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blackenedwhiplash's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book when I was in 6th grade. At the time, I liked Andrew Clements's book Frindle and I loved comics, so I read this book and loved it back then. This book also inspired me at the time to write small 16-page comics using one piece of paper folded up a certain way. Though I stopped when I had a hard time cramming more than one panel on each page since they were so small haha! But as for this book, I definitely recommend it to any middle schooler.
sandraagee's review against another edition
4.0
I really love Andrew Clements. His books always feature average kids with extraordinary ideas, and as the story unfolds the kids overcome adversity (usually in the form of the adults in their lives) to make their ideas work while learning important, "real world" lessons. Lunch Money is no different. The characters are interesting and the developing relationship/partnership between Greg and Maura was enjoyable. I also really appreciated the discussion about the value of comic books.
deepfreezebatman's review against another edition
4.0
Perfect for fans of "Frindle" that are looking for a similar story. I had a great time reading "Lunch Money" aloud to my stepson. We were sucked in by the first chapter and surprised by the ending. Personally I enjoyed the shout out to Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics" :)
raquel_reading_stuff's review against another edition
3.0
This book was frustrating. Overall it was okay, but here's what I didn't like: the two main characters are rude and obnoxious, so it's impossible to take sides, because both are too unpleasant. Also, the author made Greg out to be greedy and uncaring just because he wanted money, which isn't true- if you want money, are you greedy and uncaring? No! BUT- Greg was being greedy at a certian part: he doesn't understand that, yes, copying is rude, but that it's LEGAL-(Since he's a kid and all and he doesn't have a copyright). And whatever people say, copying may be flattery, but most people use it to their own advantage and take credit for it, which is NOT flattery.
ck61's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ikuo1000's review against another edition
3.0
I decided to pick up this book because my daughter once named Andrew Clements as her favorite author.
In many ways, this book had to grow on me. When the main character Greg was first introduced, I thought he was completely unrelatable! A kid who's good at everything!? How is that interesting? It took a few chapters, but Greg's creativity and industriousness finally grew on me.
Just as things were getting interesting, we met Maura. And again! I found her just as annoying and frustrating as Greg did - though perhaps that's a testament to the author's writing ability! Gradually, I grew to accept her, though I fell short of actually liking her.
The story is good. Greg comes up with a way to make money at school - an idea that impressively requires quite a lot of work and preparation - but his plans are foiled by the school principal. Meanwhile, he surprisingly finds himself in a position of sort of befriending Maura and working with her on a new plan. Together, they want to find a way to convince the principal to allow them to run their business in school.
I like that there's a lot of development - character development, product development, relationship development. There are also a lot of opportunities to learn something - how to go about figuring out how to get something done, how some things are worth more than money, how important it is to adapt in certain situations. There's a bit of humor, and the events unfold at a good pace.
I can see why this book might appeal to middle and upper elementary readers. As realistic fiction, there's a sense of, "Wow, I could do that, too!"
I was disappointed, then, at the very end, when the story suddenly became over-the-top and not at all realistic.
Final note: There are a lot of math references in this book, making it possibly a good selection for young readers who generally like math more than reading.
In many ways, this book had to grow on me. When the main character Greg was first introduced, I thought he was completely unrelatable! A kid who's good at everything!? How is that interesting? It took a few chapters, but Greg's creativity and industriousness finally grew on me.
Just as things were getting interesting, we met Maura. And again! I found her just as annoying and frustrating as Greg did - though perhaps that's a testament to the author's writing ability! Gradually, I grew to accept her, though I fell short of actually liking her.
The story is good. Greg comes up with a way to make money at school - an idea that impressively requires quite a lot of work and preparation - but his plans are foiled by the school principal. Meanwhile, he surprisingly finds himself in a position of sort of befriending Maura and working with her on a new plan. Together, they want to find a way to convince the principal to allow them to run their business in school.
I like that there's a lot of development - character development, product development, relationship development. There are also a lot of opportunities to learn something - how to go about figuring out how to get something done, how some things are worth more than money, how important it is to adapt in certain situations. There's a bit of humor, and the events unfold at a good pace.
I can see why this book might appeal to middle and upper elementary readers. As realistic fiction, there's a sense of, "Wow, I could do that, too!"
I was disappointed, then, at the very end, when the story suddenly became over-the-top and not at all realistic.
Final note: There are a lot of math references in this book, making it possibly a good selection for young readers who generally like math more than reading.