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My Name Is America
The Journal of Finn Reardon: A Newsie, New York City, 1899
When his father dies, Finn Reardon must support his family by selling newspapers on the streets of Manhattan, where he finds himself in the middle of the Newsie Strike of 1899.
When Finn Reardon's father dies, he decides to support his mother and eight siblings by peddling newspapers on the streets corners of New York City. But when the two biggest newspaper publishers, Hearst and Pulitzer, raise the wholesale price that Finn and his friends pay for the papers they sell, the boys band together and go on strike. Susan Campbell Bartoletti brings humor and wit to this classic David and Goliath struggle between the Newsies and the newspaper publishers.
When Finn Reardon's father dies, he decides to support his mother and eight siblings by peddling newspapers on the streets corners of New York City. But when the two biggest newspaper publishers, Hearst and Pulitzer, raise the wholesale price that Finn and his friends pay for the papers they sell, the boys band together and go on strike. Susan Campbell Bartoletti brings humor and wit to this classic David and Goliath struggle between the Newsies and the newspaper publishers.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
December 13, 2015
NOTE: This is not a reflection on the book, but on the summary provided on the Goodreads website. There are parts of the summary that are not accurate. Finn does not have eight siblings he has three sisters. Also, his father does not die and that is not his motivation for becoming a newsie. I point this out only to give future readers a better "back of the book" summary.
I admit to binge reading Dear America and My name is America novels to help me finish my goal for this year (I've got 70 some to go). But I will admit that they are addicting even for adults. I also admit that I love the movie Newsies and that may influenced my decision to read this one. I've always been fascinated by this period of history and tenement life (maybe because it makes my 2-bedroom apartment seem pretty luxurious). This book also features characters that are very colorful and more interesting than some of the other My Name is America book. I especially loved his mother and grandfather. As per usual, this book features plenty of historical details that makes it fascinating and realistic.
I admit to binge reading Dear America and My name is America novels to help me finish my goal for this year (I've got 70 some to go). But I will admit that they are addicting even for adults. I also admit that I love the movie Newsies and that may influenced my decision to read this one. I've always been fascinated by this period of history and tenement life (maybe because it makes my 2-bedroom apartment seem pretty luxurious). This book also features characters that are very colorful and more interesting than some of the other My Name is America book. I especially loved his mother and grandfather. As per usual, this book features plenty of historical details that makes it fascinating and realistic.
April 21, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I found myself cracking up over the antics of Finn and his friends and though the circumstances of Finn's life weren't as inherently exciting as other historical time periods covered in this series (like a war diary, etc.), I found his little corner of American history fascinating! I'm officially a fan of Bartoletti. This is the third book of hers I've read, and my second favorite.
February 28, 2016
This book was a wonderful read but the description doesn't match the plot of the book. Finn's father doesn't die and he has three sisters! This book is a really great read!
April 6, 2013
I have always been a fan of the Dear America series since I was younger. The stories are wonderful introductions into different events in history.
I picked up this book from the library after seeing Newsies on Broadway because I wanted to learn more about the newsboys.
The journal is of Finn, a 13-year-old newsboy in New York City during the time of the Newsboy's Strike. It is a very simple read. I finished it in less than a day.
There were so many things I loved about this book. Bartoletti incorporates more about life in the late 19th century. The reader learns about housing, schooling, and what children did for fun. I also loved that true newsboys, such as Racetrack, were prominent characters in the story. I knew them from the musical and now I got to see them in a new light.
My only complaint with this book is the strike scenes. The strike only took up a few pages of the story. I wanted to read more about the strike, which was the reason I picked up the book in the first place. I wished the author could have lengthened the journal entries instead of brushing over the events. When one sees a book about a newsie in 1899, he or she probably expects the strike to play a prominent role. Although the strike scenes were lacking, the explanations of other aspects of life made up for it in some ways.
I picked up this book from the library after seeing Newsies on Broadway because I wanted to learn more about the newsboys.
The journal is of Finn, a 13-year-old newsboy in New York City during the time of the Newsboy's Strike. It is a very simple read. I finished it in less than a day.
There were so many things I loved about this book. Bartoletti incorporates more about life in the late 19th century. The reader learns about housing, schooling, and what children did for fun. I also loved that true newsboys, such as Racetrack, were prominent characters in the story. I knew them from the musical and now I got to see them in a new light.
My only complaint with this book is the strike scenes. The strike only took up a few pages of the story. I wanted to read more about the strike, which was the reason I picked up the book in the first place. I wished the author could have lengthened the journal entries instead of brushing over the events. When one sees a book about a newsie in 1899, he or she probably expects the strike to play a prominent role. Although the strike scenes were lacking, the explanations of other aspects of life made up for it in some ways.
July 9, 2011
These children's books are addictive! I really like how they show pictures of the times that the book takes place at the end and talk about life in America at that time - or more specifically, what life was like for that city, etc. It makes the book, though fictional, seem much more real.
I didn't know much about New York in 1899, and seeing it from a poor "newsies" perspective was interesting.
I didn't know much about New York in 1899, and seeing it from a poor "newsies" perspective was interesting.
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November 12, 2012This entire series is a wonderful way to learn history or teach it to adolescents. I find today's generations seem to recall more when they learn through other people (pop songs, celebrity gossip, etc.), so what better way to teach history than through someone else's perspective? Yes, "authentic" diaries would be "better", but would the language really hold the modern student's attention? Did the diary writer know what WOULD be important in the context of history? Probably not.
January 22, 2020
This book really captures the view of a thirteen-year-old newsie during a newsie strike.
May 8, 2009
Finn lives with his family in cramped quarters in New York City. He goes to school in the morning, but at evening and night, he works as a newsie. He buys newspapers, then takes them to the street corner to sell. This is written in journal format, and covers just less than a year. This is short, and pretty easy to read, and is more of a "slice of the life" of a boy who may have grown up in that period, rather than a streamlined narration. There were a couple loose ends I would have liked to have seen addressed, such as what happened with the grandfather and the snowshovelers. But the bits of history, such as the newsie strike, seem accurate. Most of the characters, like Finn's family, are fictional, but there are historical figures mentioned. There's a nice afterwards going more into the history, plus some good pictures, at the end.
July 9, 2011
The Journal of Finn Reardon is about (naturally) a boy named Finn Reardon, who is working as a Newsie in turn-of-the-century New York. His family works night and day to make rent and save for a "someday home" so they can move out of their dingy apartment flat, while Finn attends school and hawks newspapers to help out.
This was my first "My Name is America" read, and I felt that it was just all right. It's more of a slice of life narrative than anything, and I was a little disappointed that the main focus of the book was on some more mundane events and not the Newsies Strike, which would have been more interesting. Still, a nice addition to the Scholastic Diary books and something interesting to read in an afternoon.
This was my first "My Name is America" read, and I felt that it was just all right. It's more of a slice of life narrative than anything, and I was a little disappointed that the main focus of the book was on some more mundane events and not the Newsies Strike, which would have been more interesting. Still, a nice addition to the Scholastic Diary books and something interesting to read in an afternoon.
November 3, 2016
During new york around 1899 newsies (people,mostly young men ) went out to buy 100 newspapers origanaly for 50 cents.
But it was not until the "journal" and the "world" got competative and started wasting loads of money to rank out each other. Finally both companies started to run out of money and started to charge the newsies 60 cents for every 100 newspapers. Wich was a lot at the time. This out raged the newsies cousing them to strike and boycott both companies. will they meet their goal of 50 cents per every 100 newspapers? or will the more domanent companies crush them all? this is only half of the life of finn readon!! The courage, the scrafice, the fear, and the horror. ( i would recommend this book to my sister due to her intrest in writing.)-CESAR.A
But it was not until the "journal" and the "world" got competative and started wasting loads of money to rank out each other. Finally both companies started to run out of money and started to charge the newsies 60 cents for every 100 newspapers. Wich was a lot at the time. This out raged the newsies cousing them to strike and boycott both companies. will they meet their goal of 50 cents per every 100 newspapers? or will the more domanent companies crush them all? this is only half of the life of finn readon!! The courage, the scrafice, the fear, and the horror. ( i would recommend this book to my sister due to her intrest in writing.)-CESAR.A
October 15, 2017
Thirteen-year-old Finn Reardon is counting down the days until he can quit school and start working full time to help support his family. His Pop can't manage to hold a job and his older sister barely brings in enough to help support the family. Then tragedy strikes and it looks like they will end up on the street. But Finn's smart eye for detail earns him the respect of one of the reporters during a newspaper strike and he convinces Finn that the best way to success in the business is to stay in school.
January 22, 2013
A review from my old blog...
The Journal of Finn Reardon is the story of a young newsie who manages to rise above all of the hardships of a life in the Five Points of New York City to become a college graduate and successful newspaper reporter. While the fact that Finn was successful is a little hard to believe the rest of the story was very fun to read including a grandfather figure that made me laugh out loud a couple of times.
The Journal of Finn Reardon is the story of a young newsie who manages to rise above all of the hardships of a life in the Five Points of New York City to become a college graduate and successful newspaper reporter. While the fact that Finn was successful is a little hard to believe the rest of the story was very fun to read including a grandfather figure that made me laugh out loud a couple of times.
February 3, 2011
Newsies Finn, Racetrack and Mush hawk newspapers on the streets of New York City. Finn wants to be a journalist, but doesn’t like his teacher who rules the class with an iron fist. The publishers raise the price of the newspapers sold to the newsies. The boys go out on strike, but now there’s no money to be made.
August 4, 2011
Its gotten me really interested in the NYC at the turn of the 20th Century. How awful it must 've been to be of the working poor back then; living in a tenement with pennies for wages, and no laws about working conditions. But it was necessary for those people to go thru that bc we wouild not have the labor laws we have if it weren't for all those poor people.
September 7, 2013
I thought this was a very good book. I really enjoyed reading it. I loved the plot and the characters of the story. I thought Finn was such a great main character. Ever since I watched Disney's 1992 "Newsie" I had been on the hunt in finding out everything I could about them and when I saw this at the library I just had to pick it up and read it.
October 27, 2011
Well the book was interesting and I liked it.It was very confusing but I understood it. Finn Reardon is a strong character in the book.I really enjoyed the book and I would recommend this book to everyone.
October 23, 2017
It's not one I would read again, but I'm not the intended audience. However, I only gave it three stars because I also wouldn't recommend it to my nieces/nephews.
The author writes vividly and makes the setting/story seem very real. I was strongly reminded of the movie "Newsies," in fact.
The author writes vividly and makes the setting/story seem very real. I was strongly reminded of the movie "Newsies," in fact.
May 13, 2015
Excellent! I wanted to read about the "newsies" of whom I learned in Orphan Train. I was not disappointed. The My Name is America series, boy companion to Dear America series, is engaging and solid in historical research. One of my many reading goals is to read all of both series.
December 26, 2015
Not my favorite book in the series, but still worth the read, for sure. I did enjoy it and I'm glad I read it, even if I didn't connect with Finn as well as I would have liked. It's still a great book, just not for me. 3.75 out of 5 stars. I would still recommend it!
March 12, 2010
I love Dear America and I love the movie Newsies so this was a great combination for me. It's a solid story with nice details.
December 21, 2010
Interesting...a little too simplistic, but good.
December 23, 2010
It had to do with Newsies so, already that's an instant 6 stars. I liked hearing about Racetrack and Mush and Kid Blink and people like that, from the movie. I also liked the mom.
December 26, 2011
This was an interesting perspective of the newspaper movement and impoverished life in historic New York.
June 25, 2013
it's been over 10 yrs since I have read this one but it was a good book describing what went on in the authors eyes.
December 13, 2017
Accurate characters and real life pictures bring this history to life.
January 11, 2026
I read dozens of Dear America and Royal Diaries books as a kid, but avoided My Name is America and the early elementary series.
I've been obsessed with the Newsies strike since I watched the movie as a teen. admittedly, I think I watched it a few times before then, but it took a crush on Christian Bale to ignite the interest. This was also around the time when the internet was becoming more popular, and I could search websites for facts and differences.
I think the Newsies strike lends itself to fiction because so many children were involved. There's always a chance of hitting something that actually happened to someone.
I'm a little disappointed the plot with his father wasn't resolved well; did they keep their house? What did his father do afterwards? Also, I think the swimming lessons and other plot devices could've waited until after the strike. It only lasted two weeks, but I would've preferred it to take up the majority of the book.
Still, I'm glad I read it, and I'd feel comfortable handing it to my nephews or my 10 year old daughter.
I've been obsessed with the Newsies strike since I watched the movie as a teen. admittedly, I think I watched it a few times before then, but it took a crush on Christian Bale to ignite the interest. This was also around the time when the internet was becoming more popular, and I could search websites for facts and differences.
I think the Newsies strike lends itself to fiction because so many children were involved. There's always a chance of hitting something that actually happened to someone.
I'm a little disappointed the plot with his father wasn't resolved well; did they keep their house? What did his father do afterwards? Also, I think the swimming lessons and other plot devices could've waited until after the strike. It only lasted two weeks, but I would've preferred it to take up the majority of the book.
Still, I'm glad I read it, and I'd feel comfortable handing it to my nephews or my 10 year old daughter.
December 3, 2022
The Goodreads summary is totally wrong, lol.
The one was too short, and there were some subplots that could have been explored further. What was going on with Finn's sister? Why aren't any of his siblings mentioned in the epilogue? Did Finn's relationship with Mr. Drinker change for the better? Was Finn's father ever able to work again?
The one was too short, and there were some subplots that could have been explored further. What was going on with Finn's sister? Why aren't any of his siblings mentioned in the epilogue? Did Finn's relationship with Mr. Drinker change for the better? Was Finn's father ever able to work again?
September 10, 2021
Loved it. I just finished listening to "You're Wrong About"'s two part episode about the Newsboys strike of 1899 and this book was spot on. The writing was excellent and the supporting characters relatable - in particular Finn's mom who is ultra badass.
July 13, 2019
Really enjoyed reading this book!
March 21, 2020
Made me think of my Irish, Italian, and Jewish ancestors, all New Yorkers in the 1800 and 1900s!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews