The Corner Store Dream

Nine-year-old Marcus wants to know one thing: why does Mr. Rivera open his corner store before the sun comes up?

The answer starts Marcus on the adventure of his life, right on his own block in Brooklyn. Sweeping floors and stocking shelves at Rivera's Corner Market, Marcus learns how a real business works: why the price of a candy bar has to cover more than the candy, what happens when the bread runs out on the busiest day of the year, and why a carton of sour milk can be worth more than sixty cents. With Abuela's three jars, Save, Spend, and Give, he starts saving for the leather baseball glove he's always wanted. And when a heat wave hits, Marcus starts a business of his own.

Then his first day flops.

Told in twelve short chapters, The Corner Store Dream teaches kids ages 7 to 10 the building blocks of starting a business: noticing what people need, making a plan, pricing fairly, keeping track, fixing mistakes, and keeping your word, rain or shine. Every chapter ends with a Business Tip. The back of the book includes a glossary, a Save-Spend-Give activity, and a fill-in business plan for young readers.

Written by a Brooklyn native who spent 26 years on a delivery route before starting his own company, this is a warm, funny story about where big dreams begin.

Sometimes, they start on a corner.