Shelf Life

by Robert Corbet

On aisle 1, Louisa's crying. On aisle 2, Adam's trying to get fired. On aisle 4, a renegade shopper is releasing the fizz from soda bottles. At the service counter, an irate customer can't understand... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802789595
• ISBN13: 9780802789594
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Walker & Company
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.0" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Shelf Life by Robert Corbet

Shelf Life is a fictional book by Robert Corbet .This story is about teens who work in a supermarket, and are always getting into trouble. You're probably wondering why they were not fired, or why they were not sent to see the manager. The troubles that these characters endured they brought to work with them, and it affected the way they worked. There is no main character, but the character that comes up the most is Lois. She is a workaholic, neat freak, and is a power hungry dictator to her coworkers. However, she can be kind and polite to the customers. Before every chapter there are three pages called customer service. These pages catch the reader up on the lives of the characters. The reader also gets incite into the details of the chapter it precedes. I identified with Dylan and Jared because they did crazy things. Jared and Dylan would knock things off the shelves, and race the shopping carts up and down the aisles. Another character named Adam was every girls dream (even Lois liked him), but this made him uncomfortable. Adam wants to get fired so he can work at his brother's cyber café, but you need to read the book to find out why he does not just quit. I recommend this book because it is a book for people with mixed emotions. If you're anything like me you would understand mixed emotions. This book would appeal to people who like multidimensional characters, and never a dull moment. So I urge you to go to the store and get Shelf Life off the shelf! - Alex Belton

What Goes On At the Supermarket

Adam a 17 year old teenager who prefers to watch TV than do homework or anything else for that matter is forced to attend a job interview that his dad has lined up with the supermarket manager he met playing golf. He does everything in his power to not get the job so can he can return home and go to sleep but to his dismay is hired. Now he must do whatever he can to be fired but soon learns the only way he can ever leave is to die or quit which are not options. Soon he falls in love with the employee of the month who seems to want nothing to do with him and has her own issues at home while trying to pass her nursing exams. The other workers all have their issues and secret lives as well which we the readers follow in a month behind the scenes of a supermarket. There's not really a story to this book but it is an easy, pleasant and amusing at times read.

Shelf Life- a review by me!

I gave this book a four a few reasons. It was complicated. I like complicated books, but this one wove in many stories in to 1 book, it got complicated. Many of the charaters are involved in eachothers stories, so you have to remember who is who. And then some of the charaters are only mentioned 1 or 2 times, and then forgotten. There were so many begingings in this book, but I could only find a few endings, which makes me a little mad, because if i start reading about something, I want to finish the story and find out what happened to that charater. So I am thinking there might be a sequel in the works somewhere, maybe. I liked this book because it involved so many charaters that do all have something in common, they work in this super market. I recommed this book to people who like books about more then one thing/person. Over all it was a good book, and I hope you enjoy it!

A Well Written and Fun to Read Comedy

"Shelf Life" tells the creative life stories of workers in a supermarket. Each chapter is a different aisle, and in each aisle, a different worker and a new tale. Some of the primary characters' stories play a role throughout the entire book; some characters appear for a only a brief moment before quitting or "disappearing." But each story is unique and important to all of the others. This book isn't very long, and the syntax is quite easily understood, so it reads very quickly. A fresh and funny book, great for a fast, laugh out loud read.

Richie's Picks: SHELF LIFE

" 'Price check on register three. Price check on register three.' " Okay, who remembers Plaid Stamps? My earliest, late-Fifties memories of "the supermarket" involve the A & P in Plainview. I recall my fascination over the live lobsters in the fish tank, the strong smell around the coffee bean grinder, and the top end of that mysterious conveyer belt between two aisles that led up from the basement but which I never saw in use. These days, "the supermarket" for me is the rapidly expanding chain Trader Joe's which is a virtual twenty-first century hippie heaven with their everyday great deals on the private label California brown basmati rice, canola oil, clover honey, sprouted barley bread, frozen strawberries (for smoothies), and cashew pieces they offer, along with the TJ's spaghetti sauces, preserves, peanut butter, juices, and other processed products that are made without sugar or preservatives. On top of that, they're a pretty jovial crew who work there. But who ARE the people who work in a supermarket? What are their stories and their secrets? Let's start with Adam. Adam's entire life outside of school is the television in his bedroom. But now Adam's dad has forced him to abandon his afterschool shows to go interview for a part-time supermarket position. And Adam--through no fault of his own--has actually been hired. "The store manager was seated at his desk, as he had been the day before. " 'Graham Powell,' he said, shaking Adam's hand as if they had never met. " 'I'm Adam,' said Adam, just to be on the safe side. "Graham spun around in his chair, leaned down, and opened his bottom drawer. " 'Adam, Adam,' he repeated. 'I've got you in here somewhere.' "There were dozens of name tags in the drawer, but none of them had his name on it. Graham sorted through them all. Then he picked one out and showed it to Adam. It said ANDY. " 'How about you wear this one until we get yours made up?' " 'But that's not my name,' said Adam. " 'Not a problem.' Graham sounded slightly annoyed. 'It's mainly for the customers, you realize.' "Adam took the tag and pinned it to his shirt pocket. It was on an angle, but he didn't care. " 'Any questions?' asked Graham. 'Any concerns?' "It was a good opportunity to be rude, crude, stupid, or all three. But before Adam could say anything, Graham stood up and began shaking his hand again. " 'Welcome aboard,' he said. 'Come and I'll introduce you to the sharks!' "He led Adam to a smaller room with four desks. There were two men and two women seated at the desks, and Graham introduced Adam to them, one by one: Nicola, the dairy manager; Cameron, the fruit manager; Amanda, the grocery manager; and Scott, the trainee manage, who said, 'How are ya, bud?' as if he actually remembered him. Adam viewed each in turn, like changing channels on TV. Who would he have to offend, he wondered, and how, in order to be dismissed?" Shortly after beginning his first day on the job Adam hears someone softly crying in the