Some good info on how Louie got started in on the trumpet-- basically he was in reform school at the time b/c of firing a gun off during a New Years celebration. I had to give up once I found out I wasn't visiting New Orleans after all. Maybe if I plan a trip back there, I'll pick this back up.
Book 1: Francie, the 11 year old girl, on life in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, before it got hip. Life in poverty, wrangling a week's worth of food from stale bread and bones with meat clinging to it. A drunk father whose on-again off-again job as a singer/waiter didn't do much to pay the bills. Collecting junk to sell on Saturdays and clinging to the precious pennies, half for the bank, half to be spent on treats. A mother who cleans 3 apartment buildings. Francie the avid reader, going to the library every day, working her way through the authors alphabetically, reading a book a day. On Saturdays, breaking from this, and asking the librarian for a recommendation. The unfriendly librarian doesn't know she is being worshipped by Francie, and continues to recommend the same 2 books over and over.
Books 2-4
I meant to catch up with this after each book, but travel got in the way.
I love this book! Fabulous fabulous! I can't believe I read this in 6th grade- I wonder what I got from it then? It is such a great book I think I will give it as Xmas gifts to everyone I know.
