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Reviewed by: Colleen Woods, Middle School Librarian Title: Nothing Else But Miracles
Author: Kate Albus
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: 4-7 Genre/Type of Book: Historical Fiction
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: Parent loss from war, grief
Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I chose to read this book because I loved Kate Albus' first book, A Place to Hang the Moon.
If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: "A feel good story that will leave longing for more time with this lovable cast of neighbors who see the value in helping one another in times of need."
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Review:
I loved this book and would absolutely recommend it to students and adults who enjoy historical fiction. Nothing Else But Miracles by Kate Albus is set during the 1940s during World War II. Our main character is fiesty 12 year old Dory Byrne, who lives in a lower east side Manhattan neighborhood with her father and two brothers, Fish, 17, and Pike, 7. When "Pop" gets drafted for the war, he tells the kids that their kind landlord and neighbors in the community, who are like family, will help take care of them while he's away. However, when their landlord dies unexpectedly, a new not-so-kind landlord moves in. When he discovers there's no adult living in the apartment, he threatens to turn the kids over to the city orphanage. Dory bravely sets out to find her and her brothers a temporary place to live/escape, and it involves an abandoned hotel above their favorite restaurant, accessible only by an old dumbwaiter that hasn't been used in decades.
We read this book with our staff book-club here at school, and one of our main discussion points centered around the theme of community. Several people commented on the joy they felt in reading about the ways in which Dory's neighbors and friends pitched in when they needed it most. People also enjoyed learning new things about World War II-era NYC and what life was like during that time period. Many characters had family members at war and lived in constant fear of their safe return. The many acts of kindness shown to friends and neighbors helped keep the story uplifting.
The only negative discussed was the cover! Many didn't care for the depiction of Dory. They thought she looked like an adult lady in weird clothes - hah!
Number of party hats:
Find resources for Nothing Else But Miracles at Teachingbooks.net
For more information about this book, see the Publisher's Website