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ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSGreg Kenton has always had a gift for making money. As a preschooler he charges his big brothers ten cents to make their beds, and later he earns eight hundred and eighty dollars shoveling snow for the neighbors. Near the end of fifth grade he forgets his lunch, and when more than half his class raises a hand to lend him fifty cents, he suddenly sees that Ashworth Intermediate School is full of spare quarters. After the principal shuts down his toy sales, Greg spends the summer creating Chunky Comics, tiny comic books the size of a credit card that he writes, draws, prints, folds and staples himself and sells for a quarter each. Sales are climbing in sixth grade when he discovers that Maura Shaw, the girl across the street and his rival ever since their Big Wheel races, has started making little books of her own. Their blowup in math class ends with an accidental bump on Greg's nose, a black eye, and a math teacher who goes woozy at the sight of blood. Soon the principal bans selling anything at school, and two longtime rivals have to figure out whether they can ever work together.
Free Battle of the Books questions for Lunch Money
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about Lunch Money. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book does a little boy of about three answer every question with "She's my mommy"?
✓ Answer
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
When Maura rings the Jansens' doorbell, little Timmy Jansen answers everything she asks with the same three words. Greg, listening from the bushes, later repeats Timmy's line to tease Maura when she rings his own doorbell.
- First half
In what book does a dream house have ten bedrooms, fifteen bathrooms and two swimming pools?
✓ Answer
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
When Mr. Z asks what all his future money is for, Greg describes a dream house that also has a home theater, a pool table and air hockey. His family's real house has four bedrooms and two bathrooms, and Mr. Z's first reply is "Hmm. Interesting."
- First half
In what book do two big brothers paint on black eyes, and one begs to hide from "tiny little girls"?
✓ Answer
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
After dinner, Ross and Edward paint black eyes on their own faces and pretend a whole gang of tiny girls just beat them up, then collapse on the floor laughing. Greg wants to laugh too, but he coldly says "Very funny" so his high school brothers won't keep it going.
- Second half
In what book are other kids' crude homemade comics fanned out like playing cards?
✓ Answer
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
Mrs. Davenport shows Greg and Maura several rough homemade comic books made by other students, with titles like Just in Time to Die and Crundoon. She blames Greg's example for them and tells both kids not to sell anything at school.
- Second half
In what book does a unicorn's long, twisted horn poke up through the title on a cover drawing?
✓ Answer
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
On family movie night, Maura shows up with a big envelope of new drawings for the comic version of The Lost Unicorn. Her cover art, with the horn poking through the word Unicorn and an ogre lurking in the corner, pulls Greg right away from his movie.
- Near the end
In what book does a math teacher take a show of hands from grown-ups who read comics as kids?
✓ Answer
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
At the School Committee meeting, Mr. Z counts forty-one grown-ups and asks who read comic books as kids, then who read cartoon books. When he asks who read comics in newspapers or magazines, every hand goes up, even Mrs. Davenport's, and Mr. Z says, "There's my proof."
