Meanwhile, his dog runs behind the bike and chases all the squirrels on the route. As he rides through the crisp air, he thinks about his life and what is important that day. The paperboy has memorized his entire route so that even in the darkness he knows where each paper goes. But he just keeps at it and soon is going smoothly. Since the papers are heavy, riding his bike is difficult until he builds up some speed. The boy folds and ties a rubber band around all of his papers. Next, they go to the garage where the daily papers have been left. They both then begin eating their breakfasts. The paperboy pours some cereal into a bowl for his breakfast and also fills his dog’s bowl with food.

They carefully walk downstairs so as not to wake up the other members of the family. He dresses in the early dawn as his dog stirs beside him. But the paperboy wakes up and knows that he has to deliver his paper route before everyone begins their day. The air is cold outside and the stars are still shining down on the sleeping world. His dog is curled up next to him enjoying the warmth of the covers. It is early morning and the paperboy is lying comfortably asleep in his bed. The name of this delightful book is “The Paperboy.” Dav Pilkey has written and illustrated an acclaimed picture book on this subject. So paper routes seem like simple things, but many children learned maturity and the important fact that “money doesn’t grow on trees” from these activities. They learned self-discipline, personal motivation and the important fact that things don’t get done without initiative. But children delivering papers gained much from the experience. Paper routes demand diligence, the ability to endure harsh weather, and to encounter challenging situations. It has also been taught through paper routes for generations of American children. This obvious fact has been and still is taught through activities such as babysitting, mowing lawns, detasseling corn and hard work.

But children only learn responsibility by being given responsibility. Grades 1-3.Īs our world is increasingly interconnected through telecommunications, it becomes increasingly more difficult to find activities outside the home that teach personal responsibility. “The Paperboy” by Dav Pilkey, writer and illustrator

The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey