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Who's Got Mail?: The History of Mail in America
A fascinating history of the US Post Office for kids, from acclaimed author Linda Barrett Osborne
“In America, one of the first things done in a new State is to have the mail come.” —Alexis de Toqueville, 1835
Who’s Got Mail? is an intriguing and fact-filled look at how the mail has been delivered in the United States since before the Constitution was even signed. In the United States, the spread of the postal service went hand in hand with the spread of democracy and transportation. As settlement spread west, communication became even more important to let distant residents feel that they were American; no part of the country was too far away, no village or farm too small to have access to the post.
Moreover, the Post Office has always been a public service—it was not originally designed to make a profit or act like a business, but to deliver letters, medical supplies, packages ordered through catalogs, and all the things that Americans need at a reasonable cost. Over the centuries, it has also been one of the largest employers in the United States, particularly as a means for African Americans and women to secure stable, middle-class jobs.
Full of eccentric characters, great stories, and technological achievements, this fun middle-grade narrative nonfiction celebrates one of our oldest and strongest institutions and is a true testament to the spirit of American democracy.
“In America, one of the first things done in a new State is to have the mail come.” —Alexis de Toqueville, 1835
Who’s Got Mail? is an intriguing and fact-filled look at how the mail has been delivered in the United States since before the Constitution was even signed. In the United States, the spread of the postal service went hand in hand with the spread of democracy and transportation. As settlement spread west, communication became even more important to let distant residents feel that they were American; no part of the country was too far away, no village or farm too small to have access to the post.
Moreover, the Post Office has always been a public service—it was not originally designed to make a profit or act like a business, but to deliver letters, medical supplies, packages ordered through catalogs, and all the things that Americans need at a reasonable cost. Over the centuries, it has also been one of the largest employers in the United States, particularly as a means for African Americans and women to secure stable, middle-class jobs.
Full of eccentric characters, great stories, and technological achievements, this fun middle-grade narrative nonfiction celebrates one of our oldest and strongest institutions and is a true testament to the spirit of American democracy.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published May 2, 2023
14 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Linda Barrett Osborne
19 books15 followersLinda Barrett Osborne is the author of several books for children on African American history, including Abrams’ Traveling the Freedom Road. She is a senior writer and editor in the Library of Congress’s Publishing Office. She lives in Washington, DC.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 5, 2024
So interesting to learn about the history of the US Postal Service. Some things I knew, but many I did not. Loved how it was organized chapter to chapter.
April 30, 2024
Very informative, but failed to be as engaging as I'd hoped it would be. Perhaps this is because I listened to it via audiobook? Hate to admit it, but unfortunately I found myself bored while listening, despite my interest in the subject. The fact that the narrator continually put on silly voices while quoting various speakers was grating, too, to say the least.
March 2, 2024
I read this book with starts and stops never quite remembering where I left off. I guess that means it wasn’t very engaging for me. I did find part of it interesting though. I especially appreciated the inclusion of how various diverse groups of people—Latinx, African Americans, women, Native Americans—were excluded from or benefitted from essential postal services and employment.
February 11, 2023
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
What's mail? Younger readers might ask this, but they are the ones who most need this fantastic book about a very important service of the US government. I had over 20 pen pals when I was in middle school, from all over the globe, and still retrieve my mail every day with a feeling of anticipation, so I found this fascinating!
Did you know that Benjamin Franklin was the first post master? And that his mission was to develop a system whereby everyone could get mail because it was the only way to make sure the public got news? Even if you knew that, did you know that post roads were created to help get the mail delivered in a timely fashion, and that rivers and railway lines could be designated as post roads? There was a lot of information that seemed familiar, but which was presented in such a way that it made me keep turning the page.
The first half of the book goes through the history of the importance of mail delivery. How was the department organized, how did mail get delivered, and what was the importance of mail to everyday people. This even sparked some conversations with friends about Rural Free Delivery in the 1890s; my friend was raised in rural Iowa and remembers walking uptown to get mail from a post box in the 1960s; even the address on tax documents was just "local" and the city! What I found especially interesting were the problems with increased demands on the postal service in the 1960s and 70s that lead to zip codes and some restructuring.
There is a lot of information on the role of Blacks, women, and other marginalized people pertaining to the postal service. Those were fascinating, and could lead to some excellent National History Day projects! There are a surprising number of photographs along side the text, and there are footnotes, a selected bibliography, and credits for all of the photographs at the back. This shouldn't be noteworthy, but as I've been having lessons with students about crediting sources, I've seen a lot of nonfiction books lately that don't do this. I'm impressed with Barrett Osbourne's thorough research, as well as the engaging was in which she delivers the information.
Of course, the most pressing question if what will happen to the postal service, and there is a brief mention that it holds a lot of emotion for many people. Certainly, the ability to get information and supplies to even the most far flung places in the US (deliveries are still made to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by mule!) remains, even in this day of e mail and FedEx deliveries. But as technology improves and the emotional attachment fades, what will be the role of the post office?
As someone who can still remember the stamps I used in 1979 (the yellow windmills were my favorite; 15 cents sent a standard letter), I found myself wanting to share a fact on nearly every page with someone. This is a great addition to a collection of oddly compelling narrative nonfiction that includes Balis' Bringing Down a President, Spradlin's Close Calls, Bartoletti's 2001 Black Potatoes and Blumenthal's Let Me Play. This might just be my nominee for the Cybils' Award in nonfiction next year!
What's mail? Younger readers might ask this, but they are the ones who most need this fantastic book about a very important service of the US government. I had over 20 pen pals when I was in middle school, from all over the globe, and still retrieve my mail every day with a feeling of anticipation, so I found this fascinating!
Did you know that Benjamin Franklin was the first post master? And that his mission was to develop a system whereby everyone could get mail because it was the only way to make sure the public got news? Even if you knew that, did you know that post roads were created to help get the mail delivered in a timely fashion, and that rivers and railway lines could be designated as post roads? There was a lot of information that seemed familiar, but which was presented in such a way that it made me keep turning the page.
The first half of the book goes through the history of the importance of mail delivery. How was the department organized, how did mail get delivered, and what was the importance of mail to everyday people. This even sparked some conversations with friends about Rural Free Delivery in the 1890s; my friend was raised in rural Iowa and remembers walking uptown to get mail from a post box in the 1960s; even the address on tax documents was just "local" and the city! What I found especially interesting were the problems with increased demands on the postal service in the 1960s and 70s that lead to zip codes and some restructuring.
There is a lot of information on the role of Blacks, women, and other marginalized people pertaining to the postal service. Those were fascinating, and could lead to some excellent National History Day projects! There are a surprising number of photographs along side the text, and there are footnotes, a selected bibliography, and credits for all of the photographs at the back. This shouldn't be noteworthy, but as I've been having lessons with students about crediting sources, I've seen a lot of nonfiction books lately that don't do this. I'm impressed with Barrett Osbourne's thorough research, as well as the engaging was in which she delivers the information.
Of course, the most pressing question if what will happen to the postal service, and there is a brief mention that it holds a lot of emotion for many people. Certainly, the ability to get information and supplies to even the most far flung places in the US (deliveries are still made to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by mule!) remains, even in this day of e mail and FedEx deliveries. But as technology improves and the emotional attachment fades, what will be the role of the post office?
As someone who can still remember the stamps I used in 1979 (the yellow windmills were my favorite; 15 cents sent a standard letter), I found myself wanting to share a fact on nearly every page with someone. This is a great addition to a collection of oddly compelling narrative nonfiction that includes Balis' Bringing Down a President, Spradlin's Close Calls, Bartoletti's 2001 Black Potatoes and Blumenthal's Let Me Play. This might just be my nominee for the Cybils' Award in nonfiction next year!
April 17, 2023
I had so much fun when my kids and I visited Washington, D.C., and visited the National Postal Museum, so I was excited to read a review copy of Who’s Got Mail?: The History of Mail in America by Linda Barrett Osborne (Abrams Books, May 2023). This middle-grade nonfiction book covers the details of the history and significance of mail services in the U.S., from before the founding of the country until today.
The first few chapters follow a timeline structure to the development of the postal services as they are today, beginning with details about mail delivery before the U.S. was even a nation. I was shocked at what I learned about national mail services before and during the Civil War. For example, some mail departments in the South refused to deliver any anti-slavery materials! Also, the effect of the Pony Express (which always seemed to be an emphasized part of American history) was just a footnote in the expansive history of mail services.
The history of U.S. postal services has some memorable facts. I loved the silly stories, such as the mailing of children. I hadn’t known any of the facts about the development of mail services from the early years into the governmental establishment of zip codes and the USPS in 1971. It is amazing to read how quickly mail became such an integral part of American culture in the 1960s. There was such an increase in mail volume that some post offices had to close for a time in order to catch up with all the overflowing mail.
Other chapters in the book talked about specific issues in mail service, including significant people working in various post offices throughout history and some of the unfortunate racist policies of post offices through even modern years. These chapters were simply not as interesting to me as the more story-focused history chapters had been. As a part of the history of the postal system, it was an important addition, but the book seemed to lose its momentum as the history book turned into more of a reference book.
The ending chapter and the epilogue do discuss the major difficulties that the USPS faces to this day and possible solutions to those issues. Although personal mail delivery has largely been replaced by digital communications, I hope that the difficulties that the USPS faces will be resolved so we can still enjoy the traditional delivery of mail that feels like receiving a “hug” when we open that envelope.
Who’s Got Mail? would be a useful reference for anyone studying the history of U.S. mail services, or anyone interested in how American history had an effect on the seemingly ordinary aspect of life that is mail delivery. Stamp collectors would also enjoy this glimpse into the USPS’s history.
(I enjoyed reading this so soon after reading and reviewing the picture book Sallie Bee Writes a Thank-You Note, which reminded me how much physical mail can make someone’s day!)
The first few chapters follow a timeline structure to the development of the postal services as they are today, beginning with details about mail delivery before the U.S. was even a nation. I was shocked at what I learned about national mail services before and during the Civil War. For example, some mail departments in the South refused to deliver any anti-slavery materials! Also, the effect of the Pony Express (which always seemed to be an emphasized part of American history) was just a footnote in the expansive history of mail services.
The history of U.S. postal services has some memorable facts. I loved the silly stories, such as the mailing of children. I hadn’t known any of the facts about the development of mail services from the early years into the governmental establishment of zip codes and the USPS in 1971. It is amazing to read how quickly mail became such an integral part of American culture in the 1960s. There was such an increase in mail volume that some post offices had to close for a time in order to catch up with all the overflowing mail.
Other chapters in the book talked about specific issues in mail service, including significant people working in various post offices throughout history and some of the unfortunate racist policies of post offices through even modern years. These chapters were simply not as interesting to me as the more story-focused history chapters had been. As a part of the history of the postal system, it was an important addition, but the book seemed to lose its momentum as the history book turned into more of a reference book.
The ending chapter and the epilogue do discuss the major difficulties that the USPS faces to this day and possible solutions to those issues. Although personal mail delivery has largely been replaced by digital communications, I hope that the difficulties that the USPS faces will be resolved so we can still enjoy the traditional delivery of mail that feels like receiving a “hug” when we open that envelope.
Who’s Got Mail? would be a useful reference for anyone studying the history of U.S. mail services, or anyone interested in how American history had an effect on the seemingly ordinary aspect of life that is mail delivery. Stamp collectors would also enjoy this glimpse into the USPS’s history.
(I enjoyed reading this so soon after reading and reviewing the picture book Sallie Bee Writes a Thank-You Note, which reminded me how much physical mail can make someone’s day!)
July 10, 2024
"Who's Got Mail?" is a nonfiction book that offers an intriguing and fact-filled exploration of the history and significance of the postal service in the United States. The narrative delves into how the mail has been delivered in the U.S. since before the signing of the Constitution, highlighting the crucial role the postal service has played in the spread of democracy and transportation. As the country expanded westward, the postal service became an essential means of communication, ensuring that even the most remote residents felt connected to the nation.
The book emphasizes the postal service's role as a public service, designed not for profit but to provide essential services such as delivering letters, medical supplies, and catalog orders at a reasonable cost. It also sheds light on the postal service's significant role as one of the largest employers in the United States, offering stable, middle-class jobs to many, including Black Americans and women.
Filled with eccentric characters, captivating stories, and technological advancements, "Who's Got Mail?" celebrates the postal service as one of the country's oldest and most enduring institutions. The narrative underscores its importance to the spirit of American democracy.
While the book is informative and well-researched, it falls short in terms of excitement and engagement. The subject matter, while interesting, didn't fully captivate me as much as I'd hoped. Despite this, the book provides valuable insights into the history and impact of the postal service in the United States, making it a worthwhile read for those interested in American history and public institutions.
The book emphasizes the postal service's role as a public service, designed not for profit but to provide essential services such as delivering letters, medical supplies, and catalog orders at a reasonable cost. It also sheds light on the postal service's significant role as one of the largest employers in the United States, offering stable, middle-class jobs to many, including Black Americans and women.
Filled with eccentric characters, captivating stories, and technological advancements, "Who's Got Mail?" celebrates the postal service as one of the country's oldest and most enduring institutions. The narrative underscores its importance to the spirit of American democracy.
While the book is informative and well-researched, it falls short in terms of excitement and engagement. The subject matter, while interesting, didn't fully captivate me as much as I'd hoped. Despite this, the book provides valuable insights into the history and impact of the postal service in the United States, making it a worthwhile read for those interested in American history and public institutions.
August 31, 2024
The book was very informative and interesting. I have two criticisms though. First, this is apparently a children's book, but it is definitely more appropriate for adults based on word usage. There are so many big words that even high schoolers wouldn't understand. And second, there's no denying that there was discrimination towards women and minorities in the earlier USPS years, but the author seems to abandon all reason in pushing the ideas of injustice. For example, when discussing racism towards Black Americans, she posts a picture of a black man doing manual labor as a white worker "looks on," as if to say he wasn't willing to help because he was racist. Hello, if you look at the picture, you'll see the white man has a gun, which means he is a postal guard! If he assisted in pushing the mail cart, he would be neglecting his duties of watching for theft! Also, it was mentioned that a Latino worker was discriminated against because he wasn't given the position of postmaster in his town. The man couldn't speak English and he couldn't read or write. This would be very problematic for a person in a managerial-like position. So no, it wasn't racism. Again, racism was an issue with the USPS, but these were terrible examples and should not have been used.
January 12, 2024
This book would work as a textbook for a middle grade US history class. It's informative!
The history of the US and the history of the US Postal Service are intertwined so much that it's almost impossible to discuss one without the other. Middle grade and high school readers will not only learn about mail by foot, by horse, by train, and by air, they will learn how communities were connected to one another by the delivery of the mail. It also documents how women and minorities had to fight to gain employment (and then promotions) in the US Postal Service.
There dozens of photographs documenting the facts of the narrative. They are instructive and interesting.
The last few chapters talk about unions and budgets as well as the pressures of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. I learned a great deal about the mail and about US history by reading this book.
The back matter includes the following:
Epilogue
Timeline
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Image Credits
Acknowledgements
Index
The history of the US and the history of the US Postal Service are intertwined so much that it's almost impossible to discuss one without the other. Middle grade and high school readers will not only learn about mail by foot, by horse, by train, and by air, they will learn how communities were connected to one another by the delivery of the mail. It also documents how women and minorities had to fight to gain employment (and then promotions) in the US Postal Service.
There dozens of photographs documenting the facts of the narrative. They are instructive and interesting.
The last few chapters talk about unions and budgets as well as the pressures of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. I learned a great deal about the mail and about US history by reading this book.
The back matter includes the following:
Epilogue
Timeline
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Image Credits
Acknowledgements
Index
May 15, 2023
I don’t know a kid that doesn’t enjoy getting a letter, card, magazine or package in the mail, and what better way to learn about how those pieces of mail make it from point-to-point than Who’s Got Mail?
Structured as a nonfiction chapter book narrative, Who’s Got Mail? features an extensive introduction, 10 chapters, an epilogue, timeline, notes, bibliography, image credits, acknowledgments and an index.
Author Linda Barrett Osborne’s conversational writing is smooth and accessible. She provides natural pause points and info boxes and illustrations/photographs help break up the text. And while meant to be read cover-to-cover, it’s fun to flip through as well — the timeline alone is worth perusing.
Who’s Got Mail? is a fascinating read that’s perfect for a classroom or personal library. It’s well-written and will appeal to kids and adults alike.
Structured as a nonfiction chapter book narrative, Who’s Got Mail? features an extensive introduction, 10 chapters, an epilogue, timeline, notes, bibliography, image credits, acknowledgments and an index.
Author Linda Barrett Osborne’s conversational writing is smooth and accessible. She provides natural pause points and info boxes and illustrations/photographs help break up the text. And while meant to be read cover-to-cover, it’s fun to flip through as well — the timeline alone is worth perusing.
Who’s Got Mail? is a fascinating read that’s perfect for a classroom or personal library. It’s well-written and will appeal to kids and adults alike.
November 11, 2023
I really enjoyed this history- and fact-filled account of the mail system in America from it's inception, up through the present day. You might think this is a rather banal topic, but it's really not! The evolution of the mail system is a reflection of many historical events and personal triumphs. I actually learned a great deal about our country's history, and found the way it was written to be very engaging and animated. The book does a nice job of highlighting the important experiences of different minority groups, and at the end, also framing the current state of the U.S. Postal Service and it's future direction.
The colorful layout is engaging as well, with Osborne including many historical photos throughout to entertain and engage the middle grade reader.
The colorful layout is engaging as well, with Osborne including many historical photos throughout to entertain and engage the middle grade reader.
March 11, 2024
This is a history of the US Postal Service (USPS). It has a lot of interesting information (facts and stories), does a really good job of providing a non-biased account, and appears to be well researched. It is a solid place for young people to do their own research into the institution. There are primary source photographs, although I would have liked more of them, such as a pictorial timeline of the evolution of the mail trucks, uniforms, logo, etc. *I read the e-arc and I will edit this to add that the finished copy has a very appealing look to it but will still likely have a very niche audience
October 9, 2023
A history of the US Postal Service from Ben Franklin to the Pony Express, to mailing children via rail, to shipping valuable diamonds, to the development of rural delivery and the zip code to the future of mail. Also serves as a brief history of our country, including Westward Expansion, the Civil War, the rise of technology, and the discrimination faced by indigenous people, people of color, and women. Includes photographs and bibliographical references. A fun touch: the book is printed on post office blue paper.
February 27, 2023
This was a very interesting and easy to read history of the USPS. I enjoyed reading the book and the photos that went along with the history. It was nice to have it broken down into different categories as well.
The author’s political bias does show through a bit, but I find that to generally be true and hard to hide in history books, but it still causes me to give this a 4/5 stars because it showed a little more than I would have liked and I had to wade through that a bit.
The author’s political bias does show through a bit, but I find that to generally be true and hard to hide in history books, but it still causes me to give this a 4/5 stars because it showed a little more than I would have liked and I had to wade through that a bit.
December 30, 2023
Good, relevant historical content. The timeline bounced around a bit as she broached various topics. The author brought up some of the political issues (past and present) that has been debated and attempted with the USPS and mostly seemed to stay neutral. A bit dry for middle grade readers. Not sure how she could have made it more exciting.
November 12, 2024
I listened to this book. The first half was very interesting to me. Did you know that babies were sent through the postal service because it was cheaper than a train ticket? The USPS still used mules to deliver mail in a remote location until 2022? Lots of interesting facts in this book. The second half was still interesting and important, but was not as interesting. The narrator did a good job.
November 5, 2023
This title had some legitimately fascinating facts (Did you know that someone "mailed" their baby to a relative in 1913?!), it was bogged down by the many listings of Postmasters throughout the years.
January 21, 2024
Fairly straight forward expository nonfiction about the US postal. I learned some new things and found some of the questions posed about future services intriguing. It also devoted entire chapters to address the racism and sexism in this organization’s history.
September 27, 2024
4/5 ⭐️
Highly informative book about USPS’ history.
I really liked how this book made sure to keep an eye on historical context and the changes going on throughout American history.
The pictures were very interesting too, I learned a lot and yet it’s an easy read for anyone interested.
Highly informative book about USPS’ history.
I really liked how this book made sure to keep an eye on historical context and the changes going on throughout American history.
The pictures were very interesting too, I learned a lot and yet it’s an easy read for anyone interested.
January 9, 2025
I really enjoyed this juvenile nonfiction book on the history of the mail in the United States. I don't know how many 4th-8th graders will enjoy it-- it's not very exciting, but it was perfect for a non-stressful bedtime read for myself and my husband.
July 20, 2025
There were a few dry points in the book which might make it unappealing for the average YA reader, however overall this was an oddly fascinating look into the long and important history of the US Postal Service and I don’t regret reading it.
May 12, 2023
I learned a lot from this! I had a good time reading it. I was surprised what a quick read it was.
October 3, 2023
This was truly fascinating. And it makes me appreciate our postal service even more . . . even now when it's also annoying me a bit.
October 30, 2023
read for nhd (national history day), had some good info but not exactly what i was looking for. hopefully it'll help though
December 5, 2023
Actual rating: 3.5/5
December 14, 2023
Lots of interesting facts readers of all ages will love.
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July 17, 2024Tons to learn in this book about the postal service.
March 3, 2025
This book is fascinating even for an adult even though it is written for children.
November 27, 2023
4 stars This was an interesting story of this history of the US postal service. My Grandmother and 2 aunts worked many years for the postal service. So there is a place in my heart for the US Mail. The US Mail rocks!!!
I am not sure if this is an enhancer or distractor, but the book seemed to be more about racial and gender inequality in the postal service, than the history of the postal service. I guess it goes hand and hand.
I think it is important to point this out, that people of color and women were not treated equal all the way back to Mary Katharine Goddard in the lat 1700s.
I am grateful but also perplexed that I don't understand why some people would be treated different because of the color of this skin or gender. I don't get it! I see that insecure men are threaten by strong woman as if they can keep them down, they are in control, but Woman are just as capable as men.
Generally, women and men have different strengths and weaknesses, but anyone that wants to keep someone down because they think they are better then them... well I have some ideas for you.
I don't understand!! A person from Asia is just a capable as person from Africa, Europe, North America... really people... we are all Gods people can't we just love each other and judge on the "Content of their character and not by the color of our skin" ??
I am not sure if this is an enhancer or distractor, but the book seemed to be more about racial and gender inequality in the postal service, than the history of the postal service. I guess it goes hand and hand.
I think it is important to point this out, that people of color and women were not treated equal all the way back to Mary Katharine Goddard in the lat 1700s.
I am grateful but also perplexed that I don't understand why some people would be treated different because of the color of this skin or gender. I don't get it! I see that insecure men are threaten by strong woman as if they can keep them down, they are in control, but Woman are just as capable as men.
Generally, women and men have different strengths and weaknesses, but anyone that wants to keep someone down because they think they are better then them... well I have some ideas for you.
I don't understand!! A person from Asia is just a capable as person from Africa, Europe, North America... really people... we are all Gods people can't we just love each other and judge on the "Content of their character and not by the color of our skin" ??
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews