BOOK REVIEW—A perfect gift for young teens and business-minded high school students. It would be a great pick for a business class at school or community service group. While the book is a novel, it clearly demonstrates the steps and effort needed for starting a business. Teens are full of great ideas and reading Good-To-Go Café could certainly be a jumping off point for many business-minded teens. I found this book to be interesting and motivating, even as an adult! It refreshingly presented high school students as caring and hardworking. I got really attached to Enrique, the main character, and cheered for his success throughout the book. This is a fast, fun read.

Book Description:

High school student Enrique is fascinated by the food industry and sees himself as an entrepreneur, thanks to the adults around him and the classes he takes in school. What originally starts as a way to earn money for college becomes a passion for him. The book follows Enrique as he tries out several food businesses: catering, cupcakes, hot dogs and one fateful attempt at being a clown at a kid birthday party. All the while, Enrique wrestles with his identity as a half-Jewish, half-Hispanic kid. The book includes discussion questions at the end.

About the Author:

Barbara Greenleaf has written extensively for publications such as The New York Times. She has authored six books and well as run several businesses. Barbara encourages teen entrepreneurship through her work with the Dons Net Café- Virtual Enterprise Class at Santa Barbara High School. She lives with her husband in Santa Barbara, CA.