Ragged Dick

The characters speaks to me.

I accidentally found this book and couldn't resist. It took me back to age 10 when a neighbor lent me "Up The Ladder" and I never forgot it.I think these stories are still good for teenagers. This was a fun read and recalled my own thinking as I went from a family on state welfare to a college graduate and a reasonably successful life.Of course the story is very dated; but the good stuff is still there.Norm

As of the times of industrial revolution, poor working class was encouraged to read the book for a "myth of success" popular in those ages. Poorer were getting poorer and richer were getting richer (sounds familiar?).

I’m reading this with my 4th grader. There is a lot of great phrases and vocabulary to teach and help her understand the hidden meaning behind an author’s written words.

This is a great little story about a boy who values work and pulls himself up by his bootstraps to make a decent life. It's a positive story that more kids should read.