5 h 38 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 5 h 38 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What does it take for a boy to prove his worth when the sea becomes his testing ground?
In Work and Win; Or, Noddy Newman on a Cruise, Oliver Optic places a young boy at the heart of a sea adventure. Noddy’s journey brings courage, effort and the hope of redemption into focus. The cruise offers more than a change of scene: it makes character matter.
This boys’ adventure joins the pull of life at sea with a plain moral question: how does honest work help a young person find a better path? Optic, the pen name of teacher and writer William Taylor Adams, brings a teacher’s concern for growth to a story of hardship and effort.
What you’ll discover
- A boy worth following Meet Noddy Newman, a young adventurer whose journey puts courage and character at its heart.
- The sea as a test Step into a shipboard world where a young person faces pressure and the need to prove himself.
- Honest effort matters Explore the book’s clear belief that work and steady habits can open a better path.
- Adventure with a purpose Find a story that pairs danger and hardship with lessons about how to live.
- A taste of earlier fiction Discover the moral spirit of nineteenth-century boys’ stories through a young hero’s sea journey.
Who will love it
Readers who love nineteenth-century boys' adventures and sea voyages in the spirit of Robinson Crusoe will enjoy this tale. It also suits those drawn to restless characters changed by kindness, faith and work.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A wild boy is given a daily task
- One careless wish and a building in flames
- Noddy takes the blame to protect Fanny
- Running from the courthouse into the circus
- A goodbye, a mistaken chase and a cattle train
- Mollie, her father and a schooner called Roebuck
- A shark, a fever and a boy who becomes a nurse
- What the story is about and how it is told
Who’s who
- Noddy NewmanA bold, generous fourteen-year-old orphan and former vagabond who hates steady work and dreams of the sea, learning what work and win really means.
- Bertha GrantThe gentle eldest daughter at Woodville who nursed Noddy back to health and works patiently to teach him good habits and faith.
- Fanny GrantBertha's twelve-year-old sister, proud and headstrong, who drags Noddy into mischief and then struggles with her conscience.
- Mollie McClintockAn eleven-year-old captain's daughter, gentle and devout, who loves her drinking father and becomes Noddy's closest friend.
- Captain McClintockMollie's father, a sea captain from Maine, kind when sober and harsh when drinking, hoping to make his fortune in the Pacific.
- BenThe old boatman at Woodville who enforces Bertha's orders on Noddy and keeps his own counsel about the fire.
- Mr. GrantThe owner of Woodville, Bertha and Fanny's father, who wants Noddy settled in a trade and sets out to find him when he runs away.
- Mr. WattsThe Roebuck's first mate, a skilled sailor who explains shipboard discipline to Noddy and gives him good advice.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
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- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Lavorare e vincere; oppure, Noddy Newman in crociera
by Oliver Optic · 1865
A boy escapes a boat-house fire he does not cause and becomes a cabin boy on a schooner bound for the Pacific.
Medium level5–10 hours to readItaliano
Excellent
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In short
What would you do if everyone thought you had burned down a building, and you knew who really did it? That is Noddy Newman's trouble in Work and Win, a novel by Oliver Optic, the pen name of William T.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A wild boy is given a daily task
The story opens at Woodville, an estate on a river, with a small quarrel. Ben, the old boatman, tells Noddy Newman to wash out the boat-house every morning before nine. Noddy grumbles, stamps his foot and says he wishes the place would burn down.
Who is Noddy? Nobody even knows his real name. Two years earlier Bertha Grant nursed him after an accident. Before that he was a vagabond who slept in outbuildings and stole food when he could not get it any other way. Now he eats with the estate workers, yet he walks with Bertha as she works to civilize him. She has taught him to read and write, but he still likes his roving ways.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1865
- Language
- Italiano
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Optic, Oliver. Work and Win; Or, Noddy Newman on a Cruise. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/work-and-win-or-noddy-newman-on-a-cruise.
Optic, O. (2026). Work and win; or, Noddy Newman on a cruise. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/work-and-win-or-noddy-newman-on-a-cruise (Original work published 1865)
Optic, Oliver. Work and Win; Or, Noddy Newman on a Cruise. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/work-and-win-or-noddy-newman-on-a-cruise.
@book{optic2026work,
author = {Optic, Oliver},
title = {Work and Win; Or, Noddy Newman on a Cruise},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/work-and-win-or-noddy-newman-on-a-cruise},
note = {First published 1865}
}
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What is Work and Win by Oliver Optic about?
It follows Noddy Newman, an orphan boy at the Woodville estate, who flees after a boat-house fire and joins a circus, then a schooner bound for the Pacific. Along the way he meets a captain's daughter, Mollie, and learns what work really means.
Who is Noddy Newman?
Noddy is a fourteen-year-old orphan, once a vagabond, who lives at Woodville under Bertha Grant's care. He is bold, generous and fond of excitement, but dislikes steady work. His growth is the heart of the book.
What does the motto work and win mean in the book?
Bertha gives Noddy the motto to guide him toward honest effort. At first he thinks it means quick reward, and he is disappointed. Later he learns that the real prize is character, courage and usefulness to others.
The author
Oliver Optic
1822–1897 · American children's author
Oliver Optic was the pen name of William Taylor Adams (1822–1897), an American author and teacher. Born in Medway, Massachusetts, he lived and worked in Boston. He wrote books for young readers during the nineteenth century, including The Yacht Club and Little by Little. He also served in the Massachusetts legislature.
More by Oliver Optic
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