Summary: There's most likely one student in your class who is always trying to make a buck or to try and sell you something. Well, in this story that's exactly what 12-year-old Greg tries to do, except what he's selling is popular and everybody wants it: comic books. Greg isn't just selling any comic book, on the contrary, he's selling Chunky Comics. Greg writes, illustrates, and publishes Chunky Comics all by himself which bring in a good profit, that is until his ultra-competitive neighbor Maura starts to produce her own comics, hording in on Greg's business. Unfortunately, just as Greg and Maura bury the hatchet, another problem arises: their comic books become banned from school. With the help of a teacher, the two entrepreneurs face the school board and fight against the censorship placed upon them. In the end, Greg and Maura are victorious and agree to make Chunky Comics together and share the profits with the school.
Reference: Clements, A. (2005) Lunch money. New York, NY. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division.
Impressions: I'm biased, anything that has to do with comics has me hooked from the start. Lunch Money is no exception. Reading about Greg reminded me of my young school days and how my comic-book-loving friends and I would actually create our own superheroes and comics. We'd push ourselves to be creative and innovative. We'd create origins, villains, aliases, and plot lines just to see if we could do it. However, I don't think any of us ever pondered the possibilities of mass producing them with the intent of earning money. That's not to say the book is unrealistic in that way or that no twelve-year-old would think like that. Oh no, I'm just saying we had never thought about it. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading this book for nostalgic reasons and for the kids fight against the school board, because it reminded me of the fights that librarians have all the time with censorship and challenges. This is a fun book, as well as a good story about standing up for your 1st Amendment rights.
Professional Review:
Greg has a goal--to be rich! The kids at school seem to have change to spare, so this young entrepreneur provides gum, snacks, and even his own line of comic books to willing customers. But soon Greg's business is challenged by the Principal's objections as well as competition from an old enemy. Readers will enjoy his clever business solutions as well as what he learns along the way. Once again, Andrew Clements [hists} the mark with school age kids and their interests. Category: Humor; Realistic Fiction. Grade Level: Intermediate (4th-6th grade). 2005, Simon and Schuster. Ages 9 to 12
Joy (Bookhive) (2005). [Review for Lunch Money, by Clements, Andrew]. Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:3574/index.php/jbookdetail/jqbookdetail?page=1&pos=1&isbn=978-0-689-86683-8.
Library Use: The way that Chunky Comics are banned helps librarians to introduce Banned Books week to students. Students can wonder if principals or school boards can actually do that. From there students can then research other banned books, find out why they were banned, the history of banned books and comic books, and what rights do they have as readers. Lunch Money provides ample opportunity to begin the conversation.
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