Payback on Poplar Lane

December 1, 2017
Peter, an over-the-top but not particularly ethical young businessman, spouts the jargon of the trade with an expert's enthusiasm. Rachel is his quiet, shy neighbor who often seems to disappear into the background of life even when she's with her outgoing best friend. Hoping to find her own voice, Rachel agrees to become Peter's unpaid intern in his next business venture, but the experience leaves her feeling used and angry. Peter--who is self-focused and has little empathy--has that effect on people. Seeking a bit of sweet, targeted revenge, Rachel creates a rival business. Unfortunately, her determination leads her down an unsavory path, as she ignores her inner voice and defrauds her gullible customers. Speaking in opposing first-person voices, the two kids (depicted in cover art as white) only slowly come to understand both their own shortcomings and the other's needs. Interspersed between some of the chapters are bits of the fantasy novel Rachel is crafting, which incorporates elements of their conflict. The premise is amusing, the pitfalls are revealing, and the ending, of course, is happy, but the meandering trail to that ending is overlong. Many of the running jokes are based on business concepts (including the tips that Peter sprinkles throughout his narrative) that may not resonate with the intended audience.Entertaining (perhaps mostly for young entrepreneurs), occasionally insightful, but never especially compelling. (Fiction. 9-12)

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January 1, 2018

Gr 4-6-Peter and Rachel live in the same cul-de-sac on Poplar Lane with lots of other young folks. Peter is an aspiring entrepreneur at age 11 who starts a new business almost every week. He's interested in business both as a profession and to help his family; his father recently lost his job. Rachel is quiet and an aspiring writer. She's working on a book called Cyrano's Revenge based on Cyrano de Bergerac, with whom she shares many attributes; Rachel's best friend Clover often speaks for her and gets the credit for Rachel's funny quips, earning Rachel the unenviable nickname "Puppet." When Peter hires Rachel as his (unpaid) intern in his newest business venture, Rachel proves to be a creative and resourceful entrepreneur. Peter doesn't appreciate her, however, so Rachel quits. When the two start competing businesses, Rachel's success gets under Peter's skin and soon both take drastic measures to stay on top. Mincks depicts the cul-de-sac's children and their antics in comedic tones. Readers will sympathize with Rachel but will come to understand Peter. The book is an easy read with short chapters alternating points of view. Peter's sections are interspersed with business tips and basic economic terms are introduced naturally in the text. The two main characters are white, though the cover illustration implies that some of the secondary characters are non-white. A sequel is planned. VERDICT An entertaining read perfect for reluctant readers or for fans of Gary Paulsen's Lawn Boy.-Laura Gardner, Dartmouth Middle School, MA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2018
Grades 3-6 Twelve-year-old Peter Gronkowski knows he's Poplar Lane's resident business professional: founder, CEO, CFO, and COO of Peter Presents, Inc. To increase his impact, he hires his first unpaid intern, neighbor and classmate Rachel Chambers, a quiet girl who dreams of being a writer. When Peter's constant demands and claims to Rachel's creativity drive her to break away and start a competing business, war is declared. As the stakes escalate, both middle-schoolers resort to tactics that prove disastrous and eventually force them to examine their own conduct and motives. Set in a microcosm where everything is Poplar this and Poplar that, each kid plays an important roleentrepreneur, blogger, comic magician for hire, artistyielding humorous situations, relationships, and outcomes. Peppered with exclusive business tips and Rachel's work in progress (Cyrano's Revenge), this series debut provides plenty of laugh-out-loud bits, told in alternating chapters by the competitors. Eventually, Peter and Rachel learn that there are different interpretations of success, that business and friendship require work, and that saying you're sorry isn't unprofessional.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)