by Lois Lenski
First published 1954
Mike clutches his stack of newspapers against the bitter winter wind, searching for customers who might spare a few coins. The newsboy knows every corner of his neighborhood, including the fancy building where Shirley rides in and out of taxi cabs and the spots where Angelo tries to earn money shining shoes. These three children live close to each other but in completely different worlds. Mike struggles to sell papers in the cold until Finnegan the police officer lets him work inside a warm restaurant. Shirley worries about her upcoming birthday party and her poodle Fifi, but she also notices Mike and even meets him when they go skating in the park. Angelo faces real trouble when his family gets thrown out of their apartment, though his father eventually finds work and Angelo gets to shine shoes in the same restaurant where Mike sells his papers. Through the seasons, their separate lives begin to connect in small but meaningful ways. The city shapes all three children, but they find moments of friendship across the barriers that divide them.
Genres: fiction, 20th-century, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, social-commentary
Setting: City, Park, Restaurant
Period: Seasons, Winter
128 pages · lippencott Longlife Binding · Harpercollins Juvenile Books