Shelley's Reviews > Dave at Night

“If I did not know better, it would have been the last place I’d have guessed was a Home, the last place for kids to live…We went in. The door thudded closed behind us and clicked shut. As soon as I heard the click I wanted to leave.” And, so 11-year old orphan Dave Caros’ new life begins at the Hebrew Home for Boys, aka, Hell Hole for Brats. But Dave won’t runaway until he gets back his most prized possession—a wooden Noah’s Ark carved by his late father—which was confiscated along with all his other belongings by the cruel and abusive headmaster Mr. Bloom, aka, Mr. Doom. While biding his time until he can make his move, Dave stands up to the school bullies, bonds with his fellow “elevens” at the orphanage, and develops his artistic talents thanks to the encouragement of his art teacher. He also sneaks out at night, where he meets Solly, a con artist fortuneteller, who shows him the exciting nightlife filled with jazz and colorful characters of 1926 Harlem. During his nighttime excursions, Dave meets famous artists, writers, and poets of the Harlem Renaissance. He also meets and forms a very special friendship with Irma Lee, an African-American heiress, whose influential mother supports and showcases the arts. Because of Solly, Irma Lee and her mother, his fellow orphans, and his art lessons, Dave comes to realize that he does not want to runaway. He has a family, just a different kind. Together they help to oust the dreaded Mr. Doom and improve life at the orphanage.