Lunch Money

At first, Greg cares only about making money. Then he discovers that other people have concerns that he ignores while he rushes headfirst toward extra cash. Working with Maura, he realizes that it matters if people besides himself are happy; presenting his sales proposal to the School Committee, he also realizes that he does not want to be yet another business that targets students for their cash and ignores them as people.

Greg has always loved to make money. He likes the jingle of coins and the feel of dollars, and he does odd jobs to gain them. In fifth grade, he forgets his bag lunch and asks to borrow two quarters to help him buy a cafeteria meal, and most of the kids in his class offer to help. That most of them are generous, he overlooks; what he notices is that most students have extra quarters in their pockets, and he wants those coins.

He sells toys and candy at school until Principal Davenport shuts his operation down, saying that some of his sales items are causing problems—like superballs bounce so high they hit ceiling lights and sticky spiders that put marks on the windows. He learns quickly that selling things sometimes can cause problems beyond the point of sale.

Undaunted, Greg devises a plan to sell comic books. They will be his own creations that he is proud to produce. This begins well, but Maura starts selling comic books, too, and the principal—who believes comics are bad for children—finds out about the booklets and forbids them at school. Greg decides to join forces with Maura and produce a comic book series for both girls and boys: “I’ve got to figure out how to sell this. I could make a ton of money!” (159) Maura points out that, now that they are partners, both of them stand to gain. Greg is surprised to discover that he does not mind this arrangement: He likes it that the comics they are creating make Maura happy.

Maura says that she does not care that much about money. Greg cannot imagine anyone not working strictly for the earnings, but she explains: “I’m mostly an artist. I just want to make a great comic book […] The money comes way, way second” (160). This, too, is a first for Greg: He can see the sincerity on her face. This means that sometimes people work for reasons other than making a buck. He does not quite understand, but somehow it makes him happy that she enjoys the work for its own sake.

At the School Committee meeting, Greg learns that big corporations make billions of dollars selling to schoolkids—everything from books to sports clothing and drinks. He feels like a target, and he realizes he, too, has been targeting other students for their quarters. No longer willing to live that way, Greg resolves on the spot to make his work about more than grubbing after cash. He even adds to Maura’s idea of donating some of their earnings to the school library fund by offering half the proceeds to that effort.

Through Greg’s journey toward maturity, the book reveals a central point of the story: Work is not merely about getting rich; it is also about doing something meaningful and satisfying that pleases others and enriches their lives. It matters that the things sold do not cause external problems; it matters that those products are made with skill and care; and it matters that the people doing the work care about each other.

Best of all, with ingenuity, good will, and spirit, young people can create things they can be proud of that others value—and, in the process, maybe earn a little lunch money.