The Toothpaste Millionaire

by Jean Merrill

Overview

* Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award *
In this award-winning story, two classmates set out to create affordable toothpaste and become accidental millionaires!

Sixth-grader Rufus Mayflower is betting that he can make a whole gallon of toothpaste for the same price as one tube from the store. There’s just one problem, he has to solve real-life mathematical equations first! With help from his good friend Kate Mackinstrey, can these two entrepreneurs keep up with the high demand for their popular product? Beloved children’s author Jean Merrill introduces readers to the ins and outs of a budding business, from costs to profits, in this exciting tale about perseverance, ingenuity, and underdogs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780618759255
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/04/2006
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	130,836
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.38(d)
Lexile:	820L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jean Merrill is the award-winning author of over thirty books for children, including The Superlative Horse, The Black Sheep, and the wellknown satirical novel The Pushcart War.

Editorial Reviews

"Merrill's idealistic construct of how to succeed in business without really trying functions both as a light story and as an explication of free enterprise mechanics." — Booklist, ALA

"The illustrations are engaging, the style is light, the project interesting — and Rufus a believable genius." — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Breezy and fast-moving." — The Horn Book —

From the Publisher

Rufus devised a toothpaste formula for a fraction of what the big companies charge. He opens for business in his garage and quickly evolves into the Toothpaste Millionaire. Amazingly, Rufus is only 12! This tale starts believably but becomes quite farfetched by the second tape. Dretzin reads all characters in the same voice, so it does not provide enough imagery for the recommended age group. She sounds 20-something, clearly older than the characters she represents, which is another impediment to engaging young listeners. The text is enjoyably silly, but this audio version would be more successful for an older audience. A.G.H. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

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