Better Than a Lemonade Stand

July 1, 2012

Gr 7 Up-The majority of the jobs in this second edition are the same as those in the 1992 book, with the exception of a handful that are technology based. These include online advisor, online seller, website designer, and document preparer. The text is upbeat and has a wide range of business suggestions, 55 to be exact, along with a dozen or so side panels of case studies, including the author, who was 15 when he wrote the first edition. About two pages are devoted to each endeavor, including a paragraph on supplies, advertising, etc. Some seem unrealistic. For example, "Gift Basket Maker" suggests shipping the product "anywhere in the world." Given shipping costs, it is hard to imagine a teen establishing a viable gift-basket business. "Grocery Deliverer" suggests that one "estimate the cost of each product" upon getting the shopping list, so as to collect the money upfront. There are some great ideas, but overall this title misses the mark.-Meredith Toumayan, The Langley-Adams Library, Groveland, MA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.