Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash

Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash. By Wendelin Van Draanen. 2008. 304 p. Knopf Books for Young Readers, $15.99 (0375835261)
Gr. 4-6 Sammy is sneaking is using the fire escape to get in and out of her grandmother’s apartment building where she is living. While there, she encounters an elderly man who has a heart attack. He has bags of money that fall to the ground. Sammy retrieves the money and calls 911. The money becomes a huge temptation to her. She ends up spending the money on her friends and grandmother. Sammy needs to solve the money and learn about temptation, right and wrong. This book is great for a discussion about money and how some people allow themselves to be corrupted by it. It would be useful for a discussion on the theme that money is a tool.