Karen Ackerman

What will life be like in a shelter for the homeless?
That's what Livvy wonders after her father, "Poppy," loses his job and her mother leaves them.
While their father looks for work, Livvy and her little brother, Younger, get to know the people in the shelter. Some are scary, while some are friendly. Before long Livvy finds a way to earn money to help Poppy buy a home. She can't stop believing in Poppy's promise "When the leaves in October are red and gold, we'll be home."
Then one day Poppy show more has good news and bad news. Will Livvy have to give up her dreams of living together as a family? show less

A trio of children go to visit their grandfather, who was a vaudeville performer in his youth. Their grandfather laments the passing of the "song and dance" days, but he still pulls out all his old vaudeville gear and puts on a one man variety show for his grandchildren. The children are genuinely delighted by their grandfather's performance, and he is equally pleased to be able to share a piece of his personal history with his descendants. Though this story has a sort of melancholy show more nostalgia to it, I think that ultimately what the grandfather was missing was performing for an audience, so that in addition to passing along memories of his performance to his grandchildren, he was also able to realize that he didn't necessarily miss performing for a large audience, just a grateful one. show less

There are many reasons I liked this book. First, The main character, The Song and Dance Man, is well developed, believable, motivating, and passionate. He brings his grandchildren back to his favorite of times- the song and dance years, where he pulls out all of his best moves, wearing tops hats, tap shoes, a golden cane and vests. His passion for preforming is evident in the show he puts on for his grandchildren. I found his an easy character to relate some of my family members to. show more Secondly, I enjoyed the plot for it's simplicity. The events that occur within the story are organized and there is little to no conflict, which makes this a great, lighthearted read. The main undertone of this book is how to stay young at heart. show less

Living in Austria in the late 1930s was very difficult for Jewish families. In 1938 Clara’s father had begun to make plans for the family to escape he Nazis. Clara and her sister Marta were chased by fellow students, yelling at them for being Jews and many of their neighbours had disappeared, taken by soldiers in the night.

Plans to escape over the mountains into Switzerland by foot were made and the family quietly prepared to leave. Carrying only the absolute necessary things. Clara’s show more mother put her foot down over the antique candlesticks that had passed to her. Thy were carried in the pocket of older sister Marta, but they did clink together every now and then. The trip was long and hazardous. The family had to avoid he Nazi patrols but when they had almost reached their goal, the clinking of the candlesticks had to be quieted.

The Night Crossing is a short, children’s story that is meant to introduce children to the Holocaust. The simple story is realistic and gives a clear picture of the difficult position the Jewish people were placed in. An epilogue at the end of the story, allows us to follow the family on their route to freedom. show less