Eggplant Alley

Gr 7 Up—Viewing past prejudice from today's perspective can be a painful experience. Cataneo manages to be bluntly accurate about the early '70s in a New York housing development where an Italian neighborhood changes into a diverse one, though absolutely not integrated. Because of people leaving the area, Nicky's friends are gone, and he constantly laments the fact that, "No one plays stickball anymore." He watches his parents worry about his older brother in Vietnam. Readers see the divided opinions over the war, socioeconomic class issues, and prejudice. Bound to make everyone uncomfortable, the "n" word is only used once, but other epithets abound. Nicky has his prejudices, too, mostly inherited from the attitudes of his family. He feels that the war has divided people between "us" and "them." When Lester Allnut moves into the building from the country, Nicky enjoys being the old hand who can show the new kid around. Readers and Nicky know that there are things awry when Lester won't let him into his apartment, but it takes running into his brother's former girlfriend for Nicky to discover that what he's always believed may not be rock solid. At the end, some lessons almost get preached, but the book will be eye-opening to today's readers. It allows them a painful peek into a past that was suffused with bigotry. Highly discussable, this is that rare historical fiction that has loads of boy appeal. The stickball games, water balloon pranks, and other shenanigans of two loner kids have an immediacy that draws readers in to care about characters who might otherwise be unengaging.—Carol A. Edwards, Denver Public Library, CO