The Alley

Have you ever read a book that you start and just can't put down? Well if you haven't you should read The Alley. We are a 6th grade girls book club and chose to read this book because we liked other books written by this author. Although we didn't like The Alley as much as some of Eleanor Estes' other books, we found it to be a fun story of friendship and mystery. This story is about a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York full of kids who all play in the same alley. The alley is full great characters, fun games, and adventure. Connie is the main character, she is ten years old. She lives with her mom, dad, grandmother, dog (Wagsie) and two cats. Connie, her best friend Billy and the rest of the neigborhood kids find themselves being detectives after Connie's house is burglarized. The mystery begins when one day Connie and her mom take Wagsie on a walk. On their way they meet a strange man with a bullet-shaped head who becomes quite interested in whether or not Wagsie is a nice dog. Later that day someone breaks into their house. Was it a coincedence or did this man have something to do with the burglary? Connie and Billy lead the rest of the kids in the neighborhood in collecting clues and putting them together like puzzle pieces to solve the mystery. This a book not to be missed - each page is full of interesting and meaningful facts. This a great book for girls and boys, ages 10 and up, to read. Thank you for reading our review.

This book is perhaps my favorite of all time--though I am no longer a child, I loved it when I was, and love it still.It is a quiet little book--events happen, to be sure, but though there is a burglarly, there are no life-and-death situations. It concerns the thoughts and doings of one Connie and her friends and compatriots in the Brooklyn cul-de-sac where she lives.A fascinating presentation of children as children and as people, dealing with life as it comes to them. Also, a wonderful portrayal of life in a 1940's/50's New York that is long past.There is a sequel to this book, "The Tunnel of Hugsy Goode." I believe Hugsy appears first in "The Alley."Truly a classic. A book which reflects and shapes me still, years after I've read it, and each time I reread it.