Welcome to Litsy!

Where‘s my dysfunctional family fans?? This is our type of read!
In this messy, wealthy Jewish family in Queens, three siblings and their parents live under the shadow cast by the defining event of their lives: matriarch, Carl was kidnapped when the children were young (one not yet born). Explores how religion and wealth create family dynamics but most of all how trauma presents itself in many different ways. I loved it! #ToB25 longlist

“The soldiers played cards and blew smoke out the open windows. They talked to Pop and how they would soon be shipped overseas any day now and were missing that girl of mine already, and my grandma's apple pie.“

This book makes many historical connections to what life was like during World War 2. During this time many people encountered economic challenges. Many women went to work while their husbands served, leaving many children without consistent adult supervision. This also made it hard for single mothers which may have been why the baby was left on the staircase. This story helps students understand economic hardships, fear, and loss of loved ones.

The Summer We Found the Baby by Amy Hest (2020) is a children's historical fiction book that is about three kids who discover an abandoned baby on the staircase of a library. This book is based on the time period of world war two. Amy Hest focuses on factual information by describing what life was like during this era. She focuses on fiction by the fictional narrative of three children discovering and taking the baby for themselves.

“I just wanted to hold her awhile I didn't mean to take the baby.“

Okay. Unnecessarily long. I went back and forth between ebook and audio. The reveal of the kidnapper was too subtle for me, in that it would‘ve been more interesting had there been more breadcrumbs leading up to it or response after it.

“Sometimes, doing the right thing means taking a leap of faith.”

Two friends find a baby abandoned during their summer adventures. They take care of the baby while trying to find its family. This heartwarming story teaches about friendship and kindness, showing that even small acts of love can make a big difference.

This is a sweet story about two friends who find a baby left in a box on a hot summer day. They decide to take care of the baby and figure out where it came from. As they help the baby, they learn about friendship and being kind. This gentle story shows the special bond between friends and how caring for others is important.

5-21 Sep 25
The jumping off point for this novel is ostensibly the kidnapping of Carl Fletcher and the impact it continues to have on his family decades later. But it may well be the continued impact of the holocaust and the actions people can justify taking to keep their family ‘safe‘ or, in the case of the Fletchers, incredibly wealthy.
Interesting look at generational trauma, privilege and entitlement. The ending kind of deflated me. But true.