Cashing In

November 9, 2009
While the message that “money doesn’t buy happiness” prevails throughout this rags-to-riches story, Colebank (Black Tuesday
) expresses several other themes as she traces the escalating conflicts of a grounded teenager whose mother wins the lottery. At first, having enough money to finally get out of debt seems like an answer to a prayer for Reggie Shaw’s struggling family. But the spending doesn’t stop with paying off overdue bills. Reggie’s mother, a compulsive shopper and gambler, goes overboard, buying new clothes and furnishings (“I knew we had money, but it wasn’t like we were filthy rich,” Reggie laments). Adding to Reggie’s stress: she is being blackmailed by a self-centered cousin, her mother plans to remarry, and Reggie wonders whether she can trust a cute co-worker who wants to take her out on a date. Then there’s the matter of Reggie’s best friend, whom Reggie suspects is being abused. Problems arise as fast and furious as Mrs. Shaw’s shopping sprees, and readers may find themselves out of breath—and overwhelmed—long before the novel’s final, abrupt turn of events. Ages 14–up.

January 1, 2010
Gr 7 Up-When Reggie Shaw's dad died three years ago, he left behind an unfinished house, debts, no life insurance, two teenagers, and a wife with a gambling problem. Instead of paying for a casket for her husband, Reggie's mom bought herself a bracelet to remember him by. Now, Reggie stashes away her money in hopes of leaving home. Suddenly, the family's luck seems to be changing. After gambling away all of their money, Reggie's mom hits the lottery. The Shaws start to finish their house, all three get new cars, and life seems to be looking good for Reggieexcept for the fact that now all of the kids at school want to be her friend, her old friends are treating her differently, and the money might drive away the one boy she likes. Colebank has created an engaging read with a twist at the end. Even reluctant readers will be eager to see what happens to Reggie."Erika Qualls, Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library, IL"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2010
When her mom wins the lottery, Reggie hopes all her problems will disappear. Instead, she finds herself unsure who to trust anymore. A fight with a friend, a boy who's misrepresenting himself, a lack of direction, and a twist on her mother's lottery win make Reggie finally assert herself. Though the lessons Reggie learns are unsurprising, their presentation is creative.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)