by Joan Bauer
A young teen girl named Ellie grows a pumpkin for a contest. She names it Max, and tries to keep it safe from Cyril Pool, another pumpkin grower in the contest. I know this might sound boring to you, but along the way the book is full of humor and other interesting stuff. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Squashed an eleven!
Gabriella's Review: ***** out of five
Squashed is a feel-good book for all of us girls out there, although boys would probably enjoy it too. Ellie is an ordinary girl on an extraordinary mission- to win the annual pumpkin-growing contest! Written from Ellie's point of view, this book has us laughing at Ellie's quirky expressions and her determined thoughts. You'll find yourself rooting for her until the end. This is one of the best-written YA books I've ever read, and I've read a lot. I'd recommend this to ages 9 and up, just because some of the vocabulary may be tough for younger kids to grasp.