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Mallory McDonald #5
In Business With Mallory
Mallory McDonald has her eye on the perfect purse, but it’s too expensive and Mallory’s mom is not buying! So Mallory comes up with the perfect plan to get the perfect purse. She’ll just start a business! Yet starting a business isn’t as easy as it seems. Mallory finally earns enough to buy what she wants. But if her business is such as success, why does Mallory feel like such a failure?
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
40 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
About the author
Laurie B. Friedman
177 books142 followersLaurie Friedman is the author and ghostwriter of over 300 award-winning picture books, easy readers, chapter books, and novels for young readers including the bestselling Mallory McDonald series, the Moose the Dog easy reader series, the Camp Creepy Lake and Wendy & Willow chapter books, and may picture books including Cows in the House and Love, Ruby Valentine.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 18, 2017
i am so steaming mad at this book because i can not believe that mallory actually bought the purse instead of maxs present i thought that was selfish of her and of mary ann.
October 27, 2025
Page graphics: cheeseburger the cat and a $ symbol
How expensive is this purse? If it’s a 10 in one, it must be a lot. But for mallory to get the money in basically one day… is it a toy???
I hate how this set up a moral dilemma. At the beginning, mom said Mallory didn’t have to sell her joke books to get money. Which means probably planned to buy it for her. She’s 9. Yes, max got her a present (did he actually in the book? I don’t remember that part) **(i looked back, and he got her a bed for cheeseburger. But it was never said he used HIS money) but Hope did he get the money for it? Chores money? Where would a 10 year old get money?? I would be proud mallory found a way on her own to come up with what she needed for something the wants. Again, yes, it would be responsible to save at least some of it but again, SHE’S 9!! She’s probably get bored of the purse quickly or get in a fight with mary ann about which design to wear that day and wish she had to money for something else
- Mary ann and mallory watch their favorite show while on the phone together. Want to ask mom’s for a “perfect purse”
- At the mall with mom and sees purse. She says no, too expensive
- Holds a parent conference to beg for the purse. Mom says she sounds spoiled
- Calls grandma with her problem. She tells mallory about how she had to work to earn money for a doll
- Mallory wants to sell her joke books from her grandma to get the money. Lies to mom that she will get a present for max
- Other business ideas: work for friends for literal change, have Joey do skateboard lessons, selling comics
- Mary ann and mallory run a weekend salon in her room
- Mary ann convinces her not to count the money. why?
- Goes out for fondue and joey accidentally drops chocolate on the purse. At least she has other covers
- Mallory thinks it’s cool but all it does is hold stuff
- Brings it to school and basically makes sure everyone sees it. Becomes a distraction
- Mallory feels bad after seeing max and his friends reactions to her card
- Feels bad for days. Dad reminds her that mary ann doesn’t have a brother and couldn’t really help make the decision to just not get max a present
- works for max for a day and gives joey one of her joke books
How expensive is this purse? If it’s a 10 in one, it must be a lot. But for mallory to get the money in basically one day… is it a toy???
I hate how this set up a moral dilemma. At the beginning, mom said Mallory didn’t have to sell her joke books to get money. Which means probably planned to buy it for her. She’s 9. Yes, max got her a present (did he actually in the book? I don’t remember that part) **(i looked back, and he got her a bed for cheeseburger. But it was never said he used HIS money) but Hope did he get the money for it? Chores money? Where would a 10 year old get money?? I would be proud mallory found a way on her own to come up with what she needed for something the wants. Again, yes, it would be responsible to save at least some of it but again, SHE’S 9!! She’s probably get bored of the purse quickly or get in a fight with mary ann about which design to wear that day and wish she had to money for something else
- Mary ann and mallory watch their favorite show while on the phone together. Want to ask mom’s for a “perfect purse”
- At the mall with mom and sees purse. She says no, too expensive
- Holds a parent conference to beg for the purse. Mom says she sounds spoiled
- Calls grandma with her problem. She tells mallory about how she had to work to earn money for a doll
- Mallory wants to sell her joke books from her grandma to get the money. Lies to mom that she will get a present for max
- Other business ideas: work for friends for literal change, have Joey do skateboard lessons, selling comics
- Mary ann and mallory run a weekend salon in her room
- Mary ann convinces her not to count the money. why?
- Goes out for fondue and joey accidentally drops chocolate on the purse. At least she has other covers
- Mallory thinks it’s cool but all it does is hold stuff
- Brings it to school and basically makes sure everyone sees it. Becomes a distraction
- Mallory feels bad after seeing max and his friends reactions to her card
- Feels bad for days. Dad reminds her that mary ann doesn’t have a brother and couldn’t really help make the decision to just not get max a present
- works for max for a day and gives joey one of her joke books
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2020
I LOVE this series! This is a great book. It's safe for kids. It's a girl's book. I love how the series doesn't really have to go in order. You can read the series in whatever order you want. It would be best to read the 1st book first, and then it doesn't matter. These books are completely safe for kids. Nothing you should be worried about. There is a little bit of love in the books, but nothing too inappropriate.
March 17, 2021
Mallory went into her own business because she wanted to buy the perfect purse that her friend MaryAnne had. She came up with the business, made money, and got the purse. She was happy she got the purse but then she started to get upset because she realized that she should've saved some of the money to buy her brother a birthday present. Her solution was to come up with a better present and do his chores for the day.
November 21, 2017
I liked this book because it was fun to read. I also liked it because Mallory is nice to her friend Joey, and she is matching Mary Ann with the same purse.
I liked that in the end Mallory does something nice for her brother Max, instead of doing something for herself.
I liked that in the end Mallory does something nice for her brother Max, instead of doing something for herself.
January 1, 2018
I brought home some books from my school library to read over break so I could be a better librarian for them. This is a series I would have loved as a kid - it kind of reminded me of Baby Sitters’ Club and that style of writing and story.
February 9, 2022
Mallory wants a purse called the perfect purse
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2010
Maria Gonzales 6-8 October 6th 2010
This novel is about a nine year old girl who wants to start a business. Her name is Mallory. Her best friend, Mary- Ann wants to help her too. Mallory is so obsessed with wanting to start a business so she can buy “The Perfect Purse” that she’ll do ANYTHING! Mallory wants to get the perfect purse because apparently EVERYONE has it. She tried selling oranges, her joke books and a bunch of other crazy stuff. Mallory asked her best friend for some ideas. Mary-Ann and Mallory decided to start a salon. They decided to make t-shirts and do hair and make-up. When Mallory makes enough money for the perfect purse, she buys it. When she realizes that it really isn’t as great as everyone says it it. She regrets her mistakes! Mallory hasn’t hung out with her boy best friend in a long time because she has been to obsessed with the business and getting the perfect purse. Mallory forgets that it’s her older brother Max’s birthday also. She didn’t get him a present. All of that hard work was for nothing, because she HATES the “Perfect Purse.”
I really liked this book because it was an easy read but a very good read. I can sometimes relate to Mallory. She is a girl who has an older sibling and so do I. Mallory wants to start and business and sometimes so do I. I also like this book because of Mallory's cat... Cheeseburger. Cheeseburger sounds like it could be my cat. My cat used to be a chubby lil cat, so is Cheeseburger. This book taught me a lesson. That lesson was to not be a follower, be a leader!
This novel is about a nine year old girl who wants to start a business. Her name is Mallory. Her best friend, Mary- Ann wants to help her too. Mallory is so obsessed with wanting to start a business so she can buy “The Perfect Purse” that she’ll do ANYTHING! Mallory wants to get the perfect purse because apparently EVERYONE has it. She tried selling oranges, her joke books and a bunch of other crazy stuff. Mallory asked her best friend for some ideas. Mary-Ann and Mallory decided to start a salon. They decided to make t-shirts and do hair and make-up. When Mallory makes enough money for the perfect purse, she buys it. When she realizes that it really isn’t as great as everyone says it it. She regrets her mistakes! Mallory hasn’t hung out with her boy best friend in a long time because she has been to obsessed with the business and getting the perfect purse. Mallory forgets that it’s her older brother Max’s birthday also. She didn’t get him a present. All of that hard work was for nothing, because she HATES the “Perfect Purse.”
I really liked this book because it was an easy read but a very good read. I can sometimes relate to Mallory. She is a girl who has an older sibling and so do I. Mallory wants to start and business and sometimes so do I. I also like this book because of Mallory's cat... Cheeseburger. Cheeseburger sounds like it could be my cat. My cat used to be a chubby lil cat, so is Cheeseburger. This book taught me a lesson. That lesson was to not be a follower, be a leader!
July 23, 2013
In Business with mallory was not so great but some of it was great. The not so great parts were that Mallory was being a little selfish. I will tell you how she was being a little selfish. I don't know about you but she was being selfish not a little selfish. Ok,1st Mallory was watching Fashion Fran and Fashion Fran was tell about this perfect purse and Mallory and her life a long best friend Mary Ann wanted the same one. 2nd,Mallory and her mom went shoping for underwear and when they went to the girls department for UNDERWEAR Mallory saw the perfect purse and asked her mom to buy it and her mom saw the price tag and said it was too expensive but that din't stop Mallory from asking her mom for it she kept asking and asking but her mom still said NO! 3rd, Mallory said inside her head if mom won't buy it for me then i will work business to earn the money, then when Mallory and her mom got home Mallory wrote a note to Mary Ann this is what she wrote , Dear Mary Ann,
This is a letter, but it's not a regular letter. It's a business letter. (A business letter is a letter you write when you're going into business, and that's exactly what i'm planning to do.) I bet you have a lot of questions like: Why am I going into business and what kind of business am I going into? well, here are some answers. I am going into busniess because I have to ... if I want to get the perfect purse. And I don't have any idea what kind of business i'm going into. But I do know this: ... you have to read the book to find out what happens.
This is a letter, but it's not a regular letter. It's a business letter. (A business letter is a letter you write when you're going into business, and that's exactly what i'm planning to do.) I bet you have a lot of questions like: Why am I going into business and what kind of business am I going into? well, here are some answers. I am going into busniess because I have to ... if I want to get the perfect purse. And I don't have any idea what kind of business i'm going into. But I do know this: ... you have to read the book to find out what happens.
November 15, 2013
mallory is trying to get this perfect purse. it has 10 designs to go with it. her and maryann make a salon. instead of spending the money to buy max a present she gets the perfect purse. she makes max a card but he doesn't like it.
July 3, 2014
This book is good and I thought that it was nice. It was a good book. I started reading them last summer when I was nine and now I'm ten and I thought I would pick up the last 19 books even though the print is to big!
November 3, 2008
money rich to go on a trip
Read
January 11, 2009pretty good...
March 6, 2009
friends will always be by your side
March 27, 2009
its just like the others great
October 21, 2009
love all the books
December 6, 2009
Cute & fun.
July 29, 2010
No review.
July 14, 2011
I love that book. They make their own spa; it's awesome.
Read
November 29, 2013its a very good books for book reports for school
Read
June 17, 2015650L
July 15, 2016
Good bed time story to read with daughter.
January 8, 2009
Finally being able to see what you really should save your money for!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews