Dave at Night Book

This engaging story by the author of Ella Enchanted transports us to 1926 Manhattan, from the teeming immigrant neighborhoods of the lower east side to the artistic Renaissance evolving uptown in Harlem. The sudden death of his father leaves David Caros orphaned and abandoned by his uncaring stepmother, so he is taken to the Hebrew Home for Boys, an "asylum" with a dubious reputation. There he suffers under the despotic rule of the headmaster, Mr.Bloom, but develops a close bond with his buddies, who protect each other from the abuse of the older bullies. He meets a strange character named Solly the Gonif who introduces him to the surreal nightlife of Harlem. A riveting plot and strong character development make this a fascinating read for upper elementary students.


This is a great choice for capable 4th or 5th grade readers. Colorful, well crafted characters, a well defined sense of time and place, and several cliff-hangar chapter endings make it an engaging read. I would describe it as a kind of "Annie" for boys, in which a likable, strong, clever, neglected, but hopeful orphan overcomes enormous obstables in order to realize his dreams and find a place to belong. In my opinion, the most fascinating aspect of the book is the subplot featuring the people that Dave meets in Harlem, such as a wealthy African-American patron of the arts and her adopted daughter, W.E.B. DuBois, and Langston Hughes. Further inquiry into the lives of these historical personalities would add a rich dimension to the study of this novel, especially if the reader investigated the poetry of Langston Hughes.