--Kirkus Review "Marco is an excellent role model for kids, and this book shows that one person can indeed make a difference in the lives of others. An earnest and sometimes inspiring story of an extraordinary middle schooler.'...A millennial Ferris Bueller.'" Marco Polo Blackberry, a middle school age novel, is a story of a twelve year old boy who earns enormous profits trading stocks and commodities on the Internet. Joined by pen pals from six different continents, he learns of the desperate plight of less fortunate children. Marco finds a way to help, using his wits and new wealth, all the while facing problems of his own: school bullies, authority figures and of course, girls. However it is also a story of children in war torn Africa, of marauding gangs burning and pillaging. It's a story of disease, of the lack of food, clean water and medicine. And yet it is Marco's zany, exotic and delightfully irrepressible Auntie M. who travels the world and guides Marco with her wisdom, providing a moral voice and important principles by which to live. Spanning the globe and dealing with the universal issues of war, poverty, and sickness, Marco Polo Blackberry is a story of hope and most importantly, of the possibility of a boy changing the world, one small step at a time. Winner of two national books awards, BEST in CHILDREN'S LITERATURE-2010, Pinnacle Award and FINALIST for CHILDREN FICTION-2011 Indie Excellence Award
