WATER STREET

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Giff, Patricia, Reilly.  (2006). WATER STREET.  New York: Yearling.  ISBN:  0440419212.

PLOT SUMMARY

It is 1875 on Water Street in Brooklyn New York.  The whole city is mesmerized by the towers that will soon be the bridge connecting them to Manhattan.  Bird Mallon is a daughter of Irish immigrants who always thought she wanted to be a healer like her mother until witnessing the effects of a tragic accident left her unsure.  As she struggles to decide her destiny she finds an unlikely friend in Thomas Neary, the boy that has moved into the apartment above hers.  With his mother gone and his father stumbling in drunk each night, Thomas longs to be a member of the Mallon family.  Together Bird and Thomas spend their 8^th grade year trying to help Bird’s sister, Ann, find a more meaningful job and save Bird’s brother, Hughie, from a life of fighting and gangs.  Through it all, Thomas and Bird develop a deep friendship and Bird discovers the path she is meant to take.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Giff tells this historical story by alternating between the perspectives and Bird and Thomas.  Thomas is a gentle character that appreciates everything the Mallon does for him.  His relationship with Bird develops slowly, but she soon realizes that he is her friend and not just a pest trying to weasel his way into her family.  Giff creates a flawless setting during the late 1800s in Brooklyn describing the building of the bridge and those whose lives were lost below it, and the drive of the immigrant workers striving to provide a better life for their family in their new country.  Bird’s parents have the same hope for her as they turn over their farm savings to provide her the opportunity to attend high school.  Giff has written an endearing coming of age story that showcases a beautiful friendship and loving family.

REVIEW EXERPTS

School Library Journal (September 01, 2006)- “Giff masterfully integrates the historical material and presents a vivid picture of the immigrant struggle in the 1870s.”

Booklist (August 01, 2006)- “A poignant immigration story of friendship, work, and the meaning of home.”

CONNECTIONS

• Pair with Brooklyn Bridge by Karen Hesse, a novel about Russian-Jewish immigrants in the early 1900s.
• Have students research the casualties of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge.
• Have students write a letter to Thomas from Bird or a letter to Bird from Thomas.