Book Summary

Lenny Kalou is a third grader who fears he is not good at anything. Always the last to be chosen for team sports, Lenny eventually obtains an awful nickname: Lenny the loser. Unfortunately, just like a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe, Lenny cannot shed his loser image until he decides to attend a Boys and Girls Club fair.

As the aroma of popcorn and sugar fills the air, Lenny becomes focused on a large jar full of pennies. All he has to do is guess the correct number of pennies in the jar and he will win all of the coins plus a special prize! After he trusts his feelings and makes his guess, all Lenny can do is wait. Filled with doubt, Lenny covers his ears as the winner is announced. A split second later, Lenny's life is transformed along with his nickname. As he learns a valuable lesson, Lenny discovers who he really is deep inside.

In this poignant juvenile novel, a third grader with a dreadful nickname must learn to love and believe in himself in order to find the happiness he deserves.