cover image Job for Jenny Archer

Job for Jenny Archer

Ellen Conford, Diane Palmisciano. Little Brown and Company, $9.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-316-15262-4

In another entry in the Springboard Book line, Jenny takes her mother's wish for a fur coatand the impossibility of her getting oneas a measure of their poverty. She resolves to earn the money for a coat herself, by inventing odd jobs to do for neighbors. But neither pet-training, baby-sitting, nor an attempt at a career in real estate (selling her own house) brings the hoped-for results she hopes for. A light lesson in the value of family love over material possessions, Conford's story is at its best when depicting the affinity between Jenny and her best friend Wilson. With witty line drawings, the book should inspire other young entrepreneurs and remind them that sometimes it's okay to fail. Ages 7-9. (April)