Rules of the Road, by Joan Bauer

I just finished reading a wonderful book by an author I should have read more of back when I was in high school.  In Rules of the Road, Jenna Boller is an insecure teenager between her sophomore and junior year.  She is too tall, has an alcoholic father, and a beautiful (and trying) younger sister.  Jenna works in a shoe store and loves her job; she's also just gotten her driver's license, and is saving to buy her own car.  At the beginning of the summer vacation, the president of the shoe company hires Jenna to drive her from Chicago (Jenna's hometown) to Dallas for the annual stockholders' meeting.  The journey becomes a lot more than a source of extra pay, though, and Jenna learns a lot about herself, her boss, the shoe-selling business, what to do in difficult situations, and how to accept circumstances beyond her control.  I think this book is great for everyone, but especially for young girls in middle and high school.  Jenna is a strong character and understands how to work with people.  She is funny, intelligent, and embodies values such as compassion and a sense of responsibility toward others.  However, she knows when it's time to confront those who are doing something wrong, and she does not hesitate to call them on their misdeeds.  She is, above all, genuinely human.  Additionally, those of us who work in retail will laugh and shake our heads knowingly at Jenna's adventures in the world of customer service.