New Releases by Sydney Taylor

Reprint of the original, first published in 1843.

Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books will enjoy a citified version as Sydney Taylor gives a charming glimpse at a time when daily life was very different, but family and faith were surprisingly the same. Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie are back! Life is never dull for the loving, Jewish, all-of-a-kind family on New York’s Lower East Side in the early 1900s. Stand-alone chapters make this a perfect read-aloud, as the story follows the five sisters who are very busy, especially now that baby Charlie is growing so quickly. Ella gets a big role in the Purim play, Henny gets into trouble at school and runs away, Sarah gets her ears pierced, Charlotte has a scary kitchen accident, and Gertie finally is old enough to have a book of her own. And the girls befriend a young boy named Guido whose mother is very ill. Generations of readers have loved following the exploits of these very recognizable girls. This title, although written later, picks up right where the first, All-of-a-Kind Family, ended.

World War I has ended, and Ella, the oldest of the five sisters, who dreams of singing and dancing in the theater, is discovered by a Broadway talent scout. It seems that she will have her chance at a theatrical career after all, starting in vaudeville. But her thoughts are also on Jules, just returned from the War, and marriage. Once again a loving family provides the support needed to make the right decision.

In the third book of Sydney Taylor’s classic children’s series, Ella finds a boyfriend and Henny disagrees with Papa over her curfew. Thus continues the tale of a Jewish family of five sisters-Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte and Gertie-living at the turn of the century in New York’s Lower East Side. Entertaining and educational, this book brings to life the joys and fears of that time and place.

When Jules comes to see her after his return from the war, Ella finds it difficult to have some time alone with him.

A very large, untrained dog comes to dinner with the new next door neighbors and everyone mistakenly thinks he belongs to the other family.