Newbury Award winning author tells a heart felt story loosely based on her own father's childhood in the Hebrew Orphan Asylum in the 1920's. When Dave's father dies, he lands in an orphanage set in Harlem, far from the life he knew on the Lower East Side. Inside the orphanage are strict rules, constant bullying and tasteless gruel. At night he escapes to the outside world of of Harlem, alive with jazz musicians, swindlers, exclusive parties and mystifying strangers. Somewhere among both places, Dave finds true friendship, in this inspirational and colorful novel.