Lunch Money (novel)

infobox Book |
name = Lunch Money
translator =


image_caption = Book Cover
author = Andrew Clements
illustrator = Brian Selznick
cover_artist = Brian Selznick
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = Novel
publisher = Simon & Schuster
release_date = July 2005
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 232 pp
isbn = ISBN 0-689-86683-6
preceded_by =
followed_by =

Lunch Money is a 2005 novel by the American author Andrew Clements, illustrated by Brian Selznick.

Plot Summary

Gregory Kenton is an eleven-year-old boy who had always had an interest (and talent) in money. He realizes that school is an ideal place to make money, because there are so many kids there with extra change. Greg at first tries selling candy and toys, but the principal, Mrs. Davenport, finds out and prohibits him from selling those things at school again. Since Mrs. Davenport only prohibited selling toys, Greg decides to work over the summer at creating small comic books, which he calls "Chunky Comics." However, in his first week of selling Chunky Comics, Greg discovers that his longtime rival, Maura Shaw, has also created her own little picture books, the "Eensty Beentsy books." Angry at her, Greg finds Maura and starts to yell at her for copying his own idea. Mr. Zenotopoulos (known simply as Mr. Z), Greg and Marua's math teacher, tries to calm them down; however, the argument escalates to Maura accidentally hitting Greg in the face, causing a bloody nose and a black eye. Despite this disagreement (and more), Greg and Maura eventually end up working together after Mrs. Davenport once again prohibits the selling and buying of any material at school. They collaborate to produce comic books and attempt to persuade the school committee, with Mr. Z as their faculty adviser, to allow them to sell Chunky Comics at school. They end up succeeding by pointing out the fact that there were about 30 or so ads advertising comics in the school alone, (not counting announcements of after school bakes sales). It also helped that Mr.Z got comic books, put them in a box, put them on the principal's door step, and then left a note reading 'Please have a good look.'She read the comics and found them to be clean, harmless fun, but not great literature.