Papergirl

A wonderful resource for children - and for adults too, since I had no idea about this strike! Would be great for teaching kids at both a local and a more widespread level.

I received a free copy from netGalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed reading paper girl as told the story of the 1919 Winnipeg general strike of which I knew nothing. I think this book is a great introduction to not only the Winnipeg general strike but the need for striking and workers rights as a whole. I think this is a very important book that can be used wisely in a lot of history classooms.

Papergirl
by Melinda McCracken
Fernwood Publishing
Roseway Publishing
Teens & YA
Pub Date 01 Apr 2019


I am reviewing a copy of Papergirl Through Fernwood Publishing and Netgalley:


This book transports us back to 1919 Winnipeg, where we meet ten year old Cassie who lives with her working class family. It is a time when The Great War and Spanish Influenza have taken their toll. The workers of the city have become frustrated with long hours and unfair wages. When the workers sEt up a general strike, Cassie whose bright and determined and very bored at school desperately wants to help.


Cassie begins volunteering for the strike committee as a papergirl, she distributs the Strike Bulletin at Portrage and Main. From that corner she sees the strike start to take shape. As she is threatened and taunted by the wealther kids she soon realizes the strike is a dangerous albeit necessary movement.



Cassie learns from her impoverished best friend Mary who voluntwere in the nearby labour cafe and Cassie’s brother whose a Police Officer in the strike communities center. As Cassie learns of the conditions that led to the strike she becomes more and more furious.


After an enormous but peaceful demonstratio becomes violent on Bloody Saturday, Cassie is changed forever by what is witnessed that day.


I give Papergirl five out of five star!


Happy Reading!

I never really had thought about the side of strike that it matter what sex. I guess being that it's 1919 it did. The view through the eyes of a young girl that just wanted to help. Cassie reminds me of Sout from To Kill A Mockingbird. Very educational. I agree others if you like Little House on the Prairie you're going to love this.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC courtesy of Roseway Publishing through NetGalley. I am grateful for the opportunity to review an ARC for my readers, but this will not influence my final rating. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and based solely on the book. 

The 1919 Winnipeg General Strike was one of the most influential strikes in Canadian history, and set the groundwork for positive change for workers. --Papergirl, Afterword

I am the most ashamed Winnipeg native right now. I had no idea this was part of our history! I did do all my education in Quebec, but honestly, this huge gap in my knowledge cannot be forgiven. 

When ten-year-old Cassie first hears about a strike, all she can think is, "Cool, does that mean I get time off school?" She knows that the high cost of food and equally low pay for workers means people are struggling. Her best friend Mary comes to eat at her house, because food is so scarce at her own home. But the whole concept of people not working seems more like an extended vacation — even to the adults, at first, who think the strike will last no more than a week.

The path from the strike to worker's rights wasn't short or straightforward. It took almost three decades after the strike for Canadian workers to win the right to representation by a union and collective bargaining rights. -Papergirl, Afterword

As the strike is extended, Cassie and Mary leave school to help with the cause. Mary, along with her mother, works at a kitchen providing food for women and children. Cassie, our heroine, sells the bulletin containing updates on the striker's progress. 

Cassie learns how important it is to spread the truth, and falls in love with her job as a papergirl. She also witnesses firsthand the difficulties of poverty and true hunger. As a papergirl, she observes a boy who works for the "rich people," those who do not see the importance of striking. This boy, Freddy, hides his identity as an immigrant to make money for his family. 

"Can they really send people back to England?"
"They can do anything they want." Freddy shrugged [...] --Papergirl

Papergirl is educational, with a positive message. Clearly I knew nothing about the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, and McCracken's work illuminated me. Description is given to the food, the way of life, the clothes people wear. What I love most is that this middle-grade novel sheds light on an important moment in Canadian history that has such relevant ties to issues today. 

The information can be passed on a bit heavy-handed on times, particularly in the first two chapters. I think this book is best for classroom use, or for paired-reading (older person with child). This way the younger reader can be assisted during more difficult passages. There is also a trigger warning for death, starvation, and violence. These scenes are not described in detail but could be frightening to some children. 

3.5 crowns. Interested readers need to be aware this is not an action-packed book but one focused on the learning aspects of this historical period. The informational portions of the book sometimes came in stronger than character development. An overall enjoyable read.

Review going up on blog MARCH 25: https://bookprincessreviews.wordpress.com/
Review going up on Goodreads MARCH 25; https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2674179575

Melinda McCracken's Papergirl feels incredibly timely for a novel set in 1919, written in the early 80s, and released in 2019. This feminist labour rights historical fiction novel for middle-graders should hit the spot for many readers.

The story of Cassie and her family and friends as they navigate during the Winnipeg General Strike in 1919 is engaging as it uses real historical facts to tell about the little things and the big things in a major event in Canadian history. This isn't watered down, but it always feels age appropriate, and I think so many kids today could find this to be something that allows them to connect to history and learn about events that helped to shape labour laws and worker's rights in Canada.

McCracken's writing style is reminiscent of writing in children's novels in the 80s (which is when she wrote it), and it definitely made me feel nostalgic for novels I read as a child. I think anyone who enjoys children's books from then will find something to like here, but those who enjoy current children's writing might find themselves enjoying it less.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Papergirl is a forward-thinking history novel for middle-graders, but it definitely hit me in the right places even though I am an adult. I'll definitely be recommending this novel to people of all ages over the next several months.

I had no prior knowledge of the 1919 Winnipeg strike. Papergirl was educational and informative. While the story is good and unfolds at a good pace and a fast read, I think it's better for educational purposes. Middle school readers could learn a lot from this story. I recommend as a teaching tool. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was an emotional story about the 1919 strike in Winnipeg. It was extremely frustrating to read about working families barely able to feed their families on their wages. This strike led to Bloody Saturday where some were killed and many hurt just because they wanted a living wage.

I think this would be a great read for middle school students who want to learn about families during this time period.

I enjoyed this though I personally would have liked if it was longer and more developed. I think for this reason, it would be better marketed to a middle grade audience, perhaps as an educational aid.

I didn’t know about the Winnipeg strikes though I’m familiar with big strikes that have happened in my local area through history. I thought it was well-written and important to note how even though it is 100 years on, people are still being paid unfairly or treated unjustly and that a united voice is stronger than the voice of one (though it only takes one person to speak first).

Overall, a nice, little read.

Ten-year-old Cassie lives with her working-class family in 1919 Winnipeg. The Great War and Spanish Influenza have taken their toll, and workers in the city are frustrated with low wages and long hours. When they orchestrate a general strike, Cassie — bright, determined and very bored at school — desperately wants to help.

Going into this book I knew nothing about the Winnipeg general strike. I walk away with knowledge of what the events were like through the eyes of young Cassie. I wouldn't call this book a young adult level. The reading of it felt more middle grade. It would be a wonderful teaching resource into labor union strikes and what it means to work in solidarity.

This book packed a punch for the amount of pages it had. It was beautifully written making it easy to follow and imagine. It was a part of Canadian History that I had never heard of. This would be a really good educational book, as it’s short, but delves into so many aspects of life in 1919 Winnipeg. I loved the characters, and the contrast between Cassie and Mary. It really allowed the reader to see two class types and the affects of the Winnipeg Strike. The forward was a great introduction to the history of the story and why it was created and then published at the 100 year anniversary of the event. Definitely recommend this, I am so glad I got to read it.

Ten-year-old Cassie, a child of a working-class family, involves herself in the 1919 workers’ strike in Winnipeg, Canada as a papergirl distributing the strike bulletin on the streets. The striking workers are protesting low wages, long hours, and food shortages because their families are slowly starving. Cassie is bullied by other, richer, kids and sees first-hand the injustices of the world around her.

This 100-page book is well-written, age appropriate, and the characters well-developed. It is written for a younger audience, but adults can enjoy this piece of historical fiction as well.

The book is categorized as being appropriate for readers in the age range of nine to twelve and grades four through six.

4 stars

This book was cute and sweet, and I enjoyed the educational aspects of it. I enjoyed it for what it was, and I loved reading about a piece of Canadian history.

I went into this one looking for a fast paced and educational book all about an event in Canadian history that I didn’t know much about, and that’s exactly what I got. I remember briefly learning about the Winnipeg Strike and Bloody Saturday in school but it wasn’t a topic that was covered at length (and I was in school quite a while ago) so I was curious to learn more about it, especially in the form of a middle grade story.

The book follows our main character Cassie and the strike unfolds around her, and the affects that it has on not only her but also her family, close friends and the community she’s apart of. It’s not a story that flows like most fiction, but I think that’s what makes it so good. It’s a book that’s here to tell you the facts and the feelings surrounding the strikes and it does that wonderfully. Watching the way everything happens through the eyes of Cassie makes it an easier story to digest while still giving you all the details you need in order to fully understand what a massive event this was in Canadian history.

The area that Cassie lives, and the corner where she sells her papers are vivid and really give you a feel for what the city might have looked like 100 years ago. I also liked the different characters we encounter, but I think that Freddy was my favourite. The story is all about people fighting for what they need in order to make their lives better and I really loved that he wasn’t made a villain for doing what he needed to in order to look after his family.

I also really enjoyed the ending of the book, the story explains why the strikes happened and shows you how long they lasted and how extreme they got but unfortunately it wasn’t an immediate success. Even though it took decades more for the full effects to be put in place the story still ends with hope, and I think it was done beautifully.

Overall I really really loved reading this book. I learned something about my country that I didn’t really learn about in school, and I got to meet some pretty awesome new characters along the way. If you’re looking for an education middle grade story then I’d pick this one up!

Cassie and her family become caught up in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, and struggle to survive and fight for their rights as workers.

This was a very educational read about a subject that I knew absolutely nothing about. Mostly because I have no idea about Canadian history other than the US's really terrible attempts to invade it (yes, this is a thing that happened...several times) and next to nothing about worker's rights beyond what was taught in AP US History some many moons ago.

I enjoyed that women's and girls' voices were focused on in this story, and pages were given to highlight the struggle the workers' faced before the strike—with wages increasing 18% and the price of food by 80%—and during the strike, and the fact that some workers were affected harder than others, particularly those families who had suffered losses during the Great War and the Spanish Flu.

The writing is a little more old-fashioned than I'm used to seeing in contemporary MG lit, but that's because this was written in the 1980s. There is a lot of telling instead of showing, particularly in the beginning, but then the story picks up and I became so immersed in Cassie's story and her times as a Labour papergirl and her family's and friends' struggles that the clunky sentences didn't really bother me as much.

Overall, this is definitely well-researched, and the climactic moment is definitely heart-pounding. A good read to hand to your children who want to know more about labor movements, workers' rights and the importance of unions in ensuring safe working conditions, fair wages and healthy work hours.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Although short this book did not disappoint.
gave you everything you needed to paint the picture of that period
I really enjoyed this book!

Papergirl is a wonderful, educational, middle-grade novel about labor activism and working-class life in Winnipeg. I had a fun time reading it and learned a lot about an under-taught historical event. I'm not Canadian, so I didn't have much context before reading, but the novel filled me in on what life was like along the way, so I was never left out. However, this also became its downfall in a way.

I liked Cassie and her family. They were a close-knit bunch, supporting each other and passionate about bettering their lives and the lives of those less fortunate than them. Cassie herself was brave in the face of much danger, but she also learned to understand those with a different viewpoint. Her friend, Mary, came out of her shell and started volunteering as well, and their enthusiasm was adorable.

This book had great exploration of class and activism for younger readers. It was honest without being too graphic, and a perfect introduction. I especially liked Cassie's friendship with Freddie, a boy who sold a rival paper, because they both learned to see past situations and stereotypes into the heart of a person's choices.

Only one bad thing: At some points, I couldn't get behind the writing style. I liked how educational it was, but information was presented in blocks sometimes instead of fluidly throughout the story. Additionally, there was a bit of telling instead of showing, that I felt was unnecessary even in a book targeted towards younger readers.

Overall, 4/5 stars for Papergirl for illuminating labor activism and Canadian history in a thoughtful way.

I received this eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest book review.
I have no prior knowledge about the 1919 Winnipeg Strike upon reading this book. I have learned a lot about the subject in this hundred plus page. Although, I wish this book could have been a bit longer. I would definitely recommend this to my friends who are seeking to know more about Canadian history.

This is a story about the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike and how it effected Cassie and her family and the rest of the city.
I had never heard of this strike until I saw this book. We follow 10-year-old Cassie as the strike begins, and we get to see what role everyone takes during a strike. Especially women and girls. I found it interesting how big a role the women took, and how it never got talked about in the news.
I also thought it was great that she wrote this when her daughter was a child, and her daughter had it published after her mothers' death

Papergirl is a middle-grade historical fiction following ten year old Cassie. It is set in Winnipeg 1919 and follows the big strike happening there (now 100 years ago). The strike is an attempt to get better wage and working conditions for the workers.

This historic period was one of my favorites to learn about in school, and this book reminded me of why. I think it was around this time I started to really fall in love with history classes, but this is a long time ago now lol. Either way, this brought back memories and made me enjoy the book more.

I don’t think the book is that great, the writing was awkward sometimes and I feel like it could have been longer and more things explored. But if this is a topic that interest you, then I think you can enjoy it! I don’t regret reading it, but it is not something I would push onto people to read either. 3/5 stars!

I have more thoughts in my video review: https://youtu.be/Rxla-QDTpvE

When I first started to read this book I thought it was going to be a nice, maybe somewhat emotional read and boy was I wrong. This story is so much more than that. It's about justice and standing up for what you believe, even when things look bleak and without hope. But in the end, things do get better. And your every action, no matter how small or insignificant at first glance it may be, like selling the daily news, it matters! You can make a change for the better! And that's what this book is all about. Such an inspiring story!

This one really exceeded my expectations, especially for a manuscript written years ago and then published by a small company. The book is well written and thorough, and even though the characters are stock and a little flat, their tropes help to tell a lot about conflicting labor attitudes toward the strike. Even though the book hones in on one specific labor movement, its themes transcend this one strike and make it a good resource not just for local history, but for any young people studying or interested in labor history. It's got a strong feminist backbone as well without going over the top, making a believable and empowering read.

It was great to learn about a piece of Canadian history through the perspective of Cassie. She was a spunky and passionate young girl with a heart of gold. The other characters were also well-crafted, and her family and friends were very likeable.

The plot was quite good, but was pretty slow. The simplicity and pacing were well-matched to this being a middle grade novel, so that may have lessened my ability to enjoy it a bit as I am definitely beyond the target audience. There were a lot of great themes and thoughts presented throughout the book by multiple characters that I hope resonate with young readers and teach them to be better people.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!