Boston, 1919. It's been a terrible year for thirteen-year-old Joshua Harper. The influenza pandemic that's sweeping the world has claimed his father's life; his voice has changed, so he can't sing in the Boston Boys' Choir anymore; and now money is tight, so he must quit school to get a job. It's not fair!

Joshua begins working as a newspaper boy, hawking papers on the street, but he soon finds himself competing with Charlestown Charlie, a tough, streetwise boy who does not make things easier for Joshua. It seems that fitting in is not as easy as it once was. Then disaster strikes the city of Boston. Joshua must do what he can to help, and in doing so he finds the place-and the voice-that he thought he'd lost.

This remarkable novel is fast-paced, suspenseful, and based on true incidents in Boston history.

 

This book has been graded for interest at 9-12 years.

There are 160 pages in this book. This book was published 2013 by Simon & Schuster .

Joan Hiatt Harlow is the author of several popular historical novels including Secret of the Night Ponies, Shadows on the Sea, Midnight Rider, Star in the Storm, Joshua's Song, Thunder from the Sea, and Breaker Boy. Ms. Harlow lives in Venice, Florida. For more information, visit her at JoanHiattHarlow. com.

This book has the following chapters:
Contents

Map Of Boston, c. 1919

Job Jitters

Charlestown Charlie

Joshua's Secret

Gentleman Josh on the Job

The Mysterious Mr. Muggeridge

The New Boarder

A Warning

Joshua Gets A Scoop!

At The Tenements

A Meeting At Angel's Corner

Snowball Fight!

The Party

Joshua Breaks The News

Trouble In The Wind

Explosion!

A Song In The City

Historical Note

Acknowledgments