Classroom Connections: Five Stories by Ellen Weinstein

age range: 4-8 years
format: picture book
Ellen Weinstein’s website

Please tell us about your book.

I wrote Five Stories as a love letter to the Lower East Side of New York City. Five children from five different cultures and in five different decades grow up in the same building on the Lower East Side of New York City over the course of a century. The story begins with my grandmother and continues to the present. My family has been part of the fabric of the neighborhood for the past 120 years. I am a lifelong resident and have witnessed how the neighborhood has changed and remained the same. It is a special place shaped by the layering of tastes, stories, sounds, and histories of the people who have made it their home.

What inspired you to write this story?

A few years ago, I wanted to learn more about my grandmother and great-grandparents’ long journey from Russia by boat in the early 1900s and about what it was like for her as a child to leave everything behind and start a new life in a strange place. As a lifelong resident of the Lower East Side, I wondered about my neighbors and their journeys and what they left behind. 

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research and / or share a few interesting tidbits about your writing process with this book?

I interviewed my friends and neighbors about their stories of immigration and migration, as well as the stories of their grandparents and great-grandparents. I met with historians, curators, and librarians at the Tenement Museum, Eldridge Street Synagogue, Henry Street Settlement, Seward Park Library, and the principals and students at local Public Schools and a school for dual language and Asian Studies. I learned new things about old friends through more pointed conversations.

What are some special challenges associated with creating characters inspired by real life?

The first character in the story is based on my grandmother, the other characters are composited from the many stories I learned about. A challenge is providing enough detail to feel real and relatable but not so specific to one person’s story. It was difficult to select only five families for the book when I would have loved to represent many more immigrant cultures. I tried to choose from different periods and experience, but it is impossible to depict the many cultures that create the vibrant Lower East Side.

What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?

Five Stories is a great book for the classroom. Stories of immigration and history are throughout the book. It is perfect for a Social Studies class or any class!

Interior from Five Stories. Text © 2024 by Ellen Weinstein illustrations © 2024 by Ellen Weinstein. Used with permission from Holiday House Publishing, Inc.