The Last Newspaper Boy in America

by Sue Corbett

Book Overview

Wil David can t wait to take over his brother s paper route. For years it has been tradition in his family to hand over the route to the next boy in line on his twelfth birthday and Wil is just about... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525422056
• ISBN13: 9780525422051
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Length: 199 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.9" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

One for the whole family to enjoy

It has been a good long time since I've read a novel that I loved as much as I love this one. When you look at everything that makes a good book; things such as plot, character development, pacing, this book just delivers on everything. Will is a very likeable protagonist who does battle against carny crooks and big business to make sure that everyone remembers that just because you're small doesn't mean you don't count. His story is inspirational, his family is sometimes hilarious and the message here is an important one during our tough economic times. The characters are so endearing and believable that I just did not want this story to end. This is a great read for families. If you do family read alouds, this is a perfect choice. This book takes me back to summers when I was a child when we didn't have cable, every kid wasn't scheduled into every activity, and if you wanted to go somewhere you rode your bike. I'm glad there are still places like that and that there are still families like the David family (at least I hope so). If you want to share a nostalgic slice of what small town midwestern life was like when you were young and still read a contemporary novel with great characters that will make you laugh and tug at your heartstrings, share this book with every kid you know. It's an especially good choice for boys in 4th to 7th grade, younger if you read aloud. A HUGE RECOMMEND for just about anybody.

As Good As the Newbery Winner! Excellent for all ages!

If you are looking for a book to read, whether you are 12 or 92, The Last Newspaper Boy in America is my pick. The main character, Wil of Steele, and his family will become your friends and stay with you long after you have read the last page and closed the cover. This is a book I would read a second and third time. We live in an age where people are marginalized into commodoties and are sacrificed for the bottom line. So many people today can relate to a family struggling because someone lost a job. But putting aside any lessons that may come from this story-- what wins here is the emotional relationships, the strong characters and the mystery to be solved. It keeps you turning the pages. Also, you might become hungry while reading because some of the characters are such good cooks. I highly recommend this book. If your child can't read yet, read it to them a chapter a night. THIS IS GREAT STORYTELLING! I read this the same week as I read the 2010 Newbery winner, and this book should've won too, and if you like this one, Ms. Corbett has two other middle grade novels, 12 Again and Free Baseball, that you would enjoy.The Last Newspaper Boy in America

A winning paper tale

Wil has been hurling newspapers with bullseye-on-the-front-porch accuracy since he was 3, but he had to wait until he was 12 to take over the paper route handed down through his family. But the morning of his birthday, he finds out that the newspaper is stopping home delivery to the depressed town of Steele. A mix of realistic fiction, quirky characters, adventure and heartfelt humor make this paper tale a winner for me, and I particularly like the chapter titles (Steel Boy Inks Outraged Message to Publisher; Psychic Forecasts Struggle for Last Newspaper Boy in America) written in headline style. Recommended for upper elementary and early middle school readers, as well as to families and teachers for read aloud. It would be a lot of fun to build classroom newspaper activities around this book. But most of all, The Last Newspaper Boy in America is just a heck of a lot of fun to read

Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children

Just one more day and Wil David would turn twelve, finally old enough to take over the newspaper delivery route from his older brother (and before him his older brother, and their father, and their grandfather, and even their great grandfather). He had dreamed about that day for so long, the day he could finally start earning enough money to buy his own laptop computer. Wil was understandably devastated when the circulation manager called their house to say that The Cooper County Caller would end home delivery to their small town, Steele. Further digging yielded an explanation: the company that owned the newspaper decided that Steele had become unprofitable and unappealing to advertisers, who wanted the paper to circulate in high quality routes with large markets for their products. The population in Steele was starting to dwindle in size and in purchasing power, especially since the main source of employment, the hairpin factory, had closed. Refusing to accept this justification, Wil embarked on a mission to save his job as newspaper boy, and also to provide residents in Steele with continued delivery of the news and information to which they were entitled. Little did he realize that this undertaking would become enmeshed with an undercover sting operation involving a carnival swindler, a large amount of money, and a ferocious dog named Jake. This meticulously-written novel gets two thumbs up, particularly for the well-developed characters and the rich infusion of economics lessons from start to finish. The town's economic slump and growing unemployment, Wil's desire to save up for a laptop, and the economic history behind the development and the closure of the hairpin factory are all skillfully woven into an interesting storyline that will grab the attention of middle grade readers.