I believe this book originally came out in the 70's, but it is incredible how little times change. Mariah, who has little use for books, goes with her mother to the library, whose hours have been shortened due to cutbacks. Sound familiar?? Now Mariah's bookloving family just has TONS of books all over the house which seem to just fill shelfspace. Mariah, lacking enthusiasm for school, but running over with creative entrepreneurship, decides to privately fill the gap left by the library cutbacks. She researches cataloguing and memberships with the help of the friendly local librarian and soon is lending her family's books out to the whole school. Free memberships, but she figures she will soon be raking in the dough with late fees. Disaster strikes when everyone avoids her at school rather than paying fees or returning books, and simultaneously her parents start noticing holes in the bookshelves.

This book is sure to be a hit with kids who love books and kids who can identify instead with Mariah. I thought it was well-written, funny, and Mariah is a very likeable character.

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