Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
Greg Kenton, a twelve-year-old boy is the main character in this book and has always had an interest in money. Greg realizes that school is a good place to make money. Over the summer before going into sixth grade, after a lot of attempts at selling things like candy and toys, he begins making a comic book business called Chunky Comics to sell to kids at school.
When he begins selling them, he soon finds out that someone is copying his idea, his longtime rival and neighbor, Maura Shaw. After an argument between them about it being his idea, she accidentally slugs him in the face, causing a bloody nose and giving Greg a black eye. Maura indirectly likes Greg, and tries showing him all her improvements in her own comic. Greg is amazed at her new sketches, and knows that she could make a ton of money on her comics. But when they begin to get teased about having a “relationship”, Greg tries avoiding her, saddening and angering Maura.
Later, Greg apologizes and says that she can work for his comic book business, and helps her make her comic better. The principal at their school(Ashworth Intermediate School), Mrs. Davenport, dislikes comics and prohibits selling and bringing comics to school. Maura finds out that only the School Committee can approve or reject ideas for the school.
With the help of their math teacher, Mr. Zenotopoulous, at the School Committee they manage to get the approval for their comic book club, and the book ends listing all their successes, including having their comic books nationally distributed.
It is a 2008 Maud Hart Lovelace Award Nominated book.
