What a delightful read! This book requires the fairly standard disclaimer for E.L. Konigsburg, which is: she wrote it 50 years ago, some things might require a bit of explanation for young readers. The atmosphere of housewives-and-mothers, playing ball in the street, and the obligatory preparation for a bar mitzvah all evoke the mid-20th century, with this Jewish family's dynamic suggesting situations I imagine in my own family history. (What can I say? The stuffed cabbage conversation resonated.) Mark leads us into his home and neighborhood with a confiding, storytelling tone, recounting the whole tale once it's finished. Right away, then, you know where it's headed: his mother and the little league baseball team.

Mark talks about a whole lot more than just his mother's forceful nature. I was surprised by the undertones of racial and cultural dynamics throughout his life, which brought up memorable prejudices of the time: antisemitism, racism, classism, the origin of the projects. As a Jewish woman, I found her portrayal of their community similar to childhood stories my mother and grandmother have told, and I'd echo every reviewer who emphasizes its authenticity. This book could educate anyone interested in Jewish history in America. With such a varied and sometimes multicultural Jewish population, it speaks to both the importance of that identity and the breadth of interpretations of Judaism itself. The complex intersection of immigration, acceptance, and class peeks through Mark's disparate friendships and not-so-friendships with realism and depth. Those friends make this book as honest as it is; at 12 years old, I, too, was mostly concerned with my friends and the struggle of trying to make new ones.

Konigsburg has, on many occasions, demonstrated her mastery of coming-of-age tales, writing them with empathy and complexity. There's a reason she's one of my favorite authors, and it's the mix of touching and awkward and loving and frustrating and educational experiences she places her characters into. Mark and his family, here, go through every one of those situations. You watch them grow over the course of the baseball season, learning to view each other differently and trust each other in new ways. You watch his mother, a second-wave feminist, stand up and say "of course I can do what's usually a man's job," and turn it into a fact of life for the young boys. You watch his older brother, Spencer, step up and become a role model and mentor for the team. Mark's Dad chips in with his own particular wisdom. And Mark himself learns what's important to him and what he cares about in a really beautiful, nuanced way. While I don't think this is the best introduction to E.L. Konigsburg, it's not my least-favorite of her books, and it retains plenty of potential to delight and entertain readers for years to come.


I'd like to add a note about the Playboy magazines in the book, since a lot of reviewers are commenting on it. Read it anyway. I saw porn for the first time when I was younger than Mark (who's 12) and any child with access to a smartphone is going to stumble upon it sooner or later--and I'd guess sooner, because kids are curious and know how to google. Hand them the book, ask what they thought, and take the Playboy's role in this novel as what it is: an acknowledgement that pornography exists, that sexuality and desire exist, and that young adults will explore.

My homage to Konigsburg continues - I am finding it interesting to see the sheer range of subjects that she covered in her fictions but I have to say that the books that I have really enjoyed the most are all about keeping secrets - Jamie and Claudia in the Metropolitan Museum; the quartet in View from Saturday who have layers and layers of secrets to uncover and the secret of whether or not Caroline is or isn't really who she says in Father's Arcane Daughter - B'nai Bagels is lively and paints a lively portrait of a middle class Jewish family but it's not as memorable as some of Konigburg's other books - well, on to T-backs, T-shirts, COAT, and Suit!

Another great one!

Konigsburg books never disappoint. Her characters are richly painted, her style develops empathy and understanding, always worthwhile reading!I hadn't heard of this one but have now purchased a copy of my own.

It was so funny that I just couldn't put it down. Just remember never order playboy magazines.

I remember liking this book as a kid. And I just finished reading it aloud with my 10 year old son. The story held his interest, and we enjoyed the humor. My son would giggle out loud as I read. I enjoyed sharing a story with my boy in which the main character, almost the same age as himself, is struggling through issues of family, identity, work ethic, honesty, loyalty, and friendship. On the other hand, I had forgotten how many references are made to "Playboy" in the book. I was sorry to see how normal and acceptable it was made to appear. But even that opened up an opportunity to talk to my son about why I believe that pornography is damaging to both boys and girls. It was a good shared read.

Being a Jew, I can totally relate.

Konigsburg was my favorite author for awhile (around age 10), and I read all of the books of hers that I could find. I think someone who likes baseball would especially like this one of hers.

I really enjoyed this book, for many reasons. One of which was because it connected so well to my own life. I am 12 years old, I love playing baseball, and I am also studying for my Bar Mitzvah. Reading this book made me feel like I was reading about an alternate universe of myself. Another reason I enjoyed this book was because of the endless quips and funny remarks. For example,”If brains were Holy Water, you wouldn’t have enough to baptize a mosquito.” This remarks stood out to me, mostly because they were unexpected and also made me laugh at the same time. A final reason a enjoyed this book was because of the constant struggle the main character, Mark Setzer had. Such as his lust for winning baseball games, or his Bar Mitzvah studying habits. It reminded me of my own struggle to get through these things in my life, just as Mark got through his.

Well, you've done it again, E.L (who I assume is a woman because so is the narrator of "...Frankweiler") you've taken a completely mundane plot like Little League, you made me appreciate and get to know these very normal people, and then you taught me a life lesson.

i know this book is for little kids but it took me two weeks to read it and it was like 150 pages total

I loved this story for more of that slice-of-life coming-of-age goodness I liked in the Mixed-Up Files!!! The God-as-light-fixture and other bits of growing up religious made me so happy. -1 star for the B-plot about the magazines... but 4 stars at least for the name Fortune “Cookie” Rivera alone :)