Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Lawn Boy
Book Review: PICKY SON LOVES IT
Summary: 5 Stars
My son is 9 and rather picky on what he reads. He is a big fan of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, in one of the reviews a parent was saying it had a similar writing style. So I took a chance and bought it, that parent was right on! My son LOVES this book, the way it's written and I have been told several times how funny it is and how up to date it is. He loved that the Grandma was watching CSI! Also, I liked that is is a full blown chapter book, no comics or anything and the words are perfect for a 3rd or 4th grade fun read. Highly Recommend this author!Book Review: Reluctant Readers Rejoice
Summary: 5 Stars
Book Review: LAWN BOY by Gary Paulsen
One of the favorite books in my 7th grade classes right now is LAWN BOY by Gary Paulsen. Just Paulsen's name alone is enough to get a student to try this book, as most of them know his novel HATCHET from a read-aloud in elementary school. Students love his accessible writing and fast-paced plot lines. In one class, the boys are passing around my copies and begging for their buddies to hurry up and finish. (It all started when I book-talked a batch of books the previous week.)
In LAWN BOY, Paulsen is at his funniest when a perfectly normal wish for a replacement bike tube leads the 12-year-old main character into a life of entrepreneurship. His summer of leisure takes a drastic turn when his grandmother gifts him with his grandfather's old riding lawnmower.
The grandmother is an eccentric woman who has odd words of wisdom for people that are often seemingly disjointed, but do have a circuitous connection to reality. It is through her unusual gift that LAWN BOY is born and the wheels of fortune begin to roll.
From there we meet Arnold, one of his first customers, a work-from-home day trader, who strikes a deal with the budding businessman. Instead of paying him for mowing, he will invest his money in penny stocks. The reader is unsure of whether or not to trust Arnold, even though the narrator trusts his schemes immediately.
LAWN BOY is filled with humorous, easy-to-understand lessons on basic economics: stocks, capital growth, and investing. Readers see the value of hard work and the importance of treating employees fairly. The foreshadowing sprinkled throughout and the cliffhanger chapter endings keep my students turning pages. Not only that, Paulsen fills the book with wacky situations that compound upon one another, leading to a riotous ending.
Great for reluctant or slow readers, LAWN BOY is only 88 pages long and has much white space, which makes it non-threatening. It is also great for a higher-leveled reader who wants something quick to read, but with a good laugh.
Book Review: Stock Market Concepts in a Story!
Summary: 4 Stars
I really enjoyed reading this book together with my 9 year old who is an advanced reader. I don't know if he really absorbed what was actually happening when the stock grew and eventually split, but he did understand the boy was making money in stocks and was exposed to new financial terms, which is a good start.
A short paragraph about the previous lawn mower in the neighborhood (evidently not a child) running off with the wife of one of his customers was unnecessary. I would have preferred this idea not be introduced and I read past it without drawing attention to it.
When it comes to money, emotions are always involved. The boy continually frets about telling his parents how much money he's earned because he worries his parents will feel bad and he will be bragging. His emotions also play a role in sacrificing summer vacation and fun when working to make a profit. There is a fair amount of humor through out the book and characters are added slowly making it easier for children to distinguish and remember who is who. My son was definitely looking forward to reading the next chapter each night.
Woven into the story are the concepts of shares of stock, a stockbroker, fees, commissions, partnerships, employees, competition, and more. When you are looking for something entertaining to begin teaching your child about finances, try this engaging book.
Book Review: What can happen when you start your own business?
Summary: 4 Stars
The narrator inherits an old lawn mower and starts a lawn mowing business. Before he knows it, he's got more business than he can handle and a hippie stockbroker making investments for him. Each chapter title has something to do with an economic principle and we are taken along on the ride as the young narrator learns more than he ever wanted to learn about capitalism.
Very quick read. Cute.
Book Review: not as great as his other books
Summary: 4 Stars
I just finished reading this with my nine year old son. We've read and LOVED Hatchet and REALLY LOVED Harris and Me. So, I suppose it would be hard to crank out another really great book. This one is short and simple. It came at a good time, though, because I'm trying to teach my son about the stock market. This certainly got his attention! Cute, but nothing to get excited about. If you haven't read Harris and Me, you haven't really lived.