Who ever heard of a shoeshine girl?

The last thing Sarah Ida wants to do is spend the summer with her Aunt Claudia. But when her parents send her away because of problems at home, that is exactly what she has to do. With no allowance and no fun to be had, Sarah Ida decides to look for a job. But who will hire a ten year old? Al, the shoeshine man, will!

Sarah loves her job, even if it means getting knee-deep in shoe polish everyday. Then something terrible happens and it looks like the shoeshine stand will have to close forever. If Sarah Ida wants to keep it open, she'll have to learn a few lessons about growing up along the way...

Another odd children's book that has been in my family, unread, for decades. Here's its moment to shine. (Ha! I kill me!)

A girl gets sent off to her aunt when her parents suspect she might be sliding into the ways of juvenile delinquency. And the girl does cop an attitude and strong-arms some money out of a neighbor girl.

But as the title reveals, she gets a job to earn her own money. And, fellow capitalists, ain't nothing like hard, honest labor to straighten a punk out and set them on the right path of taking responsibility for their actions and helping others.

That old trope aside, I still liked the book overall, though I did find it surprising and unsettling when the protagonist is revealed to be a ten-year-old snot and child laborer as opposed to the teenager I assumed she was. ( )

Realistic fiction at a low reading level (grades 2-4, I imagine)but a good read for middle school kids, too. So this ended up being perfect for kids who are in 7th grade, have a 3rd grade reading level and don't want to walk around reading Magic Treehouse.
A nice story. ( )

Not a very likable central character. Gets better as it goes along. ( )

Read it with my 6th graders. They really liked it. ( )