Tuesday, June 19, 2007

The Walton Street Tycoons by Jim Lesczynski

Mark Hoffman with his younger brother, Sam, are financially-minded twelve- and eight-year-olds. They start their own business in their hometown, specifically on Walton Street. The entrepreneur bug quickly spreads through all the kids of the city, and soon everybody who matters has a business of their own. Even sooner, Mark and Sam are raking in 500 to 1,000 dollars each day with their dessert business, Desserts Express. This is all going on while the adult economy is dying. Their father is in jail, and their mother is living with a formal boyfriend, Frank. Mark absolutely despises Frank, and later on realizes that Frank is worse than he thought.

I found this book to be a pure page-turner. With the financial world combined with a regular kid's world, "The Walton Street Tycoons" was a refreshing view. It exposed the laws that didn't make sense, and at the same time kept up a fast-paced personal story of a twelve-year-old. It showed how the past can be mingled with the present, how a child's view differs from an adult's, and the complications that one relationship can accumulate. I think the whole family would enjoy this one.

It has some kissing and killing in parts.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eagle Creek, OR USA