Reader Recommendations

Park Slope has so much to offer during the summer.  Here’s a look at the things we find new and exciting this season. If you have something you would like to share, send it along to us at office@psreader.com.

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC

Celebrate Brooklyn! – Concerts in Prospect Park
The beautiful thing about living close to Prospect Park is that you have all the benefits of a back yard without having to do the mowing. During the summer, the park burst with activity. Day and night you will find ways to occupy your time. My absolute favorite way to spend a summer evening is by taking in a free concert at the band shell. The space is large enough to accommodate a crowd, without feeling cramped. There are options to sit in chairs, close to the stage or to bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic on the hill, as you take in the surroundings as a whole. There isn’t a bad seat in the place. Performers cross all music styles to suit any mood. Dance your heart out to Latin beats, sing-along with Dan Zane, relax with the Philharmonic, or just try something new. This eclectic series runs throughout the summer. For a full listing, visit www.bricartsmedia.org.

SOMETHING FOR YOUR SUMMER READING LIST

Dewey Decimal System by Nathan Larson [Akashik Books]
Akashik, a Park Slope-based publisher brings you post-apocalyptic noir set in New York City. The city is ravished and desolate after a series of attacks followed by a flu pandemic. Dewey Decimal, dealing with the day-to-day perils of life, finds solace in the public library taking stock of its collection. His memory spotty, the war-vet makes his way working as an enforcer for the questionable District Attorney. As what appears to be a simple assignment becomes more complicated, Dewey finds himself questioning what is the truth and who he can trust. Snarky, cynical and written with a vernacular all it’s own, Dewey Decimal System is the perfect page-turner for summer.

A SIMPLE SLICE OF HEAVEN

South Brooklyn Pizza
447 First Street at Seventh Avenue (718) 832-1022
63 Fourth Avenue at Bergen Street (718) 399-7770
Mon-Sun 12pm-4am
There is definitely something to be said for simplicity, especially when it comes to food. I admire the confidence to do one thing and do it well – and South Brooklyn Pizza Does pizza well. The original Carroll Gardens pizzeria has opened two spots in Park Slope, covering both north and south. Perhaps you have noticed the newly painted façade across the street from P.S. 321. It’s tiny, offering a few well-positioned tables inside and on the sidewalk. The menu is incredibly simple – pizza, Margherita or Sicilian (Grandma Pie), by the slice or entire pie. There are no other options and once you taste their delicious pizza, you will realize that it’s perfect as is. If you’re looking to finish with something sweet, they even offer chocolate chip cookies.

COOK LIKE A MASTER

Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibanez [Wiley, Johnson & Sons, Inc.]
If you haven’t yet had a meal at Fonda (434 Seventh Avenue) you are missing out on a truly great experience. Chef Roberto Santibanez clearly loves food, loves cooking and, fortunately, is happy to share. Flip through his cookbook. At first glance, the recipes in his book Truly Mexican seem complicated. But they are not. Chef Santibanez takes great care to explain the ingredients, their textures, nuances and flavors. What he offers is more than recipes, but instead a new approach to cooking. Instructions explain the desired outcome rather than just descriptions of what to do. He takes into account variations in sizes and temperatures. Read carefully and you will learn technique. Truly Mexican is about the building blocks of Mexican cuisine, focusing on the sauces – salsas, moles and adobos. Once you learn the basics there are a number of variations. The differences in the ingredients may be slight, the outcome not so. Master the basics and you will find a whole new realm of cooking.

THE URBAN DRIVE-IN

Rooftop Cinemas
What’s better than relaxing in the night-time air and watching a movie?  The only thing that makes this experience better is having the city skyline as your backdrop.  Like an urban version of the drive-in, the non-profit organization Rooftop Cinemas brings cinema to the open air.  Because the screenings are above the city streets, the urban landscape and its noises fall away.  Your focus is on the cinema experience.  The Rooftop Cinemas Summer series brings a variety of films to rooftops throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.  Recognized as one of the “most dynamic film festivals in the world,” the summer schedule includes films from a wide range of genres– shorts, documentaries, family films, and the truly independent are all represented. You can see the Summer Series schedule and purchase tickets on their website www.rooftopfilms.com.

PROJECTS FOR A RAINY DAY

ScrapKins Build-It Book Volume 1: 12 Things You Can Make From Junk! by Brian Yanish [Crackle Press]
Welcome to Scrap City where you will meet The ScrapKins: Wrecks, Swooper, Itcher, Chomper, Digger and Stacker. With them, you will learn how to create fun projects out of the items that end up in our garbage bins. The ScrapKins come from a New York and Brooklyn-based creative organization that aims to “encourage creativity and resourcefulness through stories and recycled art projects.” The book offers a variety of opportunities for kids to express themselves. The templates include simple illustrated instructions that allow kids to take the creative reigns. More complex projects and require the assistance of an adult, which provides the perfect opportunity for adults to get involved and creative. ScrapKins Build-It Book is recommended for kids 6-9 years old. Visit www.scrapkins.com to learn more about The ScrapKins and find free projects.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TEAM

Brooklyn Cyclones
I can’t think of a better way to spend a summer day than going to Coney Island for a Cyclones game.  I’ll be honest I’m not much of a sports fan, but I do catch the fever when I’m out seeing this minor league team.  The stadium, MCU Park, is smaller than the major league ones, which brings you up close to the action. The Cyclones  (a farm team for the Mets) play solid baseball against other division teams – their biggest rival is the Staten Island Yankees.  During the sweltering heat, the sea air is refreshing.  It’s a day at the beach, with baseball.  And it’s a full day.  Get in before the game for a ride on the Cyclone roller coaster and a walk along the boardwalk.  During the game pick up a Nathan’s hot dog (the original location is just down the block).  Fireworks follow Friday and Saturday games throughout the summer, rounding out the perfect experience.  Regular season play lasts through September 4th.  To see the full schedule and purchase tickets visit the Brooklyn Cyclone’s website, www.brooklyncyclones.com.

No Passengers Beyond This Point
by Gennifer Choldenko
Dial Books For Young Readers
244 pages

I only recently got around to watching Lost. My husband and I plowed through all 6 seasons in a few weeks. I was a reluctant convert, but I eventually became pretty addicted. And in my withdrawal, I was craving something Lost-like—preferably a book. Something with a little of the mystery still intact at the end, perhaps. Something for a young audience. And lo and behold, it fell into my lap like a bird from the sky.

No Passengers Beyond This Point is the story of a family longing for home.  India, Finn and Mouse Tompkins live in a single parent household. Their father died when Mouse was an infant and their mother,  struggling on a teacher’s salary, can’t keep up with the mortgage. The kids are forced to move to Colorado to live with their Uncle Red, who they hardly know. They are given just one day’s notice before they have to fly to Denver, a few months ahead of their mother who has to finish the school year.  They are all apprehensive.  To top it all off, they have to leave the family dog, Henry, behind. Nobody is happy. They are leaving their family home and their dog to live with a stranger.  From this very emotionally charged set-up, a brilliant, dreamy adventure is born.

Their plane takes them, not to Denver (or, as the signs in the airport read: Not Denver, Not Boise, Not Chicago, etc.), but to an impossibly beautiful city.  A small, friendly guy (who looks suspiciously like a kid) takes them by pink, feathered taxi to a picture perfect neighborhood. They are greeted by skywriting, billboards, and crowds of eager fans before they enter their dream homes. And they don’t have to share—there’s one home for each of them, each containing that child’s particular obsessions, and overseen by an alternative parent. India’s house comes with a complete wardrobe, with clothes particularly suited to her taste. Mouse’s alterna-mom meets her at the door with a plate of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies in one hand and a science book in the other. She spends the day making her own volcano.  Finn’s house has it’s own basketball court with a scoreboard and dad to play with him. But the fantasy only lasts for one day.  After that, the Tompkins’s have to figure out how to find their way back to their real home—wherever that may be. Suddenly things aren’t so dreamy anymore.

Gennifer Choldenko does not waste pages explaining the hows and whys of the fantastical voyage. Instead she just shows it to us. Choldenko understands that we don’t need to know in excruciating detail why everything is the way it is, and how it got there.  She also knows that if there are some dots to connect, she does not need to connect them all for us.  She just needs to leave the right clues for her reader. And that she does. She also knows how to create funny and poignant family dynamic, with beautifully and economically drawn characters.  The dialogue is snappy and full of wit, even though the situation the family faces is harrowing.
I do have a couple of minor quibbles. The oldest sibling, India is central to the story, but she is the least likable character. Her dialogue is great—with some nice little wisecracks and jaded teenage insights.  But the narrative from her perspective often seems a bit familiar, and too much like that of a standard   bitter adolescent—excessively self-absorbed. That might be accurate, but it can be hard to empathize with her. I wish that she were struggling with a bit more than how she can get back to her best friend, Maddy. Or if that is indeed what she’s struggling with, that we could see why it’s a such a struggle to leave her behind when Maddy seems like a pretty lousy friend.

I also wish we didn’t reach the final act so quickly.  I would love to have a bit more of the world they’ve been cast in—which is an amazing child’s fantasy. The houses, the taxi, the mysterious dark shoots, the odd politics and the byzantine establishment that runs it all are fascinating and original. I really wanted to languish in it longer, and I think kids will want to as well.

Overall, No Passengers Beyond this Point is a delightful and poignant adventure with lots of memorable dialogue and characters. And the cherry on top is how this novel resolves itself. I will not undermine the author by connecting the dots when she’s left them for you to connect. But readers will be very pleased with the picture this story creates and with themselves for helping to complete it.

Spring has finally arrived! It’s time to get out and explore everything that is blooming in Park Slope. With everything that happens in the neighborhood, where do you start?  We have suggestions. Explore some of our favorite books, activities and events this season. If you have something you would like to share, send it along to us at office@psreader.com.

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
P.S. 39 Spring Carnival
P.S. 39, 417 Sixth Avenue June 4, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Born out of a simple plant sale to raise funds for P.S. 39, the school’s annual Spring Carnival has grown into a full day of events and activities. Offering something for everyone, Carnival events and activities will include: pony rides, live Bluegrass music, clowns, games, prizes, face-painting, raffles, crafts and fantastic local food. Park Slope business owners and residents donate art, food and raffle items, adding to the community aspect. Admission is free and all precedes from the event support the school. Keep an eye on the P.S. 39 website, www.ps39.org, for more details.

FRIENDS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT
Beasties: How to Make 22 Mischievous Monsters That Go Bump in the Night by Diana Schoenbrun [Penguin]
Park Slope illustrator Diana Schonebrun has true creative insight. Her Beasties are imaginative, playful, and a bit tongue-in-check. To be perfectly honest, they’re right up my alley. In her book, Beasties, she provides sewing patterns for 22 of her creatures so you can sew yourself. The accompanying illustrations are irresistible as each finished piece is photographed in a setting that tells a story and something about its personality. The instructions are simple and easy to follow, and allow room for you own creative input. If you are new to sewing, this may be the perfect book to build up your skills. With the book’s no muss, no fuss attitude, you will feel like one of Santa’s elves when you complete The first one. If you have been sewing for a while, it offers a refreshing break from the standard. Just try and decide which one to make first.

BROOYKLYN IN BLOOM
Hamani: Celebrating the Cherry Blossom
Brooklyn Botanical Garden April 2 – May 1
With the Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s annual Cherry Blossom celebration, you know that spring has officially arrived. As you stroll the grounds, take in the beauty of these delicate blossoms. Forty-two different varieties of cherry blossoms are scheduled to bloom at different times during this four-week period. You can learn more as BBG offers free walking tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm, explaining the highlights of the exhibit. The festival culminates with Sakura Matsuri, a “rite of spring” celebration of Japanese culture on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1. For more information, visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s website www.bbg.org

ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN
Small Acts of Resistance: How Courage, Tenacity, and Ingenuity Can Change the World By Steve Crawshaw & John Jackson (forward by Vaclav Havel) [Union Square]
In this book, authors Steve Crawshaw and John Jackson (a Park Slope resident) celebrate the people around the world who took small steps to fight against injustice. In some cases, these smallest acts of resistance could prove dangerous for the protester, even life-threatening. Despite the risks, they found creative, non-violent means to provoke true change. The examples in this book prove that no act is too small; a single person can make a difference. In total, the book relays over 80 examples of bravery throughout the 20 and 21st Centuries. From boycotts of government-run news, to withholding sex, to staging pageants in war-torn areas, people have stood against their oppressors. On it’s own each story is more inspiring than the next. Collectively, they provide hope in an ever-changing world.

KIDS PARTIES MADE SIMPLE
Cheeky Monkey Party
It’s an ingenious idea: an entire party using colorful, reusable materials. Goodbye flimsy plastic party favors. Not sure how to organize a kid-centered party? Brooklyn mom Joanna Tallantine’s Cheeky Monkey Party, Inc. supplies everything you need. Each kit includes, a craft project, a game, a prize for each quest and gift bags for each guest. It also comes with instructions and tips to ensure your party is a success. A variety of themes (princess, pirate, under the sea) are available or you can mix and match to create your own special theme. Check out all your options at the Cheeky Monkey Party website www.cheekymonkeyparty.com.

HAVE A BALL
Bocce at Union Hall
Bocce seems to be a bit of a Brooklyn phenomenon. With outdoor courts in Carroll Gardens and McCarren Park, locals have ample opportunity to perfect their rolling skills. As sports go it’s very meditative; balls are rolled in a calculating manner and moves are well planned. It possesses the physics of pool, but allows more camaraderie and team play. Park Slope bocce enthusiasts are particularly fortunate. With only indoor bocce courts in Brooklyn, at Union Hall rollers are able to play year-round. Want to pick up some pointers? On Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights, you can root for your favorite teams in the seasonal bocce tournaments. It’s the perfect way to spend the evening. For more information visit Union Hall’s website www.unionhallny.com

GET DOWN AND DIRTY
Talking Dirt by Annie Spiegelman [Perigee]
My experiences with gardening aren’t what you would call “successful.” Attempts at window boxes and potted plants in the past have yielded anemic plants that resemble E.T. (during his “phone home” phase) more than pansies. Thankfully, Annie Spiegelman with her trowel, garden gloves and a sense of humor tackles all aspects of organic gardening. Her focus is on sustainable. With easy to follow steps, she takes you through each and every aspect of gardening from soil to pruning and from herbs to fruit trees. She makes the steps to growing your own organic garden seem achievable. The books is also chocked full of handy resources and suggestions. At the end of every chapter, she offers a plant recommendation based on the skills you just learned. Each one is paired with her “Universal Botanical Whaa-whaa Rating,” which is based on “practical merit” as well as “level of whining.” Throughout the book, she also explains the importance of organic gardening and its advantages over using harsh chemical pesticides. If you feel inspired by the buds sprouting from the thaw, Talking Dirt can assist you in creating your own piece of paradise.

A HIDDEN GEM IN NEW YORK HARBOR
Figment Festival, Governors Island June 10-12
Over the past four years, for me at least, the annual FIGMENT Festival on Governors Island marks the beginning of summer. This free art event converts the small island into a wonderland of art, music, and activities for adults and children alike. When you arrive at FIGMENT, you’ll have the opportunity to experience 400 art pieces, projects, and performances. They share one common theme: you are asked to participate, create, and engage. A former military base in New York Harbor, Governors Island was closed the public for many years. Now open from May through October, it functions as a state park. During this time, a free ferry provides transportation to and from lower Manhattan and Brooklyn to the festival. And who doesn’t like a ferry ride? To learn more, visit the FIGMENT website, figmentproject.org.

Looking for something to occupy your time in the cold weather? Here are a few things that peak our interest for the snowy season. With everything going on in and around Park Slope, narrowing the list to just a few selections was difficult. We managed to whittle our recommendations down to a list of our favorites; they are too good to keep to ourselves. If you have something you would like to share, send it along to us at office@psreader.com.

SWEET TREATS THAT SAVE LIVES
Rescue Chocolate
Sarah Gross has a knack for developing delicious chocolates. She also loves her rescued dog. When she realized that she could combine her talent with her passion, Rescue Chocolate was born. This Brooklyn-based company offers a variety of chocolates to satisfy your sweet. With fun names like “Peanut Butter Pit Bull” and “The Fix,” Rescue Chocolate brings awareness to animal issues. They also donate all of the net proceeds from your purchase to animal rescue organizations around the country. The chocolate is 100% vegan, yet tastes rich, sweet and decadent. The bright packaging for each chocolate bar includes information about the pet overpopulation problem and features the image of an adorable rescue animal. Chocolate is hard to resist on its own, but those puppy-dog eyes will melt your heart. Rescue Chocolate is available locally at Blue Apron Foods. You can also order it online to be shipped, or pick up your purchase at their Grand Army Plaza headquarters. To learn more (and order chocolate) check out the Rescue Chocolate website, www.rescuechocolate.com

A NEW TWIST ON AN OLD FAVORITE
Radio Happy Hour
I have serious nostalgic feelings about radio shows – visions of families sitting close to the radio, rapt with attention. I know I’m not alone with these feelings; Garrison Keeler has Prairie Home Companion, and in the movie A Christmas Story young Ralphie obsesses over Little Orphan Annie. Happily, modern technology is able indulge my nostalgia. This is the case with Radio Happy Hour, a monthly variety show recorded (frequently at Le Poisson Rouge in the West Village and occasionally at The Bell House in Park Slope) in front of a live audience. The show has an old-time format to it, combining music, comedy, audience participation and a murder mystery. Celebrity guests (who have included Norah Jones, Chuck Klosterman, and Jesse Eisenberg) are invited to play trivia and participate as characters in the murder mystery plot. A mix of writers, actors and musicians makes for an unpredictable, and hilarious evening. It’s smart, irreverent, and funny – a fully entertaining experience. You can listen to the podcasts of these hour-long adventures on the website radiohappyhour.com, or get in on the action by going to see a performance in person.

THE SECRETS TO YOGA AND LIFE EXPLORED
Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses by Clarie Dederer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Though set in North Seattle, this book could easily take place in Park Slope. Ten years ago Claire Dederer began taking yoga classes to ease back pains she experienced when breast-feeding her daughter. What she thought would be a physical whim turned into a spiritual practice that not only alleviated the problems with her back, but larger concerns in her life. Each chapter is devoted to a specific yoga position, which she uses as a tool to meditate on her past and present. With each pose she becomes stronger and more self-aware. While juggling the pressures of being a working mother and trying to accommodate all of the needs and expectations of her family, she finds solace in yoga. Sprinkled in is the history of yoga and spiritual background. It serves as a perfect introduction to yoga as Claire explains the origins of the poses and her experiences in finding them. We learn how yoga worked for her, and by extension can work for you. Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) by Claire Dederer is available in bookstores December 23, 2010.

A DARK SATIRE FOR THE COLD NIGHTS
John Gabriel Borkman by Henrik Ibsen in a new version by Frank McGuiness. BAM Jan 7—Feb 6, 2011
Financial greed, embez-zlement, prison, and reinvention are at the center of Henrik Ibsen’s play John Gabrield Borkman. Originally written by Ibsen in 1896, Frank McGuiness of the Abbey Theatre in Ireland brings this new adaptation to the United States for the first time. Alan Rickman plays the title character, an unrepentant banker who has spent the past five years in prison for embezzlement. Upon his return home, he finds coldness and isolation from his wife, Gunhild (played by Fiona Shaw) and family. Matters are complicated further when Borkman’s former love, who happens to be Gunhild’s twin sister, arrives. This dark satire, though written over one hundred years ago resonates with the modern times. BAM hosts John Gabriel Borkman January 7 – February 6, 2011. To learn more and order tickets visit www.bam.org.

THE COOKBOOK THAT COMBATS GLOBAL WARMING
The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman [Simon & Schuster]
In Food Matters, Mark Bittman discusses how the way we eat impacts the world. He explains how changing your diet will not only help you lose weight, but make you healthier and help combat global warming. The companion, The Food Matters Cookbook, offers recipes to “eat slow and stop global warming.” It provides the guidelines for what he calls “responsible eating.” This involves cutting back on the calories in your diet that come from animal-based products, while increasing the amount from fruits, nuts, vegetables, and whole grains. What he creates is a diet not of denying food groups and ingredients, but of balance. The recipes are complex in flavor, but simple to make. This is not a vegetarian cookbook; it includes recipes using meat, seafood, poultry and dairy. What he does is simply reduce the portion sizes of animal products, so they are represented in the meal, but not central. Anyone with a sweet tooth shouldn’t fear either; according to Bittman dessert is not a taboo. The book also contains useful information for variations, substitutions and where to find local, seasonal, sustainable foods. With The Food Matters Cookbook (Simon & Schuster), you find that responsible eating can be simple and satisfying.

RING IN THE NEW YEAR
Chinese New Year: Feb 3rd – 6th, The Year of the Rabbit
February 3rd rings in the Year of the Rabbit on the lunar calendar. If you have never been in Chinatown during the Lunar New Year celebrations, it’s only a short subway ride away. The festivities kick off on February 3rd with a flower market and culminate on Sunday, February 6th with a fireworks demonstration and the 12th Annual Lunar New Year Parade and Festival. As the streets of Chinatown fill with people popping confetti tubes (a safer alternative to fireworks) lion and dragon dancers parade along street stopping into local businesses to bring good fortune in the year ahead. Immediately following the official parade, musicians and dancers open the festival. So grab a moon cake and join in the celebrations. You can learn more about the festival details by visiting www.explorechinatown.com.