Michelson Richard - Fascinating: The Life of Leonard Nimoy

FASCINATING
THE LIFE OF LEONARD NIMOY
by RICHARD MICHELSON
illustrated by EDEL RODRIGUEZ
Alfred A. Knopf New York

FASCINATING
THE LIFE OF LEONARD NIMOY
by RICHARD MICHELSON
illustrated by EDEL RODRIGUEZ
Alfred A. Knopf New York

For Leonard (in memoriam) and Susan, with gratitude.
Thank you for welcoming me into your lives.
I have been, and always shall be, your friend.
R.M.

For Gabrielle and Sofia
E.R.

THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF

Text copyright 2016 by Richard Michelson
Cover art and interior illustrations copyright 2016 by Edel Rodriguez
The character Mr. Spock is copyrighted by CBS Studios Inc., 1966.

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of
Random House Childrens Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

Knopf, Borzoi Books, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

Visit us on the Web! randomhousekids.com

Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at RHTeachersLibrarians.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Michelson, Richard, author. | Rodriguez, Edel, illustrator.
Title: Fascinating : the life of Leonard Nimoy / by Richard Michelson ; illustrated by Edel Rodriguez.
Description: First edition. | New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2016
Identifiers: LCCN 2015029967 | ISBN9781101933305 (trade) | ISBN9781101933312 (lib. bdg.)
Ebook ISBN9781101933329
Subjects: LCSH: Nimoy, LeonardJuvenile literature. | ActorsUnited StatesBiography
Juvenile literature.
Classification: LCC PN2287.N55 M53 2016 | DDC 791.4302/8092dc23

Random House Childrens Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.

v4.1

ld-am

L enny took a deep breath and looked out at the playhouse stage. Just that
morning, he had been shooting baskets in the gym at the Elizabeth Peabody
settlement house. He hadnt even known the building had a theater.

But Mr. Chalfin, the new social director, had heard Lenny chanting the
Shema prayer with his father at Temple Beth Israel, and he needed someone
to sing God Bless America to open tonights talent show.

For Leonard (in memoriam) and Susan, with gratitude.
Thank you for welcoming me into your lives.
I have been, and always shall be, your friend.
R.M.

For Gabrielle and Sofia
E.R.

THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF

Text copyright 2016 by Richard Michelson
Cover art and interior illustrations copyright 2016 by Edel Rodriguez
The character Mr. Spock is copyrighted by CBS Studios Inc., 1966.

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of
Random House Childrens Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

Knopf, Borzoi Books, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

Visit us on the Web! randomhousekids.com

Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at RHTeachersLibrarians.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Michelson, Richard, author. | Rodriguez, Edel, illustrator.
Title: Fascinating : the life of Leonard Nimoy / by Richard Michelson ; illustrated by Edel Rodriguez.
Description: First edition. | New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2016
Identifiers: LCCN 2015029967 | ISBN9781101933305 (trade) | ISBN9781101933312 (lib. bdg.)
Ebook ISBN9781101933329
Subjects: LCSH: Nimoy, LeonardJuvenile literature. | ActorsUnited StatesBiography
Juvenile literature.
Classification: LCC PN2287.N55 M53 2016 | DDC 791.4302/8092dc23

Random House Childrens Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.

v4.1

ld-am

L enny took a deep breath and looked out at the playhouse stage. Just that
morning, he had been shooting baskets in the gym at the Elizabeth Peabody
settlement house. He hadnt even known the building had a theater.

But Mr. Chalfin, the new social director, had heard Lenny chanting the
Shema prayer with his father at Temple Beth Israel, and he needed someone
to sing God Bless America to open tonights talent show.

Lenny peered out at the audience from behind the curtain.
Was every person in Bostons West End here? He could see Stanley
and George, his best friends since kindergarten. Now it was 1939,
and they were in the third grade. And there was his brother, Mel, still
wearing his high school science-lab apron.

In the front row sat two empty chairs. One had a handwritten
sign that said RESERVED FOR MAX NIMOY. The other said AND DORA. Finally,
Lenny saw his mother hurrying down the aisle with a big grin on her
face. His father, following, was still wearing his barbers smock. He
must have come straight from his shop, where hed been cutting
hair since immigrating to Boston from Russia sixteen years ago.

Lenny peered out at the audience from behind the curtain.
Was every person in Bostons West End here? He could see Stanley
and George, his best friends since kindergarten. Now it was 1939,
and they were in the third grade. And there was his brother, Mel, still
wearing his high school science-lab apron.

In the front row sat two empty chairs. One had a handwritten
sign that said RESERVED FOR MAX NIMOY. The other said AND DORA. Finally,
Lenny saw his mother hurrying down the aisle with a big grin on her
face. His father, following, was still wearing his barbers smock. He
must have come straight from his shop, where hed been cutting
hair since immigrating to Boston from Russia sixteen years ago.

When they arrived in this country, Maxs and Doras passports were stamped alien,
and that was how they still felt. But they trusted the settlement house, which taught
immigrant families to be American. There were classes in how to boil hot dogs, and
how to brush your teeth with a toothbrush instead of a rag. There is so much to know,
it makes me dizzy, Max would moan.

The houselights went down, and the footlights went up. Reach for the stars,
Mr. Chalfin said as Lenny stepped onto the stage.

Walking home with his family, Lenny couldnt stop whistling. Such clapping
I never heard before, his mother said, beaming.

The neighbors leaned out their windows to offer congratulations. Bravo,
Mr. Basso boomed. May luck be your friend forever, lad, Mrs. Kernan sang out. Most
of the neighbors were Italian or Irish. Lenny could find his way home with his eyes closed,
just by following the smells that wafted from each tenement kitchen. Garlic meant they
were passing the Grecos apartment and were almost at 87 Chambers Street, where
he shared four small rooms with Mel, his parents, and his bubbe and zayde.

When they arrived in this country, Maxs and Doras passports were stamped alien,
and that was how they still felt. But they trusted the settlement house, which taught
immigrant families to be American. There were classes in how to boil hot dogs, and
how to brush your teeth with a toothbrush instead of a rag. There is so much to know,
it makes me dizzy, Max would moan.

The houselights went down, and the footlights went up. Reach for the stars,
Mr. Chalfin said as Lenny stepped onto the stage.

Walking home with his family, Lenny couldnt stop whistling. Such clapping
I never heard before, his mother said, beaming.

The neighbors leaned out their windows to offer congratulations. Bravo,
Mr. Basso boomed. May luck be your friend forever, lad, Mrs. Kernan sang out. Most
of the neighbors were Italian or Irish. Lenny could find his way home with his eyes closed,
just by following the smells that wafted from each tenement kitchen. Garlic meant they