Toothpaste Quotes

How would you feel if you became a millionaire at the age of 13? Sixth grader Rufus Mayflower, in “The Toothpaste Millionaire” by Jean Merrill, starts a company with his friend Kate MacKinstrey. Just one and a half years later of business Rufus becomes a child millionaire by creating and marketing a cheaper and better toothpaste.
Kate MacKinstrey and Rufus Mayflower are the main characters in the novel “The Toothpaste Millionaire” by Jean Merrill. Kate moves from Connecticut because her dad’s company moved to East Cleveland. Kate meets Rufus when he helps her pick up her papers. Kate notices Rufus’ bag that he made himself. Rufus likes to make his own things rather than buying them. He also helps her make her own saddlebags for her

bike. They go to the store because Rufus’s mom needs toothpaste.

He is outraged that a tiny tube of toothpaste costs 79 cents. This is when Rufus gets the idea to make toothpaste. Kate agrees to help Rufus with his idea so she gets Rufus on the Joe Smiley Show for talented kids. After the show he got hundreds of orders for his product. Even kids from school wanted to hang out with Rufus. However, he only allowed them if they helped him make toothpaste. When Kate returns from the auction, she goes to the factory where the toothpaste tubes were made. The factory had been shut down and was up for rent for $17,000. Rufus and Kate did not have enough money at the time. They went to Everyone’s Friendly Savings to get a loan for the rent. The man said he didn’t give rents to children because they needed a responsible adult. This upset Kate and Rufus so they went back to the factory and asked a

man named Hector for a loan. He gave them the money and they bought the place. Rufus and Kate got received more orders than most of the other toothpaste companies. Therefore, the companies had to lower their prices, which soon caused them to go out of business. Later in the novel Rufus sold the company to Hector because he wanted to make a new product.
Hector is a tall African American man with black curly hair.

He is a mechanic. Hector has five kids of his own and is very handy. He also has a very busy wife. His family is not doing well financially because he is unemployed. I want Hector to be my friend because he is selfless and always puts others’ needs in front of his. For example, Rufus and Kate asked Hector to help them get a loan from Everyone’s Friendly Savings since they could not get money without an adult. Hector helped them get a loan, whereas he could have turned them down and ignore them. Hector did not discriminate against the kids because of their age. He believed in them and supported all their decisions. Additionally, Hector is a responsible character. He helps raise a family of six. I can relate to this because I have to help my parents and my siblings. I can look up to Hector because he is a good role model. When I grow up I want to have the same characteristics as Hector. Moreover, I respect how Hector is able to always put his family and friends before him. He would make a great friend because I know that he would be willing to do anything to help me

out.
Mr. Perkell is a white man who owns Everybody’s Friendly Savings. He is white with straight black hair. He wears a business suit with a tie and black shoes. I would not want to be friends with Mr. Perkell because he is discriminative, dishonest, greedy and unfriendly. He discriminates against Rufus and Kate by saying they are not responsible. Rufus has a good business and needs the money but Mr. Perkell still says no. I don’t like people who discriminate for any reason. Personally, I cannot stand people who treat others unfairly. Mr. Perkell broadcasts commericals where he says the company gives loans to everyone who asks for him. He is a liar because he did not stick to his commercials’ guidelines. Additionally, Mr. Perkell is greedy because he repeatedly asks for more commercials. He is also disrespectful because he gave the kids a nasty look when they asked for a loan. Having a friendship with Mr. Perkell would only bring negativity and dishonesty. Therefore, I would not want to be friends with him
I enjoy novels with with ups and downs, good experiences and bad experiences. This book was about four things; adventure, business, toothpaste, and money. I like adventure because you never know what the outcome will be. The thrill of something new and different experiences in “The Toothpaste Millionaire” excite me. I like toothpaste because it makes my smile whiter and I like business because it makes money for people. I like money because we all need money, but we need family and friends more than money. All of those things make a good book. However, I don’t like books that aren’t that challenging, this book was great, but I would rather read a more challenging book. Challenging books help improve my reading. It was 86 pages long, I usually like to read 120 page books and up.