Ellie, and everyone else involved in the Rock River Pumpkin Weigh-In, knows that growing pumpkins is serious business. As Ellie says, "not all vegetables are this draining. Lettuce doesn't bring heartache. Turnips don't ask for your soul. Potatoes don't care where you are or even where they are. Tomatoes cuddle up to anyone who'll give them mulch and sunshine. But giants like Max need you every second." As the only teenager entered in the adult division of the weigh-in, 16-year-old Ellie is determined to win with her massive Max pumpkin this year, and glory in her defeat of the despicable Cyril Pool, who flaunts his blue ribbons. Things start to get hairy in this Iowa town as the weigh-in draws near, and disappearing pumpkins threaten disaster to Ellie's plans. It doesn't help that her father won't let her miss school to devote herself full time to her pumpkin-growing campaign, or that Sweet Corn Coquette, Sharrell Upton, is showing an interest in new student Wes, just when Ellie suspects she has a chance with this fellow-agriculturist herself. Hilarious from start to finish, this midwestern novel by a first-time author is first-rate entertainment. (Age 14 and older)

Humor, agriculture and young love all come together in Joan Bauer's first novel, set in rural Iowa. Sixteen-year-old Ellie Morgan's life would be almost perfect if she could just get her potentially prize-winning pumpkin to put on about 200 more pounds--and if she could take off 20 herself...in hopes of attracting Wes, the new boy in town.

Ninth Annual Delacorte Press Prize for an Outstanding First Young Adult Novel.