Sisters Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie live on New York's East Side with Mama and Papa, German Jewish immigrants. Papa sells secondhand clothes, and Mama runs the household; the girls have a good deal of independence, walking to and from school, visiting Papa's shop, going to the candy store and the hardware store, and visiting the library on Fridays. They also celebrate the Jewish holidays. The girls are in for a surprise, though...a new Charlie!

See also: Betsy-Tacy; Meet Rebecca (American Girl) ( )

First sentence: "That slowpoke Sarah1" Henny cried. "She's making us late!" Mama's girls were going to the library, and Henny was impatient.

Premise/plot: Ella (12), Henny (10), Sarah (8), Charlotte (6) and Gertie (4) are sisters that make up [part of] an "all-of-a-kind family." The book is set in the Lower East Side of New York City at the turn of the twentieth century. It chronicles the adventures of a Jewish family in the course of a year (or most of a year). The book opens with a bittersweet library visit and ends with the birth of a new sibling! There are highs and lows.

My thoughts: I love this book. I'm excited to read all the sequels. I remember reading this one a few times as a kid. This is my second time, I believe, to read it as an adult. (I first blogged about it in 2008). I enjoy the storytelling and characterization. I love the old-fashioned, traditional feel. I think it has acquired that through the decades. It wasn't particularly 'traditional' at the time it was published. I was reading the introduction to the one of the sequels and it was pointing out all the ways this book was 'novel' aka "new" and unconventional.

It’s such a delight to read my childhood favorites with my kids, but there’s something even more wonderful about discovering a new treasure together. I don’t know how I missed this a kid, but it’s lovely and we’ve already started the next book in the series! It’s about a Jewish family of five little girls (Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, & Gertrude) growing up on the Lower East Side of NYC in 1912. The storylines about the local librarian, scarlet fever, and their friends Charlie were all memorable. ( )

Meet the All-of-a-Kind Family -- Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie -- who live with their parents in New York City at the turn of the century.

Together they share adventures that find them searching for hidden buttons while dusting Mama's front parlor and visiting with the peddlers in Papa's shop on rainy days. The girls enjoy doing everything together, especially when it involves holidays and surprises.

But no one could have prepared them for the biggest surprise of all!

I will treasure these books forever and ever. ( )