Charlotte Herman

Reviewed by Marie Robinson for TeensReadToo.com

What a gem of a book! MY CHOCOLATE YEAR by Charlotte Herman starts out as a sweet story about 10-year-old Dorrie, who is a fifth-grader in Chicago just after the end of World War II. Dorrie is excited about the annual “Sweet Semester” contest run by her teacher. Every student is to plan a special dessert, which they will bring in to class at the end of the semester for a contest. The students sample each other's desserts and vote on the best show more one. They also write an essay explaining their choice of dessert, and their teacher judges the best essay.

Dorrie has been looking forward to her chance at winning Sweet Semester since her older brother, Artie, participated when he was in fifth grade. She is determined to win, and the book is interspersed with her attempts at various concoctions. It even includes actual recipes for some of the desserts, including Peppermint Chocolate Sticks and a scrumptious-sounding Chocolate Nut Torte.

While Dorrie is focused on the contest and on finding that perfect recipe, her family is adjusting to post-war life. They are Russian Jews who managed to escape the Holocaust, but not all of their relatives were so lucky. It sounds like a surprisingly sad topic to combine with the lightweight feel of the dessert contest, but author Herman executes this integration flawlessly.

In fact, her inclusion of the cultural elements of post-World War II Chicago make reading this book educational without ever feeling like it. For instance, I had no idea that there used to be “silver” pennies, or that chocolate chip cookies were invented by a woman named Ruth Wakefield, or that sugar was rationed.

It also makes perfect sense to show this time and place in American life through the eyes of a fifth-grader, and of course she is more focused on her big contest at school than with the letters her parents receive from relatives overseas. Dorrie does have a big heart, though, and it is that heart and conscience that guides her to what she eventually chooses as her entry for Sweet Semester. show less

When Katie and her parents travel for two days by train to get to her grandparents' house for Thanksgiving, the young girl is excited to see her extended family, and to visit with her beloved Grandma. But then an accident at dinner - Katie breaks the antique gravy boat given to Grandma by her own mother, and her Uncle Eddie, when they were children - casts a pall over the occasion. Can Grandma, by sharing her memory cupboard, with all its damaged treasures, show Katie that "people are more show more important than things...?"

A poignant tale with a heartfelt message about what is truly important, one that had me tearing up as I read it, The Memory Cupboard is one holiday story that I recommend! Children from families with a strong Thanksgiving tradition, in particular, will enjoy this tale of a girl and her grandmother. The artwork by Ben F. Stahl - who illustrated another holiday tale, The St. Patrick's Day Shillelagh, that I enjoyed - was expressive and appealing. I don't tend to read a lot of Thanksgiving titles (compared to Halloween or Christmas, for instance), but I'm glad I gave this one a chance! Recommended to anyone looking for warm family stories for the Thanksgiving season. show less

I read Millie Cooper, Take a Chance in elementary school and it stuck with me for the rest of my life. Being a shy girl myself, with the exact same anxieties and fears as Millie, it was the first time I realized I wasn't the only one who had these fears. I cannot articulate what relief it brought me or how it helped heal old wounds. But, while I remembered the story, I'd forgotten the title and despite 10+ years of trying to find it, was unable. But thanks to some remarkable people in show more LibraryThing's Name That Book, I was able to find the book again - and buy it and other 2 I didn't know existed. Reading them again had the same impact on me as when I was a child. To remember, I am not the only one who thinks and feels this way - it is to be a little less anxious, I think. And even as an adult, I must remember to Take a Chance on things....

Some may find these books trite and old-fashioned, but to me, these books impacted me like few others have, something time has not diminished. show less

I read Millie Cooper, Take a Chance in elementary school and it stuck with me for the rest of my life. Being a shy girl myself, with the exact same anxieties and fears as Millie, it was the first time I realized I wasn't the only one who had these fears. I cannot articulate what relief it brought me or how it helped heal old wounds. But, while I remembered the story, I'd forgotten the title and despite 10+ years of trying to find it, was unable. But thanks to some remarkable people in show more LibraryThing's Name That Book, I was able to find the book again - and buy it and other 2 I didn't know existed. Reading them again had the same impact on me as when I was a child. To remember, I am not the only one who thinks and feels this way - it is to be a little less anxious, I think. And even as an adult, I must remember to Take a Chance on things....

Some may find these books trite and old-fashioned, but to me, these books impacted me like few others have, something time has not diminished. show less