Dave at Night

Written by Gail Carson Levine

Narrated by Johnny Heller

Dave's carefree life of pranks and stickball in his Lower East Side New York neighborhood ends the day his papa dies. No one wants the 11-year-old "rascal," so Dave is shuffled off to the Hebrew Home for Boys, a.k.a. the Hell Hole for Brats. There he must contend with a brutal headmaster, bullies, freezing rooms, and institutional slop to eat-all on top of his personal losses. But at least Dave is not alone. The boys in his class are "buddies" who look out for each other, and soon Dave meets some friends on the outside. Still a rascal at heart, Dave sneaks out of the orphanage at night. There he meets an old "gonif" named Solly who becomes his guide to the magical jazz-filled nightlife of the Harlem Renaissance. Solly's Yiddish and the engaging dialog that color Dave at Night make it a natural for audio. Narrator Johnny Heller's boyish tones perfectly capture the drama and the wonder of this heartfelt orphan's tale.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 27, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490672625

Gail Carson Levine

Gail Carson Levine's first book for children, Ella Enchanted, was a Newbery Honor Book. Levine's other books include Ever, a New York Times bestseller; Fairest, a Best Book of the Year for Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal and a New York Times bestseller; Dave at Night, an ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults; The Wish; The Two Princesses of Bamarre; A Tale of Two Castles; Stolen Magic; The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre; Ogre Enchanted; and the six Princess Tales books. She is also the author of the nonfiction books Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly and Writer to Writer: From Think to Ink, as well as the picture books Betsy Who Cried Wolf and Betsy Red Hoodie. Gail Carson Levine and her husband, David, live in a two-centuries-old farmhouse in the Hudson Valley of New York State.

Reviews for Dave at Night

[mutantpudding · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this book several times when I was a kid and am happy to report that it still stands up reading it as an adult. Great historical fiction with a diverse cast of characters and good handling of difficult topics.

[the_hibernator · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Dave’s father dies, Dave is separated from his brother and sent to an orphanage. Dave finds a way to sneak over the wall of the orphanage and wanders the streets at night, where he meets many interesting characters (both high society and from his own social class). In his adventures at the orphanage and the streets, Dave learns a little bit about himself and what he needs in life, he grows to accept his problems and embrace his gifts. This is a sweet little book.

[bell7_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When Dave's father dies, his stepmother Ida ties to give Dave and his brother, Gideon, to relatives at the funeral. Gideon goes to Chicago with an uncle, but since no one is willing to take Dave, Ida brings him to the Hebrew Home for Boys. Dave's adventures at the HHB (and other creative, not-so-flattering terms that HHB would also stand for) include making friends with the other elevens, dealing with bullies, and night-time escapades to salon parties during the Harlem Renaissance.This rich historical fiction was an absolute joy to listen to. Jason Harris brings a variety of characters to life, including our narrator, Dave, a young black girl, and an older man whose speech is peppered with Yiddish phrases. The historical aspect is detailed without feeling forced, and includes descriptions of music and art of the time period. I appreciated the afterword in which Gail Carson Levine explains what was true, based on the truth, or made up. Equally recommended to children and adults, and believe me, I will be!

[raizel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jews do not come out looking well in this book. The hero, Dave, is abandoned by his family and placed in the Hebrew Home for Boys, run by a sadistic man who steals children's valuable keepsakes. Dave manages to escape at night and stumbles upon the Harlem Renaissance; he becomes friends with a wealthy black girl and an older Jewish man, a self-described gonif who tells phony fortunes. Eventually Dave realizes that his family did the best they could for him. His brother, taken in by an uncle, is not tough enough to cope with the HHB; his aunts, who are boarders in a family's small apartment, really have no room for him, but do visit him; his step-mother truly cannot afford to keep him. Dave realizes that the other elevenses at the Home are wonderful friends. The art teacher goes out of his way to encourage Dave's talent.The happy resolution requires a deus ex machina. This is always a bad sign, usually meaning that in reality there is no good resolution.Life in the orphanage is based on the experiences of the author's father, who lived in the Hebrew Orphan Asylum; Art Buchwald also lived there. As the author says in an Afterword, the conditions at the Asylum were not as bad as those she makes up. 2003 nominee for Nutmeg Children's Book Award.

[priincess7b · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I first got the book I thought to myself why am I going to read this it’s going to be so boring, but I was like oh well so I started to read it and I was in shock with how good it was, so I kept reading and it just kept getting better and better each time and next thing I know is that I can’t put the book down, until my mom would come and take it out of my hands and tell me to go sleep . Sometimes I wouldn’t even do my homework I would be reading the book. I was in so much shock when I first read it, but the book was really sad, like in the beginning it’s so sad I wanted to cry I was so sad when I was reading the beginning.

[themightyquinn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dave is always up to mischief and when his father dies his struggling relatives choose to take in his quiet older brother and send Dave to the Hebrew Home for Boys where he makes some surprising friendships and sneaks out to enjoy the high society of Harlem. This is the best Levine since Ella Enchanted, loosely based on the author's father's childhood. There are many rather unbelievable events, such as an orphan making a connection with an heiress, but if the reader was going to believe these events, they happen in exactly the way they would. Would recommend to middle grade readers and readers fond of orphan tales.

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dave is put in a home for Jewish orphans. At the school there are lots of bullies and Dave makes strong bonds with the other boys his age. My favorite parts of the book are where he sneaks out at night and attends salons and parties that are part of the Harlem Renaissance.