For Ages
8 to 12

For anyone who has ever felt like a potato in middle school, this hilarious story about a boy forced to become the dorkiest school mascot ever will have readers cheering!

"A grade A, spudtastic (not to mention FUNNY) debut. Arianne Costner sure knows middle school and middle schoolers!" --Chris Grabenstein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Ben Hardy believes he's cursed by potatoes. And now he's moved to Idaho, where the…

An Excerpt fromMy Life as a Potato

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The Curse of the Potato

 

I don’t know what I did to deserve it, but the fact is clear: I, Ben Hardy, am cursed by potatoes. That demon veggie has been out to get me for years.

 

Evidence #1: When I was five, I tripped over a bag of potatoes and broke my arm. I had to wear an itchy green cast for six weeks.

Evidence #2: My mom makes the world’s gluey-est mashed potatoes. They’re great for craft projects. Not for eating.

Evidence #3: There’s a faded scar above my left eyebrow. What happened? Let’s just say I got on the bad side of a cat named Tater Tot.

 

Then, two weeks ago, right in the middle of seventh grade, my family moved from Los Angeles to South Fork, Idaho--aka “the Potato Capital of the World.” The people here worship the veggie like my dad worships the Lakers.

Case in point: my new school’s game-day shirt. Today about half the school showed up wearing one. When I reach the cafeteria for lunch, I realize my friend Ellie is part of…

Under the Cover