This is one of my favorites in the Beany Malone series. Having been graduated from high school, Beany tries to focus on her future while at the same time manage her day-to-day responsibilities at her summer job at a local community center. And it's not just Beany ... in addition, several long-time members of the Malone kids' crowd also face big decisions about their future paths. It's very satisfying for people who have read and enjoyed the previous books in the series.

Beany's job at the community center is a fascinating look at 1961. She is the leader of the girls' youth group (next door neighbor Carlton is the center director, and leader of the boys' group), and the children at the center are new immigrants or (using the 1961 language of this book) Negroes. Their economic status isn't made explicitly clear, but it seems very low income although not quite poverty level. I think this is both a realistic and compassionate view of the situation as it was in 1961, but it's still a little startling to see an older Black woman employee of the center defer not only to college-age Carlton, but also to 17 year old Beany. I mention this not to take away from the community center portions of the book, which really are genuinely engaging, but to point out how believable and likable the characters are despite the changing times since the story was written.

Grade: A. One of the best Beany books!
Recommended: To people who like high school girls series fiction, especially fans of Anne Emery, Rosamond DuJardin, and Janet Lambert. This book will be more enjoyable to readers who are already familiar with the earlier books in the series.