Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer

Okay, this may be one of the greatest books about growing up that I have ever read.

Jenna Boller is a salesperson at Gladstone's Shoes, a chain of shoe stores known for quality and fair pricing. She likes to sell shoes, and she's good at selling shoes. However, her father struggles with alcohol addiction, and when he comes around to the store one day, Jenna is mortified beyond her sixteen years.
So when Madeline Gladstone, the president of Gladstone's, asks Jenna to be her driver for the summer, Jenna leaps at the chance. They take an unforgettable journey from Chicago to Dallas, and Jenna learns a lot more about driving, selling shoes, and life than she ever expected to know.

I highly suggest this book for anyone who can read chapter books. My mother read it to my sisters and I when I was in fourth grade, and I read it over again right after she finished it. It's a tale of growing up and growing strong. Jenna's voice is highly unique and funny. There is no swearing, inappropriate behavior or references to any. There is some mild emotional turmoil, as Jenna struggles with her father's addiction, her beloved grandmother's Alzheimer's, and the death of a father figure. But don't let that stop you from reading this book. I would give it six stars, but I only have 5 to spare. It's a great family read-aloud, or a book to read in your free time.

"I wrote "never punch a man who's chewing tobacco." I think that at the very least this should be a bumper sticker, but I'm not sure what any of this has to do with selling shoes."

""I still feel like he's with me, in every store Floyd and I opened. When I was a child, I'd wonder why in the world did I have a father so all-fired fixated on shoes?" She [Mrs. Gladstone] opened her hands,  grinning. "Sure made me think about selling them a little different."
I looked down. I always wondered why I had a father who was a drunk.
I haven't figured that one out yet."

-Rules of the Road, by Joan Bauer (words in brackets are mine)


Love,

AJ