414 Pine Street — Rita Roth

Nine year old Hannah is the central character in 414 Pine Street, a novel for middle readers. The youngest member of a Jewish immigrant family, Hannah adds a light touch to ‘hard times' with the blunt innocence of a youngster. The time is the Great Depression when the impact of a weak economy -- so like present times -- takes hold of Hannah's town. In another connection to today, the plot focuses on a family dealing with anti-immigration and anti-Semitism while trying to fit into the broader community. To cope, the family shares resources, barters services, and holds on to meaningful family projects. The story takes place over the course of one year. We meet Hannah as she begins third grade assigned to a much feared teacher. A crisis shakes the family when the father must enter a sanatorium far from home. With father absent, they continue projects that strengthen the family and reinforce connections with neighbors. Hannah sees no hardship in setting up a Passover “store” in the dining room for all the Jewish families in town, or in her mother baking cakes and cookies to barter for a used bike. Hannah's brother's bar mitzvah without Dad standing by and her mother's need to find work all take their toll. In spite of the trials of this historic period, Hannah and her family hold fast to life and its possibilities.