Squashed

I picked up this book because I have enjoyed Bauer's previous books, and the cover design with a big pumpkin on it got my curiousity up. I wasn't disappointed. Ellie, the main character, is very lovable. She has faults, which she realizes, but also has good qualities, which she has more trouble realizing. Richard, her cousin, is a "partial baseball star," a sophomore who lives like he's a step away from the big leagues and relates everything back to baseball. Ellie's father is a motivational speaker, and has a winning line for everything. And then there's Wes, the new kid in town, who is a award-winning corn grower and immediately attracts Ellie's attention. So this cast of characters come together to try to convince Max, a giant pumpkin, that he can go all the way and win the annual pumpkin weigh-in. But unfortunately there's a competitor, Cyril Pool, who has won the past four years and has no intentions of handing the title over to a 16-year old. Adventures ensue, the characters grow along with the pumpkin, and the whole story is very relatable. I'd be surprised if you weren't cheering Ellie on as the competition draws nearer.

Unlike the title, the book Squashed by Joan Bauer is completely the opposite.Ellie goes through the typical problems of normal teenagers; being overweight, lusting over a new kid in town, and growing giant pumpkins for competition isn't exactly easy, you know.But, despite the startling plot ("A girl who grows pumpkins. Gee, that'll go far!"), Joan Bauer really makes this book flow; Ellie's feelings, her communication problems with her father (who, actually, dislikes the agricultural side of life, despite living in the middle of Iowa), and the gentle evolution of confidence Ellie has for herself (mainly due to her getting a boyfriend, even being overweight) really makes this book unique. This book is amazing; I cannot stress how little my praise truly means until you read the book - trust me, a complete stranger; once you read the first page, you'll be in love with Ellie for the rest of - and after - the book.The writing is stunning; I still find myself laughing every few minutes, even though I've reread the book about six times. Joan Bauer made this book as if she was Ellie, living her life and her emotions; one thing that really made me roar with laughter included how Ellie told Max [her pumpkin] parts from motivational tapes of her father's.Several problems in this book, that I could find, included how the ending never seemed to come - you think, "Gee, this HAS to be the ending!" and in fact, you're nowhere close to it. That is, however, a good thing, considering Ms. Bauer's writing abilities.Another problem was how, sometimes, the book got slightly 'mushy'; all romance-filled and sad and such. But then again, I AM a teenage male - we think these things.To stress Ms. Bauer's talents, the whole party scene made me embarassed for Ellie; all of her feelings were mine, for that point in time. I had to constantly look away from the book - this rarely happens, unless the book is so horrible I want to fling it against the wall. This was, however, fantastic; I love it when I feel true empathy for characters in books.This book is fantastic for all ages, as well; I forced my mother to read the book (seeing as we have similar tastes in books) and she agrees with me: Ellie is a true heroine.The five stars were, pretty much, all explained; I advise you to buy this book - this is one buy you will never regret.

squashed was another example of joan bauer's hilarious, scarcastic, down-to-earth writing style. this book is about a girl named ellie who strugles with self-confidence the thought of approaching her crush, wes, and then there's max: her soon-to-become champion sized pumpkin which she is entering in the county fair. her main competetor is a grungy, disgusting man named cyril pool (who has a sign reading "home of the whopper" over his surprisingly large pumpkin entitled "big daddy".) i found myself laughing out loud at all ellie's cynical remarks. also, the story draws you in, and i got really excited and even a little bit nervous for ellie and max as the big competition drew closer and the tension mounted. joan bauer took a common young adult plot and put a fun spin on it that made it more intereting and hard to put down. congrats to bauer on another great book!

Joan Bauer's books have a few things in common: a spirited, talented protagonist, an unusual quest, a family obstacle, and good triumphant. In Squashed, the first and, IMO, best of her books, this formula works to great effect - you'll laugh, you'll rejoice, and you'll never see pumpkins the same way again. Ellie Morgan has just two goals: to lose 20 pounds, and to grow a pumpkin big enough to win the Annual Rock River Weigh-In, the pumpkin festival to end all pumpkin festivals. Unfortunately, a few things stand in her way: her motivation-obsessed father, who despises agriculture ("the Absolute Dead-End of Existence"), Cyril, the 35-year-old grower (with a heart of evil) who usually wins the competition, and her history teacher, who, strangely, thinks that school is more important. On Ellie's side she has her cousin Richard, baseball semi-star and pumpkin spy, her Grandmother, a pillar of growing wisdom and strength, and her friends. From the beginning, the reader knows it's all going to come together in a major showdown at the Weigh-In. But the question is - how will Ellie make it that far? And the answer is purely hilarious. Sprinkled with humor and agriculture wisdom, Squashed is a highly appealing novel for young adults and adults alike.

In another of Joan Bauer's funny teen novels, sixteen-year-old Ellie Morgan is faced with 2 problems: getting her prize giant pumpkin, Max, to put on some major bulk, and losing some of her own in order to approach Wes, the cute new guy at school. Ellie, who learned everything she knows from her consuming love of growing pumpkins, is set to become the youngest winner of her town's festival's Pumpkin Weigh-In. In her way is her father, who definitely thinks farming is a waste of time, and Cyril Pool, a truly detestable being who wins the weigh-in every year despite his stupidity and odor. Ellie, armed only with her common sense and special secret pumpkin booster solution, must touch the inner strength in her roots in order to suceed against adversity, Cyril, and pumpkin thieves.In classic Bauer style, the story is odd, but you never doubt a word. Ellie is very real to readers, and the story is interesting, funny, and thoughtful the whole way through. My only problem with the book is that Ellie seems shy and unable to defend herself at times, and relies on her friends to speak for her. Come on, Ellie! As she says, "To grow giant pumpkins, you've got to be tough."