Tag Archive | entrepreneur

Luck of the Buttons, by Anne Ylvisaker (fiction) – small-town mystery, big excitement in 1920s

Jul3

Independence Day!
Pie-eating contests!
Patriotic essay competitions!
Three-legged races!

Is bad luck something you’re born with or something that you can rise above? Are bullies part of every school and neighborhood? Does the world look different when seen through your camera’s lens?

This is a great summer story as Tugs investigates a mystery that the grown-ups in town just can’t seem to see. Wishing you plenty of pie, family, and fireworks this holiday weekend!
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Book info: The Luck of the Buttons / Anne Ylvisaker. Candlewick, 2011 [author’s website] [publisher site]

Recommendation: Tugs is good at reading and good at running, which keeps her ahead of the Rowdies gang in their small Iowa town in 1929. Independence Day is next week, so she writes a patriotic essay, like every other 12 year old in town, and practices with Aggie for the 3-legged race. Thank goodness, she doesn’t have to run with her short, tubby cousin Ned this year. And she has some tickets for the raffle of a Brownie camera, too! Of course, no one in the Button family is lucky at all, so she’s not getting her hopes up about anything.

Uh-oh, it’s time to worry when Mama has a pie ready for lunch (Buttons always have pie when something bad happens). Granny is moving in, taking her bedroom! Well, at least Tugs can escape to the cool quiet of the library, browsing through the dictionary and reading old newspapers. This newcomer Harvey Moore is so busy collecting money to start a newspaper in Goodhue that he isn’t really starting it at all, so Tugs starts investigating.

On the fourth of July, it’s time for the 3-legged race, the raffle drawing, and the essay contest announcement. Will it be time for pie at the Button family table again? Can Tugs stay ahead of the Rowdies? Does the world look different through a camera lens? And how did Tugs get her first name anyway?

The summer of 1929, surrounded by cornfields and caring, is a great place to be with Tugs and her pie-baking family, as she wonders about luck and persistence in this easy-reading story. (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy courtesy of the publisher.

Start It Up, by Kenrya Rankin (book review) – your small-business guide

May2

book cover of Start It Up by Kenrya Rankin published by Zest BooksIf you’re thinking about starting a business, I suggest you check out this book – Rankin has great checklists, quizzes, and advice, all in a well-crafted package.

New best friend for up-and-coming entrepreneurs, ask for it at your local library or independent bookstore.

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Book Info: Start It Up: The Complete Teen Business Guide to Turning Your Passions Into Pay / Kenrya Rankin. Zest Books, 2011. http://www.zestbooks.net/ Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My Book Talk: Your hobby or favorite activity could be a great way to make money, so use this business guide for teens to get started! Successful entrepreneurs (people who start their own business and work for themselves) work hard, communicate well, can multitask, are organized, and manage their time and money carefully – if you don’t have all these skills, you can learn them as you create your business.

Well-organized, with many checklists and questions to ask yourself, Start It Up helps you write a business plan, scope out your prospects, build a realistic budget, and keep track of all the paperwork entailed in owning your company. Quotes and notes from teen entrepreneurs who’ve succeeded in their chosen line of work are encouraging, yet realistic.

You’ll learn about hiring and managing employees, publicizing your business, providing great customer service, and using your business to make the world a better place. Lots of resources for each chapter point you to sources of further information.

Whether it’s gathering a board of advisors, raising start-up money, registering your business name, or filing your self-employment taxes (yes, you have to pay taxes even if you’re not an adult), you’ll find information and remember-this guides to help you avoid common new-business pitfalls as you follow your passions to a well-deserved payday.  (one of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)