[Note: This says #4 but I happened to read them in publication order, of which this is the third. Upon further reflection it might have been better to have read the fourth published book second, as that is the chronological order]

WWI is raging, the family has moved to the Bronx, and new everyday challenges greet Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, Gertie, Charlie, and their parents. From Ella's first date in a restaurant to Charlie's discovery (and fear of) Santa Claus, this book continues to show "normal" Jewish life in the 1900s, bringing understanding to those of us who do not share the faith.

Paul and I enjoyed this one too. I was in tears as I read the ending when WWI ends and "the world is at peace." I only wish.

I love the All of a Kind Family series!! I kinda read all the books in the wrong order... We don't have to talk about that! :-) I still read the first book first though! (:-D)
Love, and will reread again and again!! I'm ready for more!!!!

While the family is still adorable and made me laugh out loud more than once, this volume in the series is more real and sober. The serious illness for Mama and then WWI meant that the family experienced some serious angst. They weathered it all well, together and I am looking forward to the next installment which I plan to begin immediately.

The family has moved and the adventures continue. Mama is rushed to the hospital for an appendectomy and the children must take on more responsibility. Ella has a serious beau in Jules and Henny attends her first party. Charlie gets into some mischief. Uncle Hyman and Aunt Lena welcome their firstborn. Sarah studies for the school history prize.
I'd wanted a light, quick diversion and knew this would fit the bill. Through it all the Jewish customs and traditions are explained. There is even comparison between Jewish and Christian customs.

Another sweet story. Looking forward to the last in the series.

fun young adult read. probably great for 5th to 8th grade

The Girls Grow Up

The All of a Kind family faces hardship as they confront illness, disappointment and war, and the joys of reunion, birth, and growing up. In their new home they learn about Christian traditions and save for the war effort.

Nice book. Not as good as the first one in the series.

Sweet book following a Jewish family of 5 girls plus a little brother. This book is set towards the end of WWII, and Ella's boyfriend has signed up to serve, so naturally she is worried about him. As the book goes on, the reader also gains insight into Jewish holidays and customs.

The third book published but the fourth chronologically, this book takes place around 1916-1918, beginning about two years after More All-of-a-Kind Family. As the book starts, Ella is now sixteen and very serious about her boyfriend Jules; Henny is fourteen and popular; Sarah is twelve and dedicating herself to winning the history prize at the end of the school year; and Charlotte and Gertie, at ten and eight, are trying to do everything their older sisters manage...though with limited success.

The main stressors in this book are: 1) a new home that is not on the Lower East Side; 2) Mama's illness and hospitalization (her appendix needs to be taken out, which leaves the kids to take care of the house, the Sabbath, etc.); and 3) World War I, primarily as seen through the eyes of Ella, whose seventeen-year-old boyfriend Jules volunteers for the army and marches off to war. (Grace Healy, the daughter of the family's landlord, has a particularly hard time when her boyfriend Bill is missing in action.) These things are treated seriously, albeit not in a grimdark fashion.

But there are also fluffier stories in the book. Ella and Jules dine out in a fancy restaurant...and are both very, very much out of their depth while being unwilling to admit it. Uncle Hyman and Aunt Lena have a firstborn son. Gertie undergoes a crisis of conscience when she forgets to pay a nickel fare for the subway. (I have to admit that even as a child, I thought that was silly.) And Charlie is terrified by a man dressed up as Santa, whom he sees as "the red boogeyman."

There are fewer antics in this book (no wonder, as the kids are growing up), but the serious tone in no way detracts from the quality of the book.

Loved these books. As a kid, I barely knew any Jewish people so that made it even more interesting to read about this family.