Best Foot Forward

Hello, I am Juan's Daughter, Gabriela. I read the book "Best Foot Foward" and I thought it was great. Yes, it did seem unfinished at the end... like it needed something to give it a little push. Over all the book was outstanding. I loved how Jenna changed throughout the story about Tanner. In the beggining she seemed to dislike, well actually despise Tanner, but at the end they worked together to help Mrs. Gladstone get to the bottom of what was going on with her store. I also thought that the book was great to read, I liked how Joan Bauer wrote it at the point of view of Jenna. It was a great book.

She did it again! Joan Bauer hooked me on yet another novel about selling shoes! I had previously read Rules of the Road, where we were introduced to Jenna Boller. In BEST FOOT FORWARD we again root for Jenna of Gladstone Shoes. I even *ahem* took this book to church to read between Sunday School and the church service. It was that good. Mrs. Gladstone puts Jenna in charge of Tanner, a boy Jenna's age, after he tries to steal some shoes from them. Jenna's not sure letting him work for the company is the best idea Mrs. Gladstone has had; even so, Jenna's confidence grows as she encourages Tanner to be his best. Changes are coming fast since the merger of Gladstone Shoes and Shoe Warehouse Corporation. Advertising strategies become distasteful. The quality of the product is suffering. Jenna and Mrs. Gladstone's questions aren't being answered. When the higher-ups in the company begin making unethical business decisions, Mrs. Gladstone entrusts Jenna with the investigation. When Jenna finds out that Mrs. Gladstone's son is involved, she has to confide in somebody. Jenna chooses Tanner and is astounded at the things he's noticed. She prepares Mrs. Gladstone for the bad news and shares an understanding of being disappointed by someone you love. BEST FOOT FORWARD is remarkable in its premise of teens doing the right thing only because it's the right thing to do. This is a common theme throughout Ms. Bauer's books, and, once again, she has made me grateful that I'm lucky enough to spend time with teens and that I have the privilege of making an impression upon them - as they do on me. This is another Joan Bauer must read! Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger

This book was sort of like a kid's look into the world... where there are thieves and people who try to do illegal things to gain a profit. Some people learn, some people don't, and some people witness these things and know that's not who they want to be. That's what Jenna Boller does. She watches everything around her, and she learns from it. And when the time comes when she has to deal with it she knows she's not alone. This is such a good book.

One person can make a difference. That's the big lesson Jenna Boller learns outside of the classroom and it changes her forever. As she returns to school in the Fall, she immediately realizes how much she has matured over the summer. It's as if the other students were frozen in time. Jenna grew up at Gladstone Shoes. At first, she is consumed in her own problems, most notably fixing the strained relationship with a dysfunctional alcoholic parent she helped put in jail. A sister obsessed with her own appearance is also scarred by family problems but refuses to deal with them. At work, Jenna's boss, an elderly women, Mrs. Gladstone, seems out of touch and too gullible, giving the wrong people, like the troubled Tanner, a second chance. As Jenna learns, it was all a matter of having the right person redirect Tanner's high energy in a more positive direction - and Mrs. Gladstone make Jenna his boss, partly responsible for the transformation. Mrs. Gladstone knows that in her heart Jenna does not understand her methods. Jenna believes Mrs. Gladstone is soft, an easy mark. As the story unfolds, Jenna observes as Mrs. Gladstone takes on her own son, exposing the corruption that has infested Gladstone's new corporate offices. As her mentor, Mrs. Gladstone explains, "I want you to learn from this. I want you to write it in your heart." In the end Jenna intuitively creates her own mentoring role, helping someone else put the best foot forward. Joan Bauer has written a most enjoyable, uplifting book that will not only resonate with young reasons, but with all who read it. It kept me smiling.

This is a great sequel to an equally stunning and entertaining read, "Rules of the Road". Bauer has vastly impressed me with all her books I've read thus far, but this one was like a big fat cherry along with the whipped creme on top of the hot fudge sundae known as "Rules of the Road". Jenna Boller is back, back with a vengence alongside the owner and her boss, Madeline Gladstone. There are some new characters that add flavor to an already sweet treat of a story. For anyone who just likes a good plot and lots of laughs, I recommend this. It may be targeted at teenagers(those teenagers are darn lucky cuz there were no writers like this in my teen days), but at 36, I have grown into a great fan of Joan Bauer's writing. She is very talented at telling a tale that is funny and endearing. It is a really easy read that I know younger girls will really enjoy because while I may be 36, deep down, I am still a teenager at heart. Eileen F.