Hello...This is My Father Speaking

Jeff Whitty, the narrator of this breezy read, has gotten into an incredible mess, all because he's embarrassed by his father's profession-the enthusiastic head of a cleaning-service franchise, Dad bills himself as Mr. Sanitary Master. When Jeff spends some time at the office of of his father's client, Star Crossed Securities, he decides to play the stock market and make enough money to convince his father to give up the cleaning business. So he secretly invests some of his father's private stock while simultaneously starting an investment club with some of his classmates. Sharmat (Gregory, the Terrible Eater) packs a fair amount of information about high finance, and although there is not much more to the plot than watching Jeff meet his inevitable comeuppance, the excitement of trading and investing is believably conveyed. Ages 10-14. (Oct.)