From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5-This third installment in the series will find a ready audience. Tessa Fortune is set on becoming a rich corporate executive when she grows up. Following the precepts laid down in her favorite book, Succeed and Grow Rich by Ellington Fillmore, she opens a white-elephant stand to raise funds for the New Zealand National Telethon. She manages to run her mini-enterprise with the help of her Fortune cousins, but is soon forced out of business by the mischief of a neighborhood bully. Once again drawing on her mentor's advice, Tessa formulates a new plan. She urges donors to sponsor her 24-hour tree-athon. Though she meets her goal of raising $100, a series of unexpected events causes her to re-evaluate her future plans and to reconsider the power of money. Readers who enjoyed the "Ramona" and "Jenny Archer" books will relish this resourceful heroine's struggle for independence. The short chapters, broken up by full-page, pen-and-ink illustrations, combined with Mahy's careful interweaving of seemingly unimportant details into a meaningful story, make this an appealing choice for young readers.
Maggie McEwen, Coffin Elementary School, Brunswick, MECopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"Succeed and Grow Rich!" Not only is it Tessa Fortune's fondest desire, it is the title of her favorite book, her bible. Ellington Filmore, the sonorous-voiced success author, interrupts Tessa's thoughts at regular intervals with an apropos line or phrase to guide her in her endeavor to raise money for New Zealand's third-annual national telethon. Richard Mitchley's reading of the wacky cast of characters is in keeping with Mahy's raucous tone. Grant Chilling, the obnoxious neighborhood bully, shouts insults from his bike in a grating voice, inspiring fury. The adult shoppers condescend to buy items from the white elephant table in nasal tones. Tessa rides a roller coaster of emotion and inspires empathy throughout. T.B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the
Audio Cassette
edition.
