nae1226's review against another edition
4.0
Award-winning book. 1903 Brooklyn and the story of how the Teddy Bear was created.
lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
Good turn-of-the-century historic fiction, set in Brooklyn. Very approachable and definitely "real", including the emotional tugs.
catladyreba's review against another edition
3.0
There is a lot going on in this book. It definitely has more depth and weight than I expected. There's the main story, about Joe and his immigrant Russian family, who have recently invented the Teddy Bear. By itself, this story would be enough, it's a poignant coming of age story that brims with authenticity and verve. Not to mention Hesse hit a soft spot with the inclusion of a home library making the kids salivate just as much for books as they did for candy. But then there are the vignettes woven in about the lost and desperate souls "living" under the Bridge. Each is more disheartening than the last providing an odd contrast to the rest of the novel. This might all still work for me if not for the small quotes and snippets about Coney Island. I get that it's Joe's dream to make it to Coney Island, but they don't seem to fit in with the rhythm of the book. Despite all that, this was definitely a readable novel.
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
3.0
The story had an episodic feel to it that reminded me of Richard Peck's A Long Way From Chicago - historical fiction with vivid characters, a real sense of time and place, humor - although this didn't have the same sense of the absurd. Mixed in with the story of a family of immigrants was the story of children living under the bridge, all with tragic pasts, and told in a more mysterious tone than the rest of the more down-to-earth story. I almost liked the way the two story lines came together at the end - but it felt a little too out of the blue. Maybe I missed clues that would have made it feel like an appropriate resolution (I listened to most of this at work). Or rather, looking back I can see some of the hints, but I didn't feel an emotional foundation for what happened. I knew the family would have some tragedy in the past, but I thought it had happened before they emigrated, and the Brooklyn connection totally threw me.
I'm not sure about the best age group for this book - Joseph is fourteen, and there is some darker material, particularly with the children under the bridge, but the rest of the story feels a bit younger.
I'm not sure about the best age group for this book - Joseph is fourteen, and there is some darker material, particularly with the children under the bridge, but the rest of the story feels a bit younger.
ajacks's review against another edition
4.0
I support independent bookstores. You can use this link to find one near you: http://www.indiebound.org
lemon_drop's review against another edition
3.0
1903 Brooklyn. The intertwined stories of the Michtoms, a Jewish Russian immigrant family told through the eyes of the 14 year old son, and a group of homeless children living under the Brooklyn Bridge.
numbuh212's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
pkadams's review against another edition
3.0
Since I spent most of my life as a parent trying to stem the tide of stuffed animals and advocating that there is an overpopulation of stuffed animals, especially in my house, it is ironic that I read a a historical fiction book about the beginning of the stuffed animal craze. Despite the misnamed book (it should have been when called "When Bears Became Stuffed") this is a good immigration story about growing up in Brooklyn and the issues confronting the immigrant community. The author does a nice job of weaving in places like Coney Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Lower East Side, and Prospect Park.
brookepalmer796's review against another edition
3.0
Karen Hesse is know for tackling hard subjects and moments in American history. She did an excellent job with this one too. But, wow, it was hard to read. More bitter than sweet and though the reading level is 5th graderish, I would actually recommend it for older readers, like maybe high school because of the subject matter.