to Sydney is an academic biography, and the dual authorship makes it less readable than it should be, I don't find myself eager to recommend it to all fans of the series. There's a lot of darkness in the background that isn't even hinted at in the books. The biography is not as polished as it might have been, had Cummins lived to see it through. There's as section on Taylor's many complaints to radio broadcasters, manufacturing companies, and retail stores about products and advertising that should have been an extended endnote to a few sentences rather than several paragraphs; there's not enough information about the other Brenner sisters' adulthoods; and there's too much analysis of Taylor's daughter early on in the biography, talking about her adulthood when she's still a child in the chronology, starting loose analytical threads that are not picked up later on. I wish Cummins and Dunietz had explored Taylor's relationship with Judaism in more detail. Yet, the biography is solid in its use of primary source material, and unparalleled in its detailed view of the subject--but there aren't any competing biographies. I'd more strongly recommend From Sarah to Sydney to those curious about Jewish American writers, the literary culture of children's books in the 1950s-1970s, second-generation immigrant life, Jewish summer camps for children, and Jewish women and the world of modern dance.
Content warnings: in the first chapters, some of the happenings in the Brenner family are quite disturbing. Cilly Brenner (Taylor's mother) had a complex family in Germany that included her father's live-in mistress, siblings with an incestuous relationship, and Cilly's own mental health struggles. Cummins does not go into a ton of detail about this, except for Cilly's attempts to induce miscarriage and suicide attempts. Cummins doesn't mention the possibility of post-partum depression, but the timing of the attempts hints at it, IMO. Cilly ended her own life in her 80s, after her husband's death and during a long illness, which may have colored Cummins's interpretation about her early suicide attempts. In her middle age, Taylor took annual trips to Europe, and Cummins writes about her encounter with Germany and feelings regarding the Shoah (Holocaust) and her many murdered family members.
If you are at all curious about the real-life background of All-of-a-Kind Family, Cummins has tracked down genealogical details, starting with the parents' life stories in Germany and their move to New York City. There's no surname in the AKF books, and the real-life Brenner family is not the sunny, unproblematic coterie of the fiction. While Morris and Cilly Brenner enjoyed how they were portrayed in the books, their real personalities differed greatly from how they really were, Cilly especially. I'm fascinated by autofiction like AKF and Little House, where grown-ups immortalize their child selves and their families. Just as Pa was not quite so scrupulous as Laura Ingalls Wilder made him out to be, the Brenner family had a few skeletons in the closet Taylor did not write about. Cummins makes it clear that Taylor's purpose was to write about Jewish immigrant life in the Lower East Side, not just to write about her childhood. The myth of the books (how they were written/published, what stories were truest to life and how) was not a constant message. It varied over time, probably with different emphases on different snippets of fact.
Projects like this, that are finished by a person other than the author, often fail to some extent. Unless the finalizing author was very close to the project (like a research assistant), the level of intimacy with the subject can't be replicated. I noticed this most in the lackluster afterword, which didn't have the emotional impact it should have had. It's the one place in an academic book where the author can really say something meaningful about their subject and what this project means to the world--and I missed that. It felt cut off, a list of death dates of Taylor's siblings (she was the first to die) and a nice quotation about Taylor's feelings about her legacy.
Cummins does an excellent job of setting Taylor in her own time, particularly in the world of Jewish immigrants in New York City. This is the primary task of a biography, in my opinion, and for a literary biography it's especially important. Cummins artfully weaves information about the books with Taylor's biographical details. For example, Sarah's graduation dress was true to life, and is one of the few surviving objects from Taylor's childhood. The chapter "Award-Winning Author: 1950-1960" can stand on its own for any readers curious about the publication of the AKF books who don't care to read an entire book about Sydney Taylor. Taylor's relationship with her editor Esther Meeks is really interesting, though Meeks only published three of the AKF books, the latest two (More and Ella) being published with different editors.
Sarah Brenner started calling herself Sydney as a teen, restyling herself as she pursued dance and theater, which became one of her most important connections to Judaism as an adult. She became Sydney Schneider when she married Ralph, but his whole family changed their name to Taylor (same occupational meaning) and Sydney joined suit. It's not really dramatic enough to be the title of the book, but the title does illustrate the contrast between Sarah of the books and Sydney of reality.
Whenever I read the AKF books again, it will be with a new and deeper appreciation of the work Taylor put into them, and for her project in preserving the Jewish immigrant culture of the 1910s Lower East Side. Sure, learning about the truth of the Brenner family (see content warnings below) was disenchanting, but so was learning that Charles Ingalls moved his family around to escape debt, and the Little House books are not the worse for me because of it. Taylor herself lived a vibrant life, much of it at Cejwin Camps where she and all of her sisters worked in different capacities over the decades. Learning about her time as a playwright there, and how she incorporated extemporaneous drama into her book tours, was really special. I'm sure if Cummins had finished her project she would have included some analysis about Taylor's lifelong role as a performer and director, and how that informed her role as author of autofiction. Rather than contrasting the real and fictional all-of-a-kind families, we can explore the autofiction as performance. Yet, this is where future scholars must step in and keep thinking about Taylor and her role in American literature. Taylor's life and books are ripe for the analytical picking, and so little has been said about them that it will be easy to find something new and constructive to contribute.
Endnotes, a list of works cited, and an index augment the usefulness of the text. Black-and-white copies of photos are included at appropriate points within the text rather than in one block. (Helpful for a reader like me, who always looks at the pictures first.) I wish a family tree had been included; it was hard to keep track of the sisters' families (husband's names, new surnames, children).
As From Sarah to Sydney is an academic biography, and the dual authorship makes it less readable than it should be, I don't find myself eager to recommend it to all fans of the series. There's a lot of darkness in the background that isn't even hinted at in the books. The biography is not as polished as it might have been, had Cummins lived to see it through. There's as section on Taylor's many complaints to radio broadcasters, manufacturing companies, and retail stores about products and advertising that should have been an extended endnote to a few sentences rather than several paragraphs; there's not enough information about the other Brenner sisters' adulthoods; and there's too much analysis of Taylor's daughter early on in the biography, talking about her adulthood when she's still a child in the chronology, starting loose analytical threads that are not picked up later on. I wish Cummins and Dunietz had explored Taylor's relationship with Judaism in more detail. Yet, the biography is solid in its use of primary source material, and unparalleled in its detailed view of the subject--but there aren't any competing biographies. I'd more strongly recommend From Sarah to Sydney to those curious about Jewish American writers, the literary culture of children's books in the 1950s-1970s, second-generation immigrant life, Jewish summer camps for children, and Jewish women and the world of modern dance.
Content warnings: in the first chapters, some of the happenings in the Brenner family are quite disturbing. Cilly Brenner (Taylor's mother) had a complex family in Germany that included her father's live-in mistress, siblings with an incestuous relationship, and Cilly's own mental health struggles. Cummins does not go into a ton of detail about this, except for Cilly's attempts to induce miscarriage and suicide attempts. Cummins doesn't mention the possibility of post-partum depression, but the timing of the attempts hints at it, IMO. Cilly ended her own life in her 80s, after her husband's death and during a long illness, which may have colored Cummins's interpretation about her early suicide attempts. In her middle age, Taylor took annual trips to Europe, and Cummins writes about her encounter with Germany and feelings regarding the Shoah (Holocaust) and her many murdered family members.
December 3, 2021
I was unable to finish this book because the e-version I downloaded from my library expired yesterday. But I doubt my rating would have changed unless the final chapters differed significantly from the rest of them.
I really wanted to like this interminable book, but I found it less and less interesting the more I read. I wasn't that interested in how Taylor [it bothered me that everyone else is called by their first names, or by both first and last, but not our protagonist] danced with Martha Graham or studied acting with Lee Strasbourg. Yes, she was a leftie, but I didn't need to know all the activities she did with her Socialist groups. The large amount of info about Jewish summer camps in NYC area was okay, but didn't tell me much about Taylor herself. I constantly wished I'd been reading a print book so I could just flip through to the subjects I wanted to read about. Final opinion: a dull, disappointing, overly academic book that should have focused more on Taylor and her sisters, and less on social activities she participated in.
I really wanted to like this interminable book, but I found it less and less interesting the more I read. I wasn't that interested in how Taylor [it bothered me that everyone else is called by their first names, or by both first and last, but not our protagonist] danced with Martha Graham or studied acting with Lee Strasbourg. Yes, she was a leftie, but I didn't need to know all the activities she did with her Socialist groups. The large amount of info about Jewish summer camps in NYC area was okay, but didn't tell me much about Taylor herself. I constantly wished I'd been reading a print book so I could just flip through to the subjects I wanted to read about. Final opinion: a dull, disappointing, overly academic book that should have focused more on Taylor and her sisters, and less on social activities she participated in.
October 2, 2021
I've been waiting all my life for this book, and that expectation was really more than the book itself could hold up under.
I've been wondering since childhood about the life of Sydney Taylor. I don't know if I was told or just figured out for myself that her All-of-a-Kind Family books were pseudo-biographical (à la Laura Ingalls Wilder) but I always knew that they were. I loved those books so much, rereading them often throughout my childhood (and then again at the beginning of the pandemic). And I always wanted to know "what happened next" after the end of the series. But there was almost no information about Taylor's life out there. Five or so years back I stumbled upon some genealogical information about her and her family (basic find-a-grave stuff with dates of birth and death) and was excited to find even that. So when I found out that a biography was finally being released, I was over the moon.
And in fairness, I do feel like I know much more about "what happened next" and also "what happened before" in the life of Sydney Taylor née Sarah Brenner. This book was very deeply researched and was full of a lot of factual information that was both interesting and, after so many years of wondering, satisfying to know about. As an adult, I could guess that growing up as the child of Jewish immigrants in New York City at the beginning of the 20th century was probably a lot less pleasant than it was portrayed in the book, and sure enough: there was a lot more deprivation and family strife in Taylor's real life than there was in the books. But I could never have guessed that was passionate about modern dance and studied and performed with Martha Graham or that her husband bought and ran Caswell-Masey with his brothers or that a Jewish summer camp was the place where Taylor could explore her love of drama and theatrics. I'm so glad I know all of that now! Thank you, book, for telling me that!
But unfortunately the book is lacking in anything like style. Mostly it feels like reading a report, maybe an extended obituary. The historical/literary context feels tacked on in a way that reminded me of a paper written by a college student. None of the characters ever felt "alive" to me. (If you asked me to describe Taylor's husband Ralph, for instance, I could tell you that their courtship was rocky and that he was supportive of Taylor's career and that he worked hard and he liked music and performing, but I don't know that I ever got a sense of his character.) It just wasn't...enjoyable to read.
I guess I've just been lucky to read so much wonderfully written nonfiction in the past few years, but I'm spoiled enough now that I don't enjoy reading nonfiction that feels like a textbook.
June Cummins, who researched and wrote most of the book, died long before the final draft. The manuscript was cleaned up and finished by Alexandra Dunietz. That probably explains a lot about why it's an underwhelming read. In light of Cummins' death, I feel a little bit mean, criticizing the prose and style. I want to restate that I am very grateful that this book exists and that I know now so much more than I could have imagined about the events of Taylor's life.
In conclusion: if you've always been curious about Sydney Taylor and her life, this book is worth reading and I would recommend it. If you are particularly interested in female writers of children's literature or significant but underrated Jewish-American figures from the early 20th century, it's worth checking out of the library. But for readers who are just looking for interesting biographies of under-explored people, I don't know that it will hold your interest.
I've been wondering since childhood about the life of Sydney Taylor. I don't know if I was told or just figured out for myself that her All-of-a-Kind Family books were pseudo-biographical (à la Laura Ingalls Wilder) but I always knew that they were. I loved those books so much, rereading them often throughout my childhood (and then again at the beginning of the pandemic). And I always wanted to know "what happened next" after the end of the series. But there was almost no information about Taylor's life out there. Five or so years back I stumbled upon some genealogical information about her and her family (basic find-a-grave stuff with dates of birth and death) and was excited to find even that. So when I found out that a biography was finally being released, I was over the moon.
And in fairness, I do feel like I know much more about "what happened next" and also "what happened before" in the life of Sydney Taylor née Sarah Brenner. This book was very deeply researched and was full of a lot of factual information that was both interesting and, after so many years of wondering, satisfying to know about. As an adult, I could guess that growing up as the child of Jewish immigrants in New York City at the beginning of the 20th century was probably a lot less pleasant than it was portrayed in the book, and sure enough: there was a lot more deprivation and family strife in Taylor's real life than there was in the books. But I could never have guessed that was passionate about modern dance and studied and performed with Martha Graham or that her husband bought and ran Caswell-Masey with his brothers or that a Jewish summer camp was the place where Taylor could explore her love of drama and theatrics. I'm so glad I know all of that now! Thank you, book, for telling me that!
But unfortunately the book is lacking in anything like style. Mostly it feels like reading a report, maybe an extended obituary. The historical/literary context feels tacked on in a way that reminded me of a paper written by a college student. None of the characters ever felt "alive" to me. (If you asked me to describe Taylor's husband Ralph, for instance, I could tell you that their courtship was rocky and that he was supportive of Taylor's career and that he worked hard and he liked music and performing, but I don't know that I ever got a sense of his character.) It just wasn't...enjoyable to read.
I guess I've just been lucky to read so much wonderfully written nonfiction in the past few years, but I'm spoiled enough now that I don't enjoy reading nonfiction that feels like a textbook.
June Cummins, who researched and wrote most of the book, died long before the final draft. The manuscript was cleaned up and finished by Alexandra Dunietz. That probably explains a lot about why it's an underwhelming read. In light of Cummins' death, I feel a little bit mean, criticizing the prose and style. I want to restate that I am very grateful that this book exists and that I know now so much more than I could have imagined about the events of Taylor's life.
In conclusion: if you've always been curious about Sydney Taylor and her life, this book is worth reading and I would recommend it. If you are particularly interested in female writers of children's literature or significant but underrated Jewish-American figures from the early 20th century, it's worth checking out of the library. But for readers who are just looking for interesting biographies of under-explored people, I don't know that it will hold your interest.
January 2, 2022
Having read All of a Kind Family, I was intrigued to read a biography of the author, Sydney Taylor, nee Sarah Brenner Schneider. A master of (re-)invention, Sydney had a surprising and rich life.
The structure of the book is clear and detailed, in largely chronological order through Taylor's life. Along the way, it bogs down a little (more in the beginning), perhaps because there's so much going on, and a lot of interesting people and events along the way (Lee Strasberg, Martha Graham, Caswell Massey). It is clear that the success of the book was a combination of a good story and also a very good editor who made significant and important suggestions. To write between 1959 and 1971 is to cover a lot of change and tumult in America, and it is clear that some guidance was needed as readers' tastes changed as well.
Not having read the series in a long time, a family tree (including spouses) would have been helpful. Now, when I re-read the books, I will have a different perspective!
The structure of the book is clear and detailed, in largely chronological order through Taylor's life. Along the way, it bogs down a little (more in the beginning), perhaps because there's so much going on, and a lot of interesting people and events along the way (Lee Strasberg, Martha Graham, Caswell Massey). It is clear that the success of the book was a combination of a good story and also a very good editor who made significant and important suggestions. To write between 1959 and 1971 is to cover a lot of change and tumult in America, and it is clear that some guidance was needed as readers' tastes changed as well.
Not having read the series in a long time, a family tree (including spouses) would have been helpful. Now, when I re-read the books, I will have a different perspective!
November 27, 2021
Very grateful to the late June Cummins (and Alexandra Dunietz) for committing to Taylor's first and--so far--only bio. It is indeed a somewhat dense read however my interest in learning more about her life kept me engaged. Early Jewish immigrant life on the Lower East Side of New York and subsequent New York scenes were a fascinating historical backdrop to Taylor's and her family's life.
October 26, 2023
Fascinating warts and all biography of the author of the beloved (to me) All-of-a-Kind Family series. Highly recommend for anyone interested in various aspects of 20th century American history, including Jewish American history, immigration at the turn of the century, New York City, and the history of children's literature. Good non fiction readalike for those who like novels about sisters and their dynamics. Children's literature fans (or any reader) who enjoyed the recent Louise Fitzhugh biography, "Sometimes You Have to Lie" will likely enjoying reading about the life of a children's author. This book has inspired me to revisit the All of a Kind family books, which I'm currently doing on audio.
July 25, 2021
I liked the parts about her early life but the rest of it dragged. It is more of an academic book, with long chapters about the role of women, historical movements, etc. I skimmed a lot of the chapters. I also didn't need a list of every stage production she was ever in. Thankfully the notes started 80% of the way in. I did like the pictures.
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August 20, 2021I have too many thoughts about this book to distill into a few words. This book was A Lot. I am eager for other people I know like my sisters to read it so we can discuss.
Not recommended if you want to continue regarding All of a Kind Family blissfully. Not at all. But very well worth reading if you are open to learning about the Brenner family, definitely warts and all.
Not recommended if you want to continue regarding All of a Kind Family blissfully. Not at all. But very well worth reading if you are open to learning about the Brenner family, definitely warts and all.
November 18, 2021
Like other reviewers, I’ve waited my whole life for this book. I’m so grateful to June Cummins for her interest and determination, though it’s tragic that she didn’t live to see its publication.
It’s hard to overstate the effect the All-of-a-Kind Family books had on me. They catalyzed my interest in writing and history. I’ve loved anything 1910s ever since.
Some reviewers have lamented Cummins’ dry narration. I didn’t mind it, perhaps because studying history means I grew accustomed to academic writing—or because I was so excited to delve into the Brenners’ real lives that I didn’t care.
Oh man, did I delve. Younger me would’ve bristled at the intrusion of reality into her chocolate baby-flavored, sepia-toned world. Current me relished the chance to better understand Syd and family: mental illness, attempted abortions, sexual deviancy and all. I’m particularly impressed by how open Cilly (Mama) was with her daughters about the more unseemly aspects of her youth in Germany and married life in New York, despite her obsession with appearances. Likewise, I was grateful to Ella, Charlotte, and Syd’s daughter, Jo, for their willingness to relay them. I won’t go into details so you can read them for yourself.
I did know about Taylor’s time as a Martha Graham dancer and at Camp Cejwin. The sections about the end of her life were less interesting (and less flattering,) but I recognize their ultimate purpose.
So yeah, I came out liking Taylor less than I once imagined I would. And yeah, I would’ve restructured the narrative to include more about Mama and her siblings and fewer analyses of the original AoaKF books. I know the series so well I only had to read a few words to know what episodes Cummins referred to, and what inferences she’d make.
Syd: thank you for your books. I’ll treasure them always, whatever my current sensibilities.
June Cummins: thank you for bringing the people who inhabited so much of my mental real estate to life. Thank you for telling a story that isn’t nearly as niche as I imagined.
Little me: you’re in for a wild ride. Let’s go.
It’s hard to overstate the effect the All-of-a-Kind Family books had on me. They catalyzed my interest in writing and history. I’ve loved anything 1910s ever since.
Some reviewers have lamented Cummins’ dry narration. I didn’t mind it, perhaps because studying history means I grew accustomed to academic writing—or because I was so excited to delve into the Brenners’ real lives that I didn’t care.
Oh man, did I delve. Younger me would’ve bristled at the intrusion of reality into her chocolate baby-flavored, sepia-toned world. Current me relished the chance to better understand Syd and family: mental illness, attempted abortions, sexual deviancy and all. I’m particularly impressed by how open Cilly (Mama) was with her daughters about the more unseemly aspects of her youth in Germany and married life in New York, despite her obsession with appearances. Likewise, I was grateful to Ella, Charlotte, and Syd’s daughter, Jo, for their willingness to relay them. I won’t go into details so you can read them for yourself.
I did know about Taylor’s time as a Martha Graham dancer and at Camp Cejwin. The sections about the end of her life were less interesting (and less flattering,) but I recognize their ultimate purpose.
So yeah, I came out liking Taylor less than I once imagined I would. And yeah, I would’ve restructured the narrative to include more about Mama and her siblings and fewer analyses of the original AoaKF books. I know the series so well I only had to read a few words to know what episodes Cummins referred to, and what inferences she’d make.
Syd: thank you for your books. I’ll treasure them always, whatever my current sensibilities.
June Cummins: thank you for bringing the people who inhabited so much of my mental real estate to life. Thank you for telling a story that isn’t nearly as niche as I imagined.
Little me: you’re in for a wild ride. Let’s go.
August 21, 2021
A Testament to the Power of Children’s Literature – From Sarah to Sydney: The Woman Behind All-of-a-Kind Family by June Cummins with Alexandra Dunietz, is a thoroughly researched and insightful biography about children’s book author Sydney Taylor, née Sarah Brenner. Taylor, best known for her All-of-a-Kind Family series, was a pioneer, the first to present a Jewish American family — religious yet assimilated — as the main characters. Like Taylor’s books, which drew on her experiences growing up, Cummins’s biography is also a historical recap of immigrant life on the Lower East Side in the early decades of the twentieth century, of particular interest to me because it portrays the place and time of my parents’ childhoods too. Further, the book reflects on how the evolution of children’s literature, and the publishing world in general, dictate what is acceptable (i.e., marketable) for authors to write. As a fiction writer myself (see my Goodreads author page https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...), I share Taylor’s wariness and resistance to such constraints. Her defense of her work’s authenticity and enduring values, which Cummins forcefully presents, is admirable and inspirational. Perhaps most appealing is the story of the lifelong closeness and entanglement of the five real-life Brenner sisters, and the support of Taylor’s husband, as uncommon in its era as her books. This comprehensive biography is a testament to the power of children’s literature to confirm identity, educate the young about diversity through engaging storytelling, and create new generations of enthusiastic readers.
June 17, 2024
Fascinating look at the life and family of the author of All-Of-A-Kind Family. As usual, their lives were much harder than was told in the children’s book; some really sobering things happened to them in the process of emigrating to & establishing themselves in the US.
Loved her thoughts on the purpose of and trends in children’s lit, they mirror what I think and why I am often hesitant about books written after 1970. I’m glad she held firm against her editors and did not allow modern attitudes to creep into her books, which would have turned them from the delightful historical fiction they were into sermons for kids.
Unfortunately, I believe the authors did this exact thing - misinterpreting the facts of the past to fit their pet narrative - when they questioned Sydney Taylor’s sexuality. The arguments they made for their case were very thin, amounting to not much more than a name change and enjoying being mistaken for a boy a few times in her teens. The rest of her life - as presented in this biography - she was definitely female and married to one man. Could it not be that she enjoyed the taste of the *freedom* that boys had in the 1920’s? And changing her name was part of creating a new, more modern, more American identity?
Loved her thoughts on the purpose of and trends in children’s lit, they mirror what I think and why I am often hesitant about books written after 1970. I’m glad she held firm against her editors and did not allow modern attitudes to creep into her books, which would have turned them from the delightful historical fiction they were into sermons for kids.
Unfortunately, I believe the authors did this exact thing - misinterpreting the facts of the past to fit their pet narrative - when they questioned Sydney Taylor’s sexuality. The arguments they made for their case were very thin, amounting to not much more than a name change and enjoying being mistaken for a boy a few times in her teens. The rest of her life - as presented in this biography - she was definitely female and married to one man. Could it not be that she enjoyed the taste of the *freedom* that boys had in the 1920’s? And changing her name was part of creating a new, more modern, more American identity?
August 5, 2021
A biography of the woman who wrote the All-of-a-Kind Family books. As a child, I loved "All-of-a-Kind Family" and "More All-of-a-Kind Family," but I didn't read any of the other books. In my view, the first book is always the best. "Little Women" is a classic, but "Little Men" not so much, and fuhgeddaboud "Jo's Boys." I was interested in the story of the author, but this book is only intermittently interesting. Taylor was the first person to write a children's book about Jewish families in America and it is telling that it appealed as much to Gentile children (little girls, let's face it) as to Jewish ones. It doesn't deal with anti-Semitism, perhaps because Taylor didn't personally experience it. The stories about Cejwin, the summer camp Taylor and her sisters went to and worked at for decades, are also interesting. I was not interested in Taylor's adolescent romances, or the details of her extended family. Cummins often repeats herself. It would have been a better book if it had been more tightly edited, as is so often the case.
March 10, 2022
I’ve want to read about Sydney Taylor since I read the All of a Kind Family books when I was a child. Finally, the first biography. The author tells us not only what family relationships were truly like but also what Taylor’s life and times were like. She was a modern woman of the 1920’s and not like the shy, obedient girl who appeared in her books. She struggled with editors who tried to prettify and de-Judaize (I think I invented a new word) her stories to make them more universal, while the motivation behind her books was to write stories about Jewish children because there were no contemporary books about and for them. This was the revolution she started.
The book is chock full of details, but the author repeats herself and it reads a bit like a student paper. I understand that the author was fighting a degenerative disease and could not use her hands by the time she finished the book, so editing was not possible. I thank her for her research and writing the book I waited for so long.
The book is chock full of details, but the author repeats herself and it reads a bit like a student paper. I understand that the author was fighting a degenerative disease and could not use her hands by the time she finished the book, so editing was not possible. I thank her for her research and writing the book I waited for so long.
August 7, 2024
This was my temple's book club book for August. As a group, we rated it 3 library books and an Ambien (we have a weird rating system:).
There was disagreement as to how good the book was, but generally, at least the beginning, was way too long down with details and trivia. It's basically a biography of the author of the “ All of a Kind Family” series of books, and the Jews of the Lower East Side of New York in the early 1900s. My personal thought was that the first 2/3 of the book was deathly dull, but later when an actually started talking about her, her family, her inv In the Jews and society, it definitely picked up and got extremely interesting.
I remember reading the books as a kid, and somehow I thought she must have died back in the 50s. And turns out she didn't die until the year I was in Israel- 1978. What an interesting twist that puts on my understanding of the “ All of a Kind Family” books (especially the later ones), and the background and environment of the author. In that sense, it was a very interesting book.
There was disagreement as to how good the book was, but generally, at least the beginning, was way too long down with details and trivia. It's basically a biography of the author of the “ All of a Kind Family” series of books, and the Jews of the Lower East Side of New York in the early 1900s. My personal thought was that the first 2/3 of the book was deathly dull, but later when an actually started talking about her, her family, her inv In the Jews and society, it definitely picked up and got extremely interesting.
I remember reading the books as a kid, and somehow I thought she must have died back in the 50s. And turns out she didn't die until the year I was in Israel- 1978. What an interesting twist that puts on my understanding of the “ All of a Kind Family” books (especially the later ones), and the background and environment of the author. In that sense, it was a very interesting book.
August 12, 2025
I’ve want to read about Sydney Taylor since I read the All of a Kind Family books when I was a child. Finally, the first biography. The author tells us not only what family relationships were truly like but also what Taylor’s life and times were like. She was a modern woman of the 1920’s and not like the shy, obedient girl who appeared in her books. She struggled with editors who tried to prettify and de-Judaize (I think I invented a new word) her stories to make them more universal, while the motivation behind her books was to write stories about Jewish children because there were no contemporary books about and for them. This was the revolution she started.
The book is chock full of details, but the author repeats herself and it reads a bit like a student paper. I understand that the author was fighting a degenerative disease and could not use her hands by the time she finished the book, so editing was not possible. I thank her for her research and writing the book I waited for so long.
The book is chock full of details, but the author repeats herself and it reads a bit like a student paper. I understand that the author was fighting a degenerative disease and could not use her hands by the time she finished the book, so editing was not possible. I thank her for her research and writing the book I waited for so long.
November 24, 2021
I loved the All-of-a-Kind Family series as a child, so naturally I was interested in learning more about the woman behind it all. And I wasn't disappointed. This biography begins long before Sarah's birth, with her parents' stories and backgrounds in Europe. Sydney Taylor wrote these books because there were no books for children with a Jewish background available in the 1950s. But there was much more to her life than just the books. This very candid and scholarly biography examines her life, and that of her family circle, in great detail. Recommended.
April 28, 2024
As a child, I dreamed of running away from my sterile, secular middle class Ottawa home to move in with the chaotic All of a Kind Family on the Lower East Side of Manhattan with their rituals, celebrations and esprit de corps.
This book tells the complex story of the author who pioneered the depiction of Jewish life in American Children's literature. It was fascinating and jolting to learn about how challenging and painful Sydney ("Sarah") Taylor's upbringing could be - and also, how feisty, resourceful and multi-faceted she was, as a dancer, political activist, theatre director, ambivalent mother, loyal sister and, right to her final days, a writer.
This book took Sydney Taylor off her pedestal and into my heart - and makes her a richer, more thought provoking role model than ever.
This book tells the complex story of the author who pioneered the depiction of Jewish life in American Children's literature. It was fascinating and jolting to learn about how challenging and painful Sydney ("Sarah") Taylor's upbringing could be - and also, how feisty, resourceful and multi-faceted she was, as a dancer, political activist, theatre director, ambivalent mother, loyal sister and, right to her final days, a writer.
This book took Sydney Taylor off her pedestal and into my heart - and makes her a richer, more thought provoking role model than ever.
July 16, 2021
So many people called this dry, but I was riveted--I finished it in two days because I couldn't put it down. Syd (formerly Sarah) Taylor's life is nothing like I expected. In the books, she wrote herself as quiet (yet stubborn) and a little dreamy, which is how we see here that here is how her sisters saw her, too. But she was also a radical, one of Martha Graham's modern dancers, and constantly pushing forward. She also liked to create her own narratives (such as the fiction that her husband submitted her manuscript as a surprise) and had very strong opinions on just about everything. (Yet she also considered herself a bit meek and a follower. It made me wonder about the differences between her journals/letters and how she presented herself in person. I know well that they don't have to match.)
My favorite parts were about the family as a whole--learning about mama and papa's lives before America, seeing the sisters interacting as children and as adults. I missed them in the part about her late teens and twenties. Everyone was very complicated, and I had such empathy for Mama and her sister known only as Tante. They each had such heartbreaking lives, and I hope took some solace in their fictional counterparts. (The end result of Tante and her brother is in the footnotes--I wish it had been part of the narrative.)
I love this series so much and have all my life; this has given me a deeper appreciation for the books, Syd's talent, and Syd herself. I am so glad I bought this one to keep!
My favorite parts were about the family as a whole--learning about mama and papa's lives before America, seeing the sisters interacting as children and as adults. I missed them in the part about her late teens and twenties. Everyone was very complicated, and I had such empathy for Mama and her sister known only as Tante. They each had such heartbreaking lives, and I hope took some solace in their fictional counterparts. (The end result of Tante and her brother is in the footnotes--I wish it had been part of the narrative.)
I love this series so much and have all my life; this has given me a deeper appreciation for the books, Syd's talent, and Syd herself. I am so glad I bought this one to keep!
February 20, 2022
I am a fan of the ALL OF KIND FAMILY series and the Sydney Taylor Award. I am also an admirer of June Cummins. I heard the co-author, Alex Dunietz, speak. Since June lived in Skokie, there was a long wait for this book at the library. I appreciated all the information that was shared, however the book is need of editing. Alex talked about all the boxes of letters, diaries, and articles that the Sydney's family made available to them. It seems like they used ALL of the information. I persevered, but I'm afraid many readers will give up.
October 10, 2021
I absolutely adore the All-of-a-kind family books so I was excited to discover this book, but felt ultimately disappointed. It felt like the author was unsure whether she was writing a straightforward biography or a more academic work and the shifts in tone meant I never really felt like I could settle into the writing.
January 28, 2022
As a fan of the All-of-a-Kind family books, of biography in general, and of Jewish history, I was really looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately, it's too long, too dry, and there are way too many footnotes. It gets bogged down in uninteresting details and glosses over more interesting topics. And to top it off, Sydney Taylor doesn't come across as at all likable.
January 6, 2024
Book club read. Well written, if a little unorganized. A lot of interesting stuff about the author and about growing up Jewish throughout the 20th century.
ETA: Oh, I didn't realize that the author died before the book could be published. That explains the piecemeal lack of organization. OK. All the better, then.
ETA: Oh, I didn't realize that the author died before the book could be published. That explains the piecemeal lack of organization. OK. All the better, then.
January 4, 2022
Fascinating, extremely well-researched and well-documented portrayal of a pioneering woman. I loved learning the many details of her life that were left out of the childrens' books. Only four stars because the volume is a little too dense and overly academic compared to what I usually enjoy.
January 17, 2024
I loved learning about her life, especially the parallels between her real childhood and her books. Unfortunately, the author died before finishing it, and it really needed further editing and trimming down.
August 4, 2021
Closer to 3 1/2 stars. Book wasn’t bad but I wasn’t riveted. I enjoyed the books Sydney Taylor wrote much more than I enjoyed this book.
October 1, 2023
I tried SO HARD. But still, DNF. Gotta give up on the nonfiction.
February 10, 2024
2.5 stars rounded up.
Heavy but sometimes interesting
Heavy but sometimes interesting
April 16, 2024
I found this bio about Sydney Taylor fascinating. It did get a bit slow towards the second half of the book, but this was well researched, and written with love.
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