Five Stories by Ellen Weinstein (Author)
Charlie picked up Five Stories this morning to read to the children he reads to weekly. Before Charlie opened the book to read the story he let me know he liked all the building on the cover but he wouldn’t want to be on top of the building because he is afraid of heights and I wouldn’t either. Then Charlie pointed out the sign on the building that said Pickles and both Charlie and I knew David would love living there because he loves Pickles. How about you?
Look at that car isn’t it cute? There is a Boom Box and I had to explain to Charlie what it was. if your hungry there is a Dumpling truck. I like the Horse and so did David Look at that guy dancing on his head. Can you do that because Charlie and I can’t and we don’t want to try. How about you?
Charlie opened the book and read the book jacket and couldn’t wait to dive into the story. Both Charlie and I were excited to find out we would be visiting the Lower East Side and the five children who live in the same building over the course of a Century. Jenny Epstein in 1910. Anne Cozzi in 1930’s
Jose Marte in the 1960s the decade I was born. Maria Torres in the 1980s and Wei Yei on the Lower East Side of Today which is Charlies decade. We see how each child grows and they make a impact on the family that comes after them. Through the book we learn about different cultures which Charlie and I enjoyed.
It was fun to see how each family lived on a different floor during there time in the building which was over a 10 years old. The illustrations are so fun and in each picture there is lots to see and every time you look you will see something new. Jenny and her family come from Minsk, Russia giving Charlie and I a new Country to research.
Anna walked to school with her downstairs neighbor and teachers Miss Jenny Epstein. Then the book moves to 1965 and no, I am not going to tell you what happens because you need to purchase Five Stories for your family to find out what happens. Children and adults will learn new things from the story.
About the book:
Five children, from five different cultures and in five different decades, grow up in the same building on the Lower East Side of New York City.
Jenny Epstein and her family arrive on a steamship from Russia in the 1910s. Jenny writes letters in Yiddish to her grandmother, while practicing her English in her new neighborhood. By the 1930s, when Anna Cozzi and her Italian family move into the building, Jenny has become a teacher in Anna’s school. Then José Marte moves in during the 1960s, Maria Torres in the 1980s, and Wei Yei in the Lower East Side of today.
Perfect for early elementary students, this cross section of American history celebrates the many diverse cultures that make up our nation—from the food we eat, to the ways we worship, and the families we love.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Meet the Author: Ellen Weinstein
Ellen Weinstein is the illustrator of the picture book Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity and the author/illustrator of Recipes for Good Luck: The Superstitions, Rituals, and Practices of Extraordinary People. As an illustrator, she is a regular contributor to Time Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic, amongst many others. Seven pieces of Ellen’s work are in the Permanent Collection of the Library of Congress. Ellen is a third-generation resident of New York’s Lower East Side, where she lives with her husband and mini-dachshund, Fritzie.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
