The Short Seller

Gr 5–7—When seventh-grader Lindy Sachs comes down with mononucleosis, she feels as if she has contracted The Plague. She is trapped in her house for two weeks: no school, no friends, no fun. This all changes when her father gives her the password to his online trading account and $100 to invest at her own discretion. Lindy starts out investing five or ten dollars in her favorite companies, but after a few small successes and some research into online trading, she realizes the potential that investing can hold, especially when you have unfettered access to your parents' life savings. When a bad investment results in a $25,000 loss, Lindy has to scramble to make back the money, and navigate the resulting consequences of lawyers, the SEC, and possible jail time for her father. Weissman is successful in crafting a story that includes a young person's view of the crackdown on insider trading. The premise is a bit far-fetched, but the realistic friend and family interactions make up for this overreach in the plot.—Colleen S. Banick, Westport Public Schools, CT