Mort Ziff Is Not Dead

Fagan, Cary. Mort Ziff Is Not Dead. 2017. 176p. ISBN 978-0-14-319847-5. Available at FIC FAG on the library shelves.

Norman Fishbein is the youngest kid in his family, and his two older brothers are always picking on him. As Norman himself says, it’s as if, when he was born, they received instructions that their only goal in life was to make Norman miserable. Tormenting Norman relentlessly, Marcus and Larry are always topping each other, leaving Norman behind.

When Norman and his brothers enter a contest to guess the number of candies in a jar at the mall, they don’t expect to win, but Norman is surprised months later when he receives a letter in the mail instructing him that he won $1,000. In the winter of 1965, $1,000 is a lot of money. Instead of saving it for himself, buying things he doesn’t need, he decides that the family needs a vacation Florida. Everyone readily agrees with him, and soon the Fishbein family arrives in Miami.

There they meet the Horvath family. Their three girls are the same age as the Fishbein children, and share the same hobbies. Instead of being friends, they become instant enemies. Except for Amy and Norman. Owing no loyalty to siblings who always pick on them, they decide to bow out of this little contest and enjoy their vacation instead. They soon discover that Mort Ziff, one of the most famous comedians from the 1950s, is still working at their hotel, telling bad jokes during dinner. But with Ziff’s position threatened by a Beatles cover band, Amy and Norman come up with a plan to ensure that Ziff will keep working as long as he wants to.

Anyone who has ever been picked on by older siblings will appreciate the quiet and graceful way in which younger siblings Norman and Amy deal with being eclipsed by their brothers and sisters and how they regain a sense of being in control of their own lives. Their success at making their siblings respect them will inspire the reader to reach out to his or her family members and thank them for being part of their family.