Dave at Night is a young adult, historical fiction novel written by award-winning author Gail Carson Levine in 1999. This book was inspired by leading figures in the arts during the Harlem Renaissance and her father, David Carson, whose childhood was spent in an orphanage. Levine bases the setting of her book in the Lower East Side of New York City in the Hebrew community. This gives her the opportunity to include the Yiddish language which is spoken by the character, Solomon Gruber.

Plot summary

Dave Caros, a teenager troublemaker, lost his mother during his birth. More recently, his father dies after falling off a roof of a house he was helping to build. Always having lived under the shadow of his older brother Gideon, he is abandoned by his stepmother Ida while Gideon goes to live with his uncle. Ida sends Dave to a Hebrew orphanage, the Hebrew Home For Boys. When Dave first arrives at the orphanage, he absolutely hates it. The bedrooms are cold, the food is awful (and is often stolen by bullies) and the superintendent, Mr. Bloom (nicknamed Mr. Doom) is abusive and hits the boys with a yardstick. Mr. Doom takes the only thing Dave has left from his father, a wood carving of his family boarding Noah's Ark. However, Dave enjoys the art lessons and explores his talented, creative side. Sick of the austere lifestyle, Dave sneaks out of the orphanage in the middle of the night and roams the streets of Harlem. He finds a nearby party and bumps into Solly, an old man who 'reads cards' to get money. He enters the party with Solly and discovers a whole new world of jazz music, money and glamour—the Harlem Renaissance. Dave even meets Irma Lee, a girl to whom he is quickly attracted to although the book does not make it clear if its romantic or not. However, Dave needs to return to the orphanage every morning, but this new lifestyle isn't always what it seems.

Characters

Yiddish definitions

Boychik- a little boy Landsman- a fellow Jew Mazel Tov- congratulations Gonif- somebody who fools people out of their money Shayneh shvartzeh maidel- pretty black girl Meshuggeneh- a crazy person Alrightnik- someone who forgets that he wasn't born a doctor, a judge, or a businessman; he forgets that a lot of people made it possible for him to get so high-and-mighty

Comparison to reality

Dave Caros was inspired by Levine's father David Carasso who later changed his name to Carson to be a "real American". The Hebrew Orphan Asylum was the name of the actual orphanage that Levine's father grew up in, not the Hebrew Home for Boys. The Hebrew Orphan Asylum took in boys and girls and the process to enter was done in a more legal manner than simply signing papers for the children as the book created. The rent parties were fictional; however there were parties and salons during the Harlem Renaissance on the 1920s and '30.

Awards

ALA Best Book for Young Adults New York Public Library Best Children's Books of the 20th century Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award 2000-2001 Masterlist (1 of 30) "Outstanding Achievement" Honor Book for 1999 by Parent's Guide to Children's Media One of Amazon.com's 1999 Top Ten Best Books for ages 9–12 School Library Journal Best Book Book Sense Pick

Other editions

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