Rules of the Road
A story about a teenage girl traveling with an older woman while confronting questions of belonging and family. It balances humor with urgency and gives the coming-of-age arc a strong sense of movement and independence.
Work Information
On the road, a girl learns the work of living and the work of becoming herself.
A sixteen-year-old working in a Chicago shoe store joins a cross-country drive to help save the business and learns about pride in work and how to face other people. Its quick pace also weaves in the pain of self-respect and family relationships with care.
Book Information
- Publisher
- Penguin Young Readers Group
- Published
- 2005-06-02
- Pages
- 208 pages
- Language
- 英語
- Size
- 20.78 x 13.82 x 1.42 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9780142404256
- ISBN-10
- 014240425X
- Price
- 2069 JPY
- Category
- 洋書/Children's Books
WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE • From the award-winning author of Hope Was Here comes a heartwarming journey of a young girl striving for a brighter future. “Jubilant, strong, and funny, this is a road trip to remember.”— The Bulletin , starred review The trip of a lifetime . . . Jenna Boller can sell anybody anything. She’s the best employee at her branch of Gladstone’s Shoes. But her family problems are harder to handle, and there are times when Jenna wishes she could just take a break. So when Madeline Gladstone, the elderly president of Gladstone Shoe Stores, hires Jenna as her chauffeur for the summer, Jenna leaps right into the driver’s seat. And that begins a cross-country adventure where she and Mrs. Gladstone learn a lot about the rules of the road . . . and the rules of life.
Joan Bauer's first novel, Squashed , won the Delacorte Prize for a First Young Adult Novel. Five novels for young adult readers have followed: Thwonk, Sticks, Rules of the Road (LA Times Book Prize and Golden Kite ), Backwater and Hope was Here (Newbery Honor Medal). Joan lives in Darien, CT with her husband and daughter.
Reviews
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ひと夏の旅での心の成長を描く良作
アルコール依存症の父をはじめとする様々な家族の問題を背負っている女子高校生ジェナは、アルバイト先の靴のチェーン店で自分の才能を見出して働いていましたが、ある日、老齢の女社長の運転手としてテキサスへ同行することに。 ひと夏の旅の中、人との出会いや別れを経験し成長していく主人公の姿はさわやかな感動を与えてくれます。 全編にわたっていろいろと考えさせられる、教訓となるような言葉がちりばめられていて、登場人物の設定や読後感も良い、心に残る一冊でした。 ジェナがコンプレックスだった背の高さも武器に変えて立ち向かっていくところなど、レビューを書いていると頭の中に鮮明にイメージが思い出されるシーンが幾つもあります。ロードムービー（小説だからロードノベル？）が好きな人は必読。 著者は日本ではあまり知られていないようですが、アメリカでの評価は高いようです。
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Buy a Joan Bauer book and you cannot go wrong. It is impossible. She puts sentences together with heart -- feeling, and you ache with characters, and laugh with them too. We love all her books. And despite having a 16 year-old who reads AP level in high school, on road trips during summer (from Michigan to Santa Fe or beyond), they make travel less mundane and offer a welcome reprieve from the drab literature pushed to sophomores and juniors. A bonus: the content is worth discussing later -- and Joan always imparts life lessons to readers. Hope Was Here we listened to in the car via audio; this book, Rules of the Road we read together in the evening. It's a family centric book --- that delves into teen issues, adult issues too. By the way, search for Joan's website and drop her an email if you like her writing. We did and guess what? Yes, she wrote back. Whether your teen is male or female, whether you are an adult or not quite at the age of "matriculation" -- trust me, you'll enjoy Joan's books. There is something for everyone.
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very easy to purchase.
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I think Joan Bauer is becoming my favorite YA author! I love every book of hers that I have read so far, and this one is no exception. The characters are bigger than life and the storyline is wonderful. The subplots (Jenna's grandmother with Alzheimers, her alcoholic father, etc.) are woven into the main story very skillfully and add additional depth. Jenna's personal and social maturation are something to behold as she deals with her alcoholic father, relates both compassionately and honestly to the imperialistic Mrs. Gladstone, discovers her own personal strengths and integrity, etc. Highly Recommended!
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A good read for a young adult.
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A witty story of self-realization. It's hard not to fall in love with the characters. Deals with tough issues such as alcoholism, recovery, divorce, enabling versus taking responsibility for oneself, and tough life choices. The protagonist's quick wit about her situation, perception of her feelings, and experiences made me laugh on nearly every page. Completely clean content in terms of sexuality/swearing/etc-- I will definitely be sharing this with my teens. Many excellent lessons inside, especially about self-worth, open and vulnerable communication, etc. Enjoy!