The Last Man's Reward (Albert Whitman Prairie Books) [Paperback]

David Patneaude (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Albert Whitman Prairie Books

When a chance yard-sale purchase nets five boys a Willie Mays rookie card worth $4,000, their lives seem to narrow and intensify. The boys devise a "last man" contest--the winner gets the Mays card, and the losers get zip.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7?In Granite Falls, WA, Albert and his four friends, all of whom live in temporary housing while their parents look for permanent homes, buy a tackle box full of baseball cards at a garage sale. They then discover that the contents range in value from pennies to $4,000. After dividing up the less valuable items, the boys are left with the "once-in-a-lifetime" Willie Mays rookie card. None of them wants to sell such a prize, so Albert suggests that they have a "Last Man Club," meaning that the last one to remain in the apartment complex will get the card. Then the boys hide it deep within a cave. Meanwhile, Albert becomes friendly with the gruff, sarcastic P.E. teacher, and discovers that the man's wife has cancer and needs expensive treatment that the couple cannot afford. Albert decides to retrieve the card and give his teacher the money; he becomes trapped in the cave with little hope for rescue, but all ends well. The boys' personalities blend together. Keeping the characters straight is not easy, as their names and nicknames are introduced in the first three pages and used interchangeably. Even so, the plot is unique and moves along at a fairly rapid pace. An adequate choice for patrons looking for a good adventure story that's a little different.?Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-8. It was a great idea, completely fair: form a "last man's" club, and the boy who ends up being the last living in the neighborhood receives the invaluable treasure, a Willie Mays rookie baseball card worth at least $3,800. Albert (Alibi for short), Nick, Mike, Joey, and Lester all have different reasons for wanting to be the last man, but none of the reasons are more compelling than Albert's. Although Alibi hardly seems the type to seek revenge on a particularly disagreeable teacher (and Mr. Rockwood's reason for being ill-tempered is predictably compelling), the strong characterizations and an airtight plot make what originally appears to be an improbable situation a truly exciting adventure--one that most early adolescents will be able to identify with totally. Frances Bradburn --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807543713
• ISBN-13: 978-0807543719
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #572,386 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Patneaude finally heeded the advice, "It's never too late to have a happy childhood," and began writing seriously (more or less) in the mid 1980's. His first novel, SOMEONE WAS WATCHING, winner of South Dakota and Utah book awards, was published in 1993. His books have been placed on young readers' lists in more than thirty states and honored by the New York Public Library (THE LAST MAN'S REWARD), the Society of School Librarians International (FRAMED IN FIRE), the Winnetka (Illinois) Public Library's "One Book, Two Villages" program (THIN WOOD WALLS), and the Washington State Public Library (THIN WOOD WALLS). His newest book, EPITAPH ROAD, was published in March 2010. When he's not sitting in a coffee shop writing, or at a school or library or conference talking about writing, or out on the running trail thinking about writing, he's at home in Woodinville, Washington with his wife Judy, a junior high librarian.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One Big Leap By: David Patneaude, March 14, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Last Man's Reward (Hardcover)

This book is very exciting. It is especially good if you like baseball cards. It's about a group of kids who live in a small town. It was built for their parents company and they all will be moving soon. After they buy baseball cards at a garage sale they find out they are worth a lot of money. They split all the cards except for the most valuable card in which they decide to give to the last man living there. It was one of those books where you want to put yourself in their situations. If you're into books where there is always something going on then this is the book for you. I read this book for a book report and like it a lot.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful and Exciting!, July 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Last Man's Reward (Albert Whitman Prairie Books) (Paperback)

This is a really good book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is an adventurous and breathtaking book. I couldn't put it down. It is one of the best books I've read. It kept me wondering who was going to be the last man not to move and what their reward was going to be.Yea!