Mark Tidd in Business

"Mark Tidd in Business" by Clarence Budington Kelland is a tale set in the early 1900s where young Mark Tidd and his companions step up to manage a store in Wicksville when their fathers are temporarily away due to health concerns. The story centers on themes of strength, imagination, and camaraderie as they craft innovative strategies to keep the store successful and combat a new competitor in town. The story begins when Plunk Smalley's father is hospitalized, leaving Smalley's Bazar without management, and inspiring Mark Tidd to suggest that he and his friends manage the business for six weeks to prove their skills, despite their own fears and challenges from a new five-and-dime store operated by the astute Jehoshaphat P. Skip. While the boys think of ideas, their business drive appears, especially as Mark takes the lead to plan an auction and a contest to boost sales, demonstrating the boys' desire to overcome challenges with smartness and collaboration.