Showing posts with label The Beat Street Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Beat Street Series. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

North Beat Christmas by Jenna Zark

Today's read is one I wanted to hit before Christmas....and forgot. Yep, this book slipped off my pile and landed hidden below. I'm a huge fan of Christmas being a part of every day of the year (I've even thought it would be fun to run one of those year-round Christmas stores), so here it is. Plus, if it's a good read, I have no doubt that it's always a good read.

It just so happens to also be the third book in a series. I haven't visited the other books, yet (that was just a spoof in habits, last week), but I have a feeling this series is going to be one I'll have to revisit.

Grab those cuddly blankets and lets sink right in!



NORTH BEAT CHRISTMAS
The Beat Street Series
Book 3
by Jenna Zark
Dragon Moon Press
Middle Grade Contemporary
242 pages
ages 8 to 12








When Christmas is weird instead of wonderful—you can’t just give up.

Twelve-year-old Ruby Tabeata and her older brother Ray are visiting their father in the artists’ neighborhood of North Beach, San Francisco as Christmas approaches in 1958. What should be a glorious holiday turns sour as Ruby and Ray discover their father’s growing addiction to alcohol.

When Ruby finds work at a popular bookstore near her dad’s home, new friends and adventures distract her from worrying. Ruby’s experiences lead her to a daring decision to help her father—and a surprise that brings new meaning to her life. 

Read more about Ruby’s Beat Generation family in The Beat on Ruby’s Street and Fool’s Errand.

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON



MY TIDBITS

Heart and family hit every page in a way not only fitting for Christmas.

Ruby knows her father isn't doing well out in San Francisco and is determined to visit him for Christmas. After her and her brother miraculously convince their mother to let them take the train to San Francisco to visit him, everything seems to be looking up. But her father's life is more difficult than she expected. His alcohol problem sits deep, and her and her brother need to help him earn money by playing music and dancing at the park. When Ruby, finally, has a chance to take a break and chase her poetic hobby, a well-known bookstore nearby turns out to hold more than she realized she was looking for. 

This is set in 1958 and brings the time period across nicely. Details, settings, and even the worries fit nicely to that period in history and expand readers' knowledge without even the slightest hint of 'teaching'. I didn't read the first two books in this series (something I'll have to change) and was a little jarred by Ruby's way of addressing her parents, but that slides in very well with the artist culture, which her family is imbedded in, at that time. The author has done the research and worked it in masterfully. In other words, it's well done.

Ruby is very easy to get behind. She has a strong personality and is willing to give her all for what she wants, but she also has enough sense to back down when necessary, and she does make mistakes. It's fun to follow her as she weaves through the streets of San Francisco and meets vibrant characters along the way. The tougher moments pull at the heart-strings, but her personality shines through every time.

This is a quick-paced story as it heads through Ruby's difficult family life. She loves them dearly, and her brother is an awesome support, but the struggles her father faces aren't small. The themes in this read are ones, which even hit families today. The divorce, single parenting, alcoholism of a parent, light crime, and more are handled naturally. The author doesn't sugar-coat any of these, letting them make the damage they do. While potent, it still stays suitable for the age group and it makes a very nice read. 
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Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Review: Fool's Errand by Jenna Zark


FOOL'S ERRAND
The Beat Street Series, Book 2
by Jenna Zark
Dragon Moon Press
Middle Grade Historical
150 pages




When her best friend Sophie goes missing, 12-year-old Ruby Tabeata has a choice: wait for her friend to come home or defy her parents and find Sophie. 

Set during the 1950s Blacklist era when writers like Sophie’s mom were being jailed or fired, Fool’s Errand sends Ruby out of her city and her comfort zone.


With nothing to rely on but her grit and determination, Ruby has to outsmart the men chasing Sophie and her mom—discovering that whether or not you succeed, trying to save a friend is never a fool’s errand.


Read part one of this middle-grade Beat Street Series, The Beat on Ruby’s Street, to learn how Ruby’s story begins.



MY TIDBITS

This is the second book in the series, but I did not read the first one and had little trouble diving into the second. In other words, this can be read fairly well as a stand alone.

Ruby is twelve-years-old and lives with her mother and step-father during the 1950's. It's Summer break, but her best friend, Sophie, has gone missing. Sophie's mother is a well-known comedy writer but has fallen prey to the Blacklist, an unofficial list put out by the government during their hunt for Communists. Sophie's mother is on the run, knowing that a subpoena will force her to either betray her friends and colleagues or land her in jail. Ruby is determined to help Sophie but has some of her own familiar problems to deal with.

This story takes a look at a lesser known point of American history. The author has done her homework and weaves details from the era carefully into the story, bringing the surroundings to life without slowing down the pace. Ruby visits various cities and towns, allowing a broader impression of the time period to unfold. Care is taken to keep the character's speech patterns, concerns and daily activities attune to the historical scene, making this a rich read for those wanting to learn more about the time period. I can only recommend it for classrooms, teachers, group discussions and home schoolers. To make it even more ideal as a learning tool, there are discussion question presented at the end.

As a fictional read for middle graders, I'd recommend it more for the older end of the spectrum. The language fits a twelve-year-old of the time but might prove a little daunting for reluctant readers. The first chapters especially are spent either in Ruby's head or Sophie's letters. The letters are well done and allow Sophie's predicament and personality to come to life and grab the reader. Ruby, however, spends the first chapters explaining the happenings around her (politics, Beat life, Blacklist, her family life) to the reader and herself. It's interesting and explains the setting, which readers otherwise wouldn't understand. But again, more reluctant readers will struggle. Once the story gets going, the book hooks and holds until the last page.

Ruby is a character to love or dislike. She's a kid with lots of spunk, tons of freedom and is very outspoken. At times, she was easy to connect to. Other moments, she was simply rude and forced her way around, and not necessarily in a good way. Still, the message brought across sit and inspire young readers to stand for what they believe. And the friendship between Sophie and Ruby is golden.

This as a great read for older middle graders and tweens, when brought in connection with the desire to learn more about this historical era.


And here she is...

Jenna Zark is a columnist, lyricist, playwright, and novelist. Her play A Body of Water was published by Dramatists Play Service and produced regionally after its debut at Circle Repertory Company in New York. Other plays were produced in the Twin Cities, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and St. Louis. As a former staff writer at Scholastic Choices magazine, Zark wrote extensively for middle school and junior high students. Columns, poetry, essays, and articles have been published in TC Jewfolk, Stoneboat literary magazine, Minnesota Bride and numerous other publications. Zark is also a member of a lyricist’s collective in the Twin Cities that performs at local cabarets. She’s still trying to figure out if it’s harder to write a play, a novel, or a song. To share your thoughts on that or to learn more, please visit jennazark.com.
Social Media Links
Author Website: http://jennazark.com
*Find The Beat on Ruby’s Street*
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