Never Race a Runaway Pumpkin

Roscoe Riley Rules #7

by Katherine Applegate, Brian Biggs (Illustrator)

Roscoe Riley doesn't mean to break the ruless

Never Race a Ranaway Pumpkin

Pumpkin Contest

If Roscoe guesses the weight of a giant pumpkin, he'll be a winner! Easy, right? But a little black cat keeps trying to cross his path! Will the bad-luck kitty ruin Roscoe's chance to win?

Genres: Childrens, Humor, Contemporary, Juvenile, 2nd Grade

96 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2009

About the author

#1 New York Times bestselling author Katherine Applegate has written many books for young readers, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal.

Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books); THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books); SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books); and ODDER: AN OTTER’S STORY, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel & Friends).

She’s written or co-written three early chapter series for young readers: ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins); DOGGO AND PUPPER, a three-book series illustrated by Charlie Alder (Feiwel & Friends). With Gennifer Choldenko, she co-authored DOGTOWN and MOUSE AND HIS DOG, illustrated by Wallace West (Feiwel & Friends).

Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends); THE ONE AND ONLY series, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY, and THE ONE AND ONLY FAMILY (HarperCollins); the ENDLING trilogy (HarperCollins); CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends); WISHTREE (Feiwel & Friends); WILLODEEN (Feiwel & Friends); ODDER (Feiwel & Friends); and the forthcoming POCKET BEAR (Feiwel & Friends).

With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)

Katherine’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, Best of the Year lists, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists.

Katherine lives in Nevada with her husband and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Heirloom Literary and Mary Pender at WME.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this final Roscoe Riley book to date, Neo and I undertook quite the adventure. Learning about estimating, superstitions, and the troubles that Roscoe can create for himself, we were highly entertaining and enthralled at the same time. When Roscoe learns that there is a contest taking place at the local bookshop, he is convinced he must participate. There’s a giant pumpkin there, whose weight is the subject of a guessing game. While the winner gets a large number of books donated to the school library, it’s the large pile of candy that has Roscoe wanting to be declared guessing champion. When Roscoe makes his way to the shop, he discovers something terrifying, a black kitten lives there. Worried about all he knows about black cats, Roscoe vows not to stay, as his bad luck could grow exponentially. While adults try to dismiss this talk of luck, Roscoe is convinced that it might play a part. When the day of the contest winner comes, Roscoe is ready to win, though all the luck in the world could not protect him from the series of events that eventually land him in time-out yet again! Neo and I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and will keep an eye out for other books. I would not have found them had my friend, Misty, not recommended them. Neo and I offer her a large THANKS! Just goes to show that recommendations are the key to finding new and awesome books!

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong finish to the Roscoe Riley Rules series. The little black kitten puts it over the top. Enjoyed each and every one of these books and will be recommending them to chapter book readers for sure.

[Pooja Banga · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I had fun reading this :)

[Joenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part in this book was on the very last page "10 Useful Things I Learned At the Bookstore"

1. If you knock over the giant stack of Harry Potters, be sure to say sorry to the bookstore lady. Then she will say, "That's okay, sweetheart."

2. If you pop a pop-up book so much that it stops popping, be sure to say your're extra sorry to the bookstore lady. Then she will say, "That's okay." She will also ask, "Who is keeping an eye on you sweetheart?"

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Third-grader, Roscoe Riley learns how to guestimate the weight of a pumpkin, control his superstitions and be a better brother to Hazel in this cute children's book. In an attempt to win books for his school library, Roscoe tries to guess the weight of a giant pumpkin but because he is so afraid of a black cat, he knocks the pumpkin over and it rolls away. Roscoe learns some good lessons and that black kittens are cute.

3 stars

Happy Reading


Read for 17. A character “on the run” in the 2021 challenge..

[yahya]

its nice for kids age rage three and the Arthur wrote The One And Only Ivan

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute series! My son loved it and couldn't wait to read another one! (And he hates reading so this is awesome).

[Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool, funny, silly, !

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short chapter book is a good early reader for kids stretching their reading muscles, but it didn't really shine for me. The first grader was a quirky boy with a gruff older brother and a kitten loving baby sister, and his obsession with superstitions is exaggerated but not incredible. I probably won't remember it for long, but it would be good to see in any library.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Join Roscoe Riley in his "time-out" corner as he shares the tale of how a giant pumpkin landed hin in his corner once again. Fun story involving how to estimate the weight of things, and the fallacies of bad-luck and superstitious beliefs. Roscoe Riley learns the hard way as he breaks the rules by mistake.

[JMV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun

[Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved discussion about superstitions and the importance of the library, good to use during Halloween with estimation of a pumpkin

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well you already know i'm in time out again. Now I know what your thinking what did roscoe do this time? Well let me tell you. Roscoe is at school and his teacher is talking to the class on learning about estimation. Also the janitor is on a ladder in the back of the classroom changing light bulbs. Mean while roscoe's friend Gus found a penny under the janitor's ladder and dive's for it. Roscoe screams out no Gus don't go under the ladder or else you will have bad luck for 7 years. Ms. Diz Roscoe's teacher said now we have another thing to learn about children. Ms. Diz told them that bad luck and good luck is called superstition. Then Ms. Diz and the class started talking about superstition and telling stories. When the class went down to the school library for reading time with Mr. Page they were going to read a book about pumpkins and then he just remembered that there is a estimating contest at hillside library on saturday. The contest was about estimating the weight on a gigantic pumpkin. The winner of the contest will get books for there school library and a bunch of candy for themselves. Everyone was excited about the contest. When Roscoe got home he asked his mom if he could go to the hillside library for his estimated guess on how much the gigantic pumpkin weighs?when they got to the library Roscoe, his big brother Max, and Roscoe's little sister Hazel took a big glance at the pumpkin and they were surprised it was the coolest and biggest thing roscoe had ever seen. They went inside to write down their guess. Max, and Hazel already finished but Roscoe still didn't write down his answer. Before he could finish thinking Hazel found a black cat. Roscoe was frightened because his uncle Ed told him that when a black cat crosses your path you'll have bad luck Hazel wanted the cat so much that she beg and beg and beg to her mom and dad and they said that they will think about it. The next day Roscoe's dad took him to the library to finish his answer Roscoe put an answer of 964 pounds because the pumpkin weighed more than a medium sized pumpkin but less than Ms. Diz. On saturday they had announced the winner and it was Roscoe Riley. Then the black cat came Roscoe accidentally bumped into the pumpkin and it rolled down the hill and smashed into a staue. So basically thats what happened also roscoe finally learned never to trust uncle Ed when it come to superstition. Also the family also adopted the black cat from the library. See yah.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun story about superstitions and estimation, hopes and fears. I like that the mathematical concept about approximating weight is explained throughout the story and that different superstitions are discussed. This book is the seventh in the Roscoe Riley Rules series, although we haven't read any of the other books.

We enjoyed listening to the book narrated on CD by Jared Goldsmith. We didn't read the book, but we recognized Brian Biggs's cover art from his Brownie and Pearl series with Cynthia Rylant.

[zapkode · Rating 5 out of 5]

{My Thoughts} – In this last book Roscoe ends up in time out for not being honest to his sister and his parents. It’s about a pumpkin weight guessing contest at the local book store. While they are there his sister finds a kitten. His sister really wants the kitten but he tells her he overheard someone saying the kitten already had a home and of coarse that wasn’t the truth and he ended up getting into trouble.

This is the last book in the series as far as I know. I really enjoyed reading them, they are short beginner readers that are fairly entertaining to younger children. They are mostly geared towards boys and remind me of the Junie B. Jones series that is geared towards girls in the same age group.

I highly recommend this book for any child that is having a difficult time engaging in the book world. It has a nice lesson about following the rules and it has humor, which makes for a nice read.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a silly superstition (does a black cat crossing your path really mean seven years bad luck?) gets in the way of Roscoe Riley guessing (really estimating with lots of thought) the weight of the giant pumpkin at the bookstore, Riley lets the cat get the better of him (or does she?). A silly, funny story about how superstitions can weigh on a little kid's mind and almost stop him from doing the things he wants to do most!

The narrator was wonderful...lots of inflection and changing of voices to make the story come alive! Watch out for those monstrously big pumpkins (and black cats).

[Anna]

1. SUMMARY – Roscoe Riley has a serious problem. He just learned about superstition in class and needs to figure out how to keep himself from being a victim to the crossing of a black cat. Unfortunately, this cat stands in the way of a guesstimating contest about the weight of a ginormous pumpkin.
2. GENRE – This is an example of a realistic contemporary fiction because this story deals with the ordinary situations.
3. LITERARY CONCEPTS – character, problem, flashback
4. TRAITS – Voice, Word Choice
5. Interest/ grade level – 1st -4th/ 3rd

[Beth Kakuma-Depew · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son has made up a theme song for these books, just in case, you know, they get made into a TV show. "Roscoe Riley Rules the Universe...da,da,da,..."

more laugh-out loud fun. I think we will be reading the whole series.

[Anish Surepeddi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Series Was A Hot Commodity For All Classes In Early Elementary School. I Re-read the series and didn't like it as much now. It Is Meant For Young Kids And A Good Pick For Starter Chapter Book Readers.

[Toni Pope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I preread some of my kids scholastic reading counts books, to try to help them better understand it. This series is definitely one of the very best, these books are great.

[Regan]

0.6 pts

[Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those who love the series will enjoy this seasonal additional. P.K.

[Terry]

Our daughter loves Roscoe. She couldn't stand the suspense and stayed up late to read the last two chapters by herself one night! See why we love Roscoe, too!