Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. The Journal of Finn Reardon: A Newsie New York City, 1899. Scholastic, Inc, 2003, p. 156.
Brief plot description:
Have you ever heard the story of the Newsies? Finn goes to school during the day and goes to Newspaper Row afterward to get the Evening Journal to sell. He says that he doesn’t cheat his customers like some other newsies do. Finn feels that Racetrack, his best friend, is his brother since he only has sisters. In a good week he can make about $1.20. The family still has problems with money and is forced to move. A house fire breaks out down the road due to a change in gas. Finn lies that the fire is in the paper, but is caught. Mr. Jack Watkins, a freelance reporter, who had written the story for the Journal. Finn then tells Mr. Watkins about the newsie’s strike which has come up because they are being cheated papers. What will become of the strike? What will become of Finn Reardon?
Brief review:
I like this book because it tells the story of a boy that believed that he was not being treated fairly and that to change it he had to do something. I think that the main idea is to stick up for what you believe in and to help your family when needed. I think that the book could be read by fifth through eighth grade on an individual read. I think that the book could be used when discussing children working during old times, workers being treated unfairly by employers, and the history of newsies. This book is a great resource because of the historical note, photographs, author notes, and acknowledgments included. They provide the reader with more information.
Genre label:
Historical Fiction
Reading level/interest level:
5th-8th grade
Similar materials in style content, theme or characters:
Dreams in the Golden Country: The Diary of Zipporah Feldman, A Jewish Immigrant Girl, New York City, 1903 by Kathryn
The Traitor: Gold Mountain Chronicles: 1885 by Laurence Yep
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