"The Pumpkin Runner"

The Pumpkin Runner
Author: Marsha Diane Arnold
Illustrator: Brad Sneed
Genre: Picture Book
Subgenre: Realistic Fiction, Generosity
Theme: Being humble and generous, Determination
Primary/Secondary Characters: Joshua Summerhayes, Yellow Dog, Aunt Millie, Damien
Date of Publication: Year 1998
Publishing Company: Dial Books for Young Readers

Summary: Joshua Summerhayes always ran through his fields with his best pal, Yellow Dog. He has been running for fifty years straight, powered by eating his own pumpkins that he had been harvesting for years. Just a slice of pumpkin would enable Joshua and Yellow Dog to run for miles. The pair registered for the Koala-K race in Sydney, Australia and nobody believed that Joshua could participate, as he was 61 years old. His opponent, Damien, had cheated and hired a hot air balloon to help him get ahead of Joshua and win the race. Aunt Millie drove a jeep Joshua had borrowed and gave him pumpkins along the way, and he ended up winning the race. He split the prize of $10,000 with all the other runners, even Damien, and kept only enough to buy himself a new pair of boots and overalls.
This should be used in a classroom as it teaches determination to accomplish goals, no matter what is standing in the way. It shows children not to cheat to get what they want, because it will not work out in their favor. Joshua is an admirable character as he is humble about his win and splits the winnings with all the other runners, even though they treated him poorly. It teaches children to be kind to everyone that they meet, and to set an example with their actions. The use of pumpkins in this story would make the story great to read to a class during the fall.