Henry and the Paper Route

Novel by Beverly Cleary

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Henry and the Paper Route

First edition

Author| Beverly Cleary
Cover artist| Louis Darling
Language| English
Series| Henry Huggins
Publisher| Morrow

Publication date

| 1957
Publication place| United States
Preceded by| Henry and Ribsy
Followed by| Henry and the Clubhouse

Henry and the Paper Route is a book of Henry Huggins series that was written by Beverly Cleary[1] and illustrated by Louis Darling. It was written in 1957 and focused on the main character Henry Huggins' attempts to get a paper route, despite his young age.

## Plot

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The book opens with Henry's desiring to do "something important." His older friend Scooter McCarthy rides by on his paper route, and he asks Henry if he knows of any boys who might be interested in delivering papers. Henry eagerly volunteers, but Scooter points out that all paper boys must be 11 years old. Henry is ten and a half, but Scooter still refuses.

Henry decides to visit Mr. Capper, the manager of the local paper routes, and ask him for a job. On the way, he stops at a rummage sale and ends up buying some kittens. These cause him some embarrassment when he visits Mr. Capper, who tells him he's not old enough for a route. In an attempt to impress Mr. Capper and get the job, Henry decides to sell subscriptions to the newspaper. He offers the kittens as free gifts to new subscribers. This idea doesn't work out, and he gives the kittens to the local pet store. Henry ends up buying back one of the kittens - with his father's permission - and names it Nosy. Henry is worried how his dog Ribsy will react, but Ribsy actually takes to Nosy quite well.

During the school's paper drive, Scooter asks Henry to take over his route for an afternoon. Henry uses Scooter's newspapers to advertise for the paper drive. Scooter, enraged at Henry's stewardship of his route, makes it into a competition. However, Henry, with his friends' help, wins the Paper Drive for the school. Unfortunately, it's a bit too successful for Henry's taste, and he vows not to advertise the following year.

Henry soon turns eleven years old, and later discovers that Scooter has caught chicken pox. Scooter once again asks him to take over his route; as a result, he and Henry become good friends again. Henry then learns that one of the older boys will be giving up his route soon, and Henry hopes to take it over. In the meantime, he meets a new neighbor named Murph, whom he suspects is a genius.

Henry is later dismayed to learn that he doesn't get to take over the older boy's route; it's been given to Murph instead. Eventually, though, Murph gives up the route because he doesn't know how to handle Ramona Quimby, who is taking the papers off of each customer's lawn and throwing them onto random lawns because she too wants to be a "paper boy".

Murphy lets Henry have the route, and at first Henry is worried that he might lose it because of Ramona's antics. He eventually outsmarts Ramona, though, and continues with his new route.

## See also

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* Children's literature portal

## References

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1. ^ "Beloved children's author Beverly Cleary dies at 104". Citizens' Voice. 2021-03-27. pp. A11. Retrieved 2024-02-04.

* v
* t
* e

Works by Beverly Cleary

Henry Huggins|

* Henry Huggins
* Henry and Beezus
* Henry and Ribsy
* Henry and the Paper Route
* Henry and the Clubhouse
* Ribsy

Ramona Quimby|

* Beezus and Ramona
* Ramona the Pest
* Ramona the Brave
* Ramona and Her Father
* Ramona and Her Mother
* Ramona Quimby, Age 8
* Ramona Forever
* Ramona's World

Ralph S. Mouse|

* The Mouse and the Motorcycle
* Runaway Ralph
* Ralph S. Mouse

Ellen & Otis|

* Ellen Tebbits
* Otis Spofford

Leigh Botts|

* Dear Mr. Henshaw
* Strider

Leave It to Beaver|

* Leave It to Beaver
* Here's Beaver!
* Beaver and Wally

Other fiction|

* Fifteen
* Emily's Runaway Imagination
* Sister of the Bride
* Mitch and Amy
* Socks
* Muggie Maggie

Memoirs|

* A Girl from Yamhill
* My Own Two Feet

Characters|

* Henry Huggins
* Ramona Quimby
* Beezus Quimby
* Ribsy
* Howie Kemp
* Susan Kushner
* Roberta Quimby
* Mrs. Dorothy Quimby
* Mr. Robert Quimby
* Beaver Cleaver
* Wally Cleaver

Adaptations|

* Ramona
* Ramona and Beezus
* Runaway Ralph

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