In Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer, readers meet Jenna Boller, a 16-year old that is too tall for her age, not very good in school and has an alcoholic father. Her one talent (in her eyes) is her talent for selling shoes. She has a job that she loves in Gladstone’s Shoe Store where Jenna takes delight in giving customers quality merchandise and excellent service. When her father arrives in the store drunk, Jenna is sure that she will be fired. Instead, the irascible Mrs. Gladstone, owner of the entire Gladstone chain of stores asks Jenna to be her driver on a trip to visit other Gladstone stores. Jenna is very nervous about accepting the job, leaving her family, and spending so much time alone with Mrs. Gladstone. While on the trip, Jenna meets Harry Bender, “the world’s best shoe salesman”. She also discovers, with the help of Mrs. Gladstone that she has an eye for shoddy quality and sloppy service. When Harry dies suddenly, Jenna strives to be the kind of person that Harry was and is able to save the day when she stands up to Elden Gladstone, the sleazy son of the chain’s owner. Jenna arrives home a changed person who is finally able to let go of the past and stand up to both her fears and her father.
Bauer writes a wrenching tale of a young girl’s coming of age. The story is told through Jenna’s eyes as she “comes to admire and love her boss and eagerly enters into an alliance of loyal employees to save the company” (School Library Journal, 1998). Although the story portrays Jenna’s dealings with her alcoholic father, the overall tone of the book is hopeful, encouraging readers to face their problems head-on and accept help from those who love them most. The dialogs between Jenna and Mrs. Gladstone, Jenna and Harry, and even Jenna and Elden reflect the true feel of a slightly insecure teenager who feels that she has been thrust in a situation beyond her control. “It’s an unlikely hero’s journey, and Bauer’s dry humor assures readers that all’s well that ends well, if not in corporate takeovers, at least in the business of growing up” (Kirkus Reviews, 1998).
I would recommend this book for students in grades 6-11
Keywords associated with this book: coming of age, alcoholism, shoes, driving, road, boss, relationships, contemporary realistic fiction, young adult fiction
Bauer writes a wrenching tale of a young girl’s coming of age. The story is told through Jenna’s eyes as she “comes to admire and love her boss and eagerly enters into an alliance of loyal employees to save the company” (School Library Journal, 1998). Although the story portrays Jenna’s dealings with her alcoholic father, the overall tone of the book is hopeful, encouraging readers to face their problems head-on and accept help from those who love them most. The dialogs between Jenna and Mrs. Gladstone, Jenna and Harry, and even Jenna and Elden reflect the true feel of a slightly insecure teenager who feels that she has been thrust in a situation beyond her control. “It’s an unlikely hero’s journey, and Bauer’s dry humor assures readers that all’s well that ends well, if not in corporate takeovers, at least in the business of growing up” (Kirkus Reviews, 1998).
I would recommend this book for students in grades 6-11
Keywords associated with this book: coming of age, alcoholism, shoes, driving, road, boss, relationships, contemporary realistic fiction, young adult fiction
1 comment:
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