Squashed

You know how I wrote that Joan Bauer makes you want to BE the main character? I should have put it this way: she makes you want to pick up the main character's hobbies. If you read Thwonk, you want to start taking pictures right away, and if you read Hope Was Here, you'll immediately want to skip college to become a waitress (so try not to read Hope Was Here if you're debating whether college is the path for you). In Squashed, for example, I got a sudden craving to become a farmer/baker.
Because Squashed is about Ellie Morgan, who is trying to grow a giant pumpkin for Rock River, Iowa's pumpkin fest. Her competition is Cyril Pool, who has won four years in a row now and is as nasty as vegetable rot. This is no easy feat, and to make it harder, Ellie's father doesn't understand and thinks she should give up growing because he did. On top of that, Ellie's put on a little weight, which isn't going to help Wes, the new kid in town who has a passion for growing corn, fall in love with her...
I loved this book because Ellie was a totally believable character. She has to deal with everything people in real life deal with on top of her prize pumpkin troubles. Plus, she has a bit of a sense of humor through the book, too, which keeps you hooked. All in all, a good read.
This book also made me want to do a little research... for instance, what is the world's biggest pumpkin ever?
It looks like it's this giant grown by Joe Jutras, weighing in at 1689 pounds. That's freakin' insane! Just a little bit of pumpkin knowledge for you there.