The Last Newspaper Boy in America
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
Big Heart + Big Brain = Funny, Feel Good Fiction!
Wil?s sidearm throw can land a paper on your porch from twenty yards out. But he doesn?t know if he?ll be able to put his unusual talent to use because the big newspaper company has canceled delivery to Wil?s small town.
Well, that was the paper?s first mistake. Underestimating Wil was the second. With physics, his clueless brother, and a neighbor girl on his side, Wil fights to save his route. Along the way he just might unravel a carnival mystery, expose a con artist, rescue his little town, and become a big hero. Sue Corbett?s hilarious dialogue, nonstop action, and one-of-a-kind family story herald a rising star of middle-grade fiction.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Corbett (Free Baseball), a journalist and PW contributor, writes an energetic story of a boy whose passion saves the spirit of his small town of Steele, Pa. Twelve-year-old Wil cannot wait to take over his brother Sonny's paper route, a job that has been in his family for decades. So when the publishers of the Cooper County Caller decide to cut costs by eliminating delivery to Steele, Wil takes action ("He has a tendency to argue his point until the other person collapses from fatigue," his mother remarks). But Wil discovers that he has more to contend with than losing his job when the town clairvoyant gives him some ominous advice "You must watch carefully." His suspicion mounts when the Cooper County Fair opens and no one is able to win the large cash prize in the Cover the Spot game. In addition to trying to save his route, Wil assigns himself the task of solving that mystery ("Steele Boy Opens Investigation," reads one of the headline-style chapter openers), bringing his community together in the process. Corbett's graceful dialogue, lovingly drawn characters and clever plot form a timely and refreshing tale. Ages 10 up.