Oxford English Dictionary

When it all began, it was simple. Our neighbor’s house had a larger yard than ours, with what looked like good grass.  No difficult corners, just a big square with a large elm tree in the center. I mowed it, and he gave me money. Twenty dollars.

It all started out so innocently--a broken inner tube on a ten speed, a rusty but functional old lawn mower, and a couple of big lawns to mow.  By the end of the summer, there would be over $7000 to show for all the hard work being done.  Of course, that would mean getting up at the crack of dawn every single day and not getting back home again until after dark, but hey, we’re talking $7000! Right?  Oh boy, let me tell you!  With the help of a kind-hearted-hippy-genius-but-broke stock broker, a few good workers, a ton of extra lawns, and a prize fighting boxer, that $7000 quickly turns into over $8000, then $50,000, then almost $500,000! In one summer!  For a twelve-year-old!  It staggers the imagination.  If you want to find out how he does it, read Gary Paulsen’s Lawn Boy, available now at most library locations!

Other Books You Might Enjoy:

• Lawn Boy Returns by Gary Paulsen
• Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
• The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman