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    Another novel by Joan Bauer (Review for Almost Home by Bauer can be found here) that has blown me away!
    
    Jenna Boller's father is always drunk, always wrecking life (his, his wife's, his daughters'), and always leaving Jenna to clean up after him. Its gotten a little better since Jenna's mother divorced him, but he still comes around after months of silence and forgotten child support payments.
    So when Mrs. Gladstone, the CEO of the shoestore (Gladstones) where Jenna works, offers Jenna a job driving her down to Texas, she jumps at the chance to get away from her father and save up for a car! Jenna leaves her mother, her beloved younger sister, and confused grandmother and sets off to see the world! Or, at least a good chunk of her country! :)
Jenna, along with Mrs. Gladstone, hops to and from Gladstone's shoestores, testing the employees, new plastic products (ewww!), and monthly profits at each, while making there way towards the big Gladstone's conference. At this conference of company higher-ups and stockholders, it will be decided if Gladstone's will be taken over by a large chain store and if Mrs. Gladstones will be forced to step down.

    Rules of the Road was a great book! I loved the big shoestore competition concept! I LOVED the characters, especialy Henry Bender, and I really appreciated how there wasn't a constant fued between gawky Jenna and her beautiful best friend as there often is over beauty (at least in books). I loved how Bauer made the shoe store world seem majestic and exciting!

    Rules of the Road has earned a place on my bookshelve and (I know this sounds cheesy) in my heart. Nine of ten stars, All ages!




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