Lawn Boy

The story’s idyllic take on capitalism elevates the importance of family and community amid the boy’s rising fortune and entrepreneurial success. The book’s middle school relatability arises from the boy’s ordinariness: He gets average grades, has normal interests, and expects a quiet summer. His eccentric family adds depth to the average-protagonist archetype; Grandma’s roundabout wisdom, Dad’s unusual creativity, and Mom’s gentleness deeply inform the boy’s worldview. Despite their financial difficulties, the family is good-natured and humorous, upbeat and optimistic when facing setbacks, supportive of each other’s endeavors, and patient with each other’s delays. When the boy first tries to reveal his double life, Mom first assumes that he wants to offer his parents money. Touched, she declines what she assumes is a couple hundred dollars because she’d never want to impose on her son’s hard work and spending cash. Despite the boy keeping his real wealth a secret for the whole summer, when he finally comes clean, Mom and Dad respond empathetically: “They nodded, sometimes they shook their heads, then nodded more. Listening, always listening” (77). They immediately start brainstorming solutions and deliberate the best possible outcome for everyone involved, including Pasqual’s family.