false 3041813 0312378866 9780312378868 176 82 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3041813.Brooklyn_Bridge 4057 Karen Hesse 7939 1458 4 1 false Sat Jan 10 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 11 16:11:13 -0800 2009 Wed Dec 09 07:54:15 -0800 2009 Brooklyn Bridge.

The setting of turn-of-the-century Brooklyn is vividly brought to life in the reader's imagination through 14-year old Joseph's first-person narration, excerpts describing Coney Island from actual newspapers from that time, and a parallel story of street children living under the Brooklyn Bridge that contrasts with Joseph's comfortable life with a large, loving family. The arc of the plot's action builds in layers with a final climax that I really did not see coming although in hindsight the foreshadowing and clues were there. Rich characterizations and subplots that initially seem unrelated to the main story are all expertly woven together by Hesse by the book's end, which I was sorry to reach.

But...kid appeal? I think kids who are avid readers would enjoy it, if it is recommended to them, but most won't pick it up on their own. A good choice for upper elementary historical fiction assignments.
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