You can read my full review on my Jew Wishes website. http://jewwishes.wordpress.com/2009/0...

Kluger evokes emotion within the pages of Last Days of Summer. The story is humorous, but also poignant. It is an emotional telling of life during 1940s Brooklyn, when young Joey, a Jewish boy, was searching for a father figure. It is his coming of age story, yet it is so much more than that. Kluger depicts the evolving of a deep and lasting friendship, and portrays characters that are realistic. Although Joey’s strong-willed actions at times seem a bit over the edge, one can envision those actions occurring.

I highly recommend it to those who love baseball, and to those who like books based during the time period of 1940s Brooklyn. ( )

This isn't the deepest work of art or in any way an accurate description of historic events, but it is very, very funny. The mix of letters and report cards and newspaper clippings, etc. is very cleverly done and the juxtaposition of some story-lines will make you laugh out loud. A lot. As long as you're not expecting a Pulitzer-type novel, I'd recommend this as a great summer read. It does get a bit maudlin at times and the celebrity bits are sometimes a bit too fantastic, but that's easily outweighed by the various letter exchanges between completely unlikely characters - Charlie getting Bar Mitzvah lessons from "Rabby" Lieberman is a definite highlight!

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How much did I love this book? Enough to BUY six copies as gifts for friends, relatives, and friends of friends. I can't think of any age or gender that wouldn't love this book. It's funny, earnest, poignant and sweet. I love this book so much I might read it again. It's a quick read and made me nostalgic for the childhood I never had.... ( )

It’s 1940 and twelve-year-old Joey Margolis is the only Jewish kid in his Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn. His father is checked out, absorbed in his relationship with his new wife, his mother and his Aunt Carrie are stereotypically overprotective Jewish women, and he has no one to stick up for him when he gets beaten up by the Italian kids in the neighborhood. With no one to look up to at home, Joey decides to look elsewhere. He sets his sights on New York Giants third baseman Charlie Banks.

This book is written as a series of letters between Joey and Charlie from 1940 to 1942, but it's not just letter. I’m tempted to refer to it as multi-media because it also includes Joey’s letters to President Roosevelt (and his responses!), notes from the therapy sessions Joey receives after he’s sent to Juvie for peeing in the reservoir, report cards from Joey’s school (where he receives all As except in “obedience,” in which his grades decline until his teacher exasperatedly marks the category “N/A”), love notes between Joey and a girl named Rachel, telegrams from many of the supporting characters, and even official military documents. All of these pieces fill in the gaps between Joey and Charlie’s letters and allow readers to see a more complete picture of their relationship than we would get from a traditional narrative.

This book is funny, unexpectedly touching, and a quick, fun, perfect summer read.

Read my full review at The Book Lady's Blog. ( )

Very funny and touching. I thoroughly enjoyed this hidden gem. ( )