"Lawn Boy" by Gary Paulsen

Paulsen, Gary (2007). Lawn Boy. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

2008-2009 Bluebonnet Award Master List

The unnamed twelve-year-old boy who narrates this story opens with his summer birthday. His grandmother gives him his deceased grandfather's lawn mower. He knows it sounds corny, but he goes on to say how he connects with the memory of his grandfather and with the lawnmower right away. He then decides it would be a great idea to mow a lawn or two for extra money to buy a much needed inner tube for his bike. His parents are practically broke, so money for some of his needs must come from somewhere else. But after meeting an eccentric stockbroker named "Arthur" who needs his lawn mowed, our narrator's "business" begins to grow to gigantic proportions, and some interesting adventures begin to come his way!

THAT IS THE NEW BUSINESS I COULD START!!! It sounds like a lot of fun, adventure, and WEALTH comes to those on a beat-up, old riding lawn mower! Paulsen wrote this very, very funny story so well that I read it all in one sitting! I just could not put the book down! I especially liked the many idiosyncrasies that the characters have. Like the crazy things that come out of the grandmother's mouth, the suits and "grooviness" that belong to Arthur, the Gigantic Heart that belongs to Joey Pow, and the red hair that belongs to Pasqual!!

I really liked this book. I need to read some more Paulsen...