First published 1964
Connie Ives knows she lives in the most wonderful place on earth. Her Brooklyn alley might look ordinary to others, but Connie sees endless possibilities in this narrow space between buildings. She practices her swing technique here, perfecting each arc and landing. The alley serves as headquarters for her Alley Conservatory of Music, where neighborhood children gather to make their own melodies. When a burglar strikes the area, Connie organizes a trial right in her beloved alley, determined to see justice done. Eleanor Estes, who wrote the beloved Ginger Pye, creates a world where a young girl's imagination transforms an urban space into something extraordinary. Connie approaches each day with curiosity and wonder, finding beauty in places others might overlook. Her alley becomes a stage for childhood adventures, musical discoveries, and amateur detective work. This is the story of a girl who sees her small corner of Brooklyn as vast with potential.
Genres: fiction, family-life, 20th-century, mystery, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, small-town
Setting: Brooklyn
Period: 20th-century
271 pages · Hardcover · Harcourt