Lunch Money

“By the time he got to third grade, Greg had set himself a goal. He wanted to be rich. He thought it would be fantastic to be able to spend all the money he wanted, anytime he felt like it. If he wanted to get the world’s fastest computer plus a hundred of the best games, no problem. If he wanted a car, a speedboat, a house in the mountains, a home-theater system, or even a whole island out in the middle of the Pacific—plus his own seaplane and a private crew to fly him there—no problem. Greg was sure that someday he’d be able to get anything he wanted. All he’d need was money.”

Protagonist Greg finds his great need early in life. Hereafter, the story will orbit around that need and Greg’s efforts to advance toward his goal. Greg’s natural talent for making money now has a focus. His ambitions for spending the wealth he plans to amass focus on things a kid would want, but they are not too far from what aspiring adults desire, either. Already he is smart, ambitious, hard-working, and level-headed. He is also single-minded about making money in ways that may interfere with his success.

“There were about 450 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders at Ashworth Intermediate School. If even half of those kids had two extra quarters to spend every day, then there had to be at least four hundred quarters floating around the school. That was a hundred dollars a day, over five hundred dollars each week—money, extra money, just jingling around in pockets and lunch bags! At that moment Greg’s view of school changed completely and forever. School had suddenly become the most interesting place on the planet. Because young Greg Kenton had decided that school would be an excellent place to make his fortune.”

An accident alerts Greg to the money he can make at school. He forgets his bag lunch, asks his late-morning class if he can borrow some quarters for the cafeteria, and most of the students offer him some coins. At lunch, he notices little trades everywhere and realizes he can siphon off some of that action by selling things to the other kids. It is a huge insight which launches the main plot of the story.

“‘Is it something we’ve done, to make Greg like this? All he ever thinks about is getting rich. I want him to just enjoy being a kid, hang out with his friends more, have more fun.’ But her husband had told her, ‘As far as I can see, Greg’s definitely a kid. He likes to read and draw, he plays sports, and he gets good grades. I’d say he’s pretty well balanced. And he seems to be having plenty of fun. This money thing is probably just a phase. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to make money. Or working hard. If that’s what you call a problem, then I wish some other people in this family had it too!’”

It makes sense to worry if a child seems obsessed with making money, and Greg’s mom is right to bring up the matter. Greg’s dad notes, however, that their kid seems to be enjoying a good childhood, and that his interest in earning cash manifests as an enthusiastic hobby that lends meaning to Greg’s life.