thirstyDorrie is surrounded by friends and family. Her mother lovingly makes her special dress for her Aunt Esther's wedding. Her father works for a mattress company because, as a young boy during the war, he had to wear his day clothes to bed in case of evacuation and he dreamt of sleeping in pajamas. Her grandmother speaks only in Yiddish and Dorrie only in English, but they understand each other quite well. Rounding out the cast are Dorrie's older brother Artie, her best friend Sunny, Uncle Louie the hopeful business owner, and her cousin Victor, who lost his immediate family and was labeled a DP (a displaced person) in his home country, but is now coming to America.
My Chocolate Year by Charlotte Herman includes twelve recipes and is peppered with black-and-white illustrations by LeUyen Pham. It is a sweet story for elementary school readers and was partly inspired by the author's own family and childhood.
This review was also posted at YA Books Central.