New! Author autograph and gift card enclosure.
Also, a second book to the same address ships for only $2 anywhere in the United States!
Good-to-Go Café
An inspirational teen novel by Barbara Greenleaf
Take one half-Hispanic/ half-Jewish teenager, mix with useful tips on starting a business, throw in a pinch of cooking school, a cup of hilarious catering experiences, and stir with gang pressure until, voilà! you’ve got the winning recipe for Good-to-Go Café. In this inspiring story Enrique Sanchez tries one entrepreneurial venture after another with decidedly mixed results. At the same time, he is seeking his true identity, looking out for a younger brother with Asperger’s syndrome, and falling for a very special girl. Enrique has a lot on his plate! His story is sure to resonate with teenagers who are also trying to find themselves and their place in the world.
Santa Barbara, CA, resident Barbara Greenleaf got her start as a writer for The Book of Knowledge and The New York Times. She is the author of six books as well as numerous newspaper and magazine articles. In addition to her writing activities, Barbara founded and ran two businesses and one nonprofit organization. She encourages teen entrepreneurship through her writing and her volunteer work at Santa Barbara High School’s Virtual Enterprise Class.
Praise for Good-to-Go Café
What a pleasure to read a book about a teenage Hispanic boy who is not a problem! On the contrary, Good-to-Go Café’s hero, Enrique Sanchez, is driven to succeed—but can he ever measure up to the sky-high expectations of his immigrant father? So many kids have so much to overcome, and Enrique's story gives them hope that they, too, will be able to make their way in the world despite the huge obstacles they face.
— Rosie Perez, Actress and Co-Founder of Urban Arts Partnership
As a financial advisor who lectures at high schools and colleges all over the country, I am happy to see Barbara Greenleaf encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in teens in her new novel, Good-to-Go Café. By identifying with her hero, Enrique Sanchez, teens begin to feel that they, too, could start up a business even if they have no money and are still in school.
— Peter G. Bielagus, author of Quick Cash for Teens
Many people who go into food start as teenagers, either busing tables or dishwashing. Good-to-Go Café gives reader-s an inside look at life at the beginning of a food service career and then explores various routes to the top. Catering or running a café is hard but noble work. Barbara Greenleaf captures its frustrations and joys, difficulties and excitement, tensions and humor. She understands that a chef makes somebody’s life better with each delicious bite!
— Denise Vivaldo, author of How to Start a Home-Based Catering Business
Good-to-Go Café captures the drive, enthusiasm, and commitment to hard work that every entrepreneur—of any age—must have to succeed. It also shows the trial and error that young entrepreneurs often go through until they hit upon a winning idea. Barbara Greenleaf deftly seeds her colorful novel with marketing and business tips. Thanks to her unique approach, teen readers get hooked on the story but come away with a lot of useful information.
— Leon Presser, founder of Softool Corporation and author of What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur
Teen angst often centers on identity issues, never more so than when a youth comes from a mixed marriage. In Good-to-Go Café Enrique Sanchez, who has a Jewish mother and a Hispanic father, desperately wants to belong yet resists choosing sides or pinning a label on himself. Author Barbara Greenleaf manages to treat his dilemma candidly without turning this into a “problem” book. She also skillfully integrates facets of Jewish culture and ritual into the plot, a rare enhancement in a young adult novel.
— Rabbi Evan Goodman, Executive Director of Santa Barbara
Hillel at UCSB
Animal Kingdom
A teen business novel by Barbara Greenleaf
Barbara Greenleaf has tapped into a growing trend: teens who want to be entrepreneurs. According to a poll conducted by Junior Achievement, an astounding 69% of those who responded indicated that they would like to start their own business. Ms. Greenleaf’s latest book, Animal Kingdom speaks to this desire among young people to own their future economic success.
Animal Kingdom tells the story of Jennifer, a high school dropout who develops self-esteem and business smarts by working in and ultimately owning a neighborhood pet shop. In addition to savvy marketing tips, Greenleaf includes boyfriend troubles, intra-family squabbles, and funny pet stories to keep the narrative bubbling along. It is the first in a planned series of books about teens who come into their own in the business world.
A serial entrepreneur as well as a frequently published author and journalist—she got her start at The New York Times—Barbara Greenleaf drew on her teenage daughter’s experiences managing a pet store as she wrote the plot. In addition to publishing the blog, “Business-Minded Teens,” she is well into her second book in the teen series, Good-to-Go Café, and volunteers at Santa Barbara High School’s Virtual Enterprise Class.
Praise for Animal Kingdom
Barbara Greenleaf has written an uplifting, poignant story of a girl in search of herself. In a world where teens tend to follow the crowd, this story inspires young people to follow their own stars and build on their personal strengths and talents. Animal Kingdom is the ideal springboard for meaningful discussions on the social, family, career, and personal issues confronting teens today. I highly recommend this well-written book for its honesty and for the positive message it conveys.
— Linda Schwartz, author of What Would You Do? A Kid’s Guide to Tricky and Sticky Situations
Junior Achievement empowers young people to own their future economic success. Our programs ignite the spark of entrepreneurial thought and action in students and show them how to drive small business growth and job creation. The JA mission is beautifully brought to life in Barbara Greenleaf’s Animal Kingdom, which chronicles the entrepreneurial journey of a JA student as she experiences both the frustration and the joy of business ownership. Animal Kingdom is an entertaining and practical primer for any young person interested in exploring entrepreneurship.
— Stephanie Bell, Director, Marketing and Media Relations, JA Worldwide®
Animal Kingdom has a common theme of “interest”: we excel at what we are interested in. Finding what interests our teen entrepreneurs is the key to success for educators, parents, and teachers. As an entrepreneur herself, Barbara Greenleaf understands this perfectly, and she gets across her message with empathy, humor, and lots of fascinating information about both business and animals. I plan to incorporate the book’s underlying motif every day in class.
— Lee Knodel, Instructor, Virtual Enterprise Class,
Santa Barbara High School/ROP