The Zucchini Warriors facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Zucchini Warriors

First hardback edition
Author	Gordon Korman
Cover artist	Richard Lauter Yuksel Hassan (2004 ed)
Language	English
Series	Bruno & Boots
Publisher	Scholastic
Publication date	September 1988
Media type	Print (Hardcover, Paperback)
Pages	198
ISBN	059041335X
Dewey Decimal	jC813'.54
LC Class	P7Z.K8369Zu
Preceded by	The War with Mr. Wizzle
Followed by	Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood

The Zucchini Warriors is a fun young adult novel written by Gordon Korman. It's part of his popular Bruno & Boots series, full of funny adventures at Macdonald Hall. The story follows the students as they deal with a new football stadium and some very hungry hamsters.

The Zucchini Warriors' Story

A New Football Field

Over the summer, something big happened at Macdonald Hall. A huge football stadium was built on the school's north lawn. This project was paid for by Henry 'Hank the Tank' Carson, a former student who became rich selling zucchini products.

Bruno and Boots were not happy about this. They had hoped the money would be used to build a new recreation hall. Mr. Carson promised a rec hall would be built after the football season. This promise convinced the boys to support the new team.

The Macdonald Hall Team

The school's new team was called the Macdonald Hall Zucchini Warriors. At first, they weren't very good. Then, Cathy Burton from the nearby Miss Scrimmages school secretly joined the team. She became their amazing quarterback.

To keep Cathy's secret, a plan was made. Elmer Drimsdale pretended to be the quarterback. He and Cathy were about the same height and build, making the trick work.

Hamsters and Zucchini Sticks

Elmer Drimsdale had another big project. He was trying to get four rare Manchurian bush hamsters to have babies. These hamsters ate a lot! The students used them to help eat the many free zucchini sticks Mr. Carson kept sending. They didn't want to hurt his feelings.

Eventually, the hamsters accidentally escaped. They made their home under the stadium bleachers. They kept eating the zucchini sticks that fell under the seats during games. The spices in the zucchini batter made them reproduce very quickly. Soon, there were over 400 hamsters!

The Inspector's Visit

At the same time, an inspector named Kevin Klapper arrived for a surprise visit. He worked for the Ontario Ministry of Education. Mr. Klapper used to be obsessed with football, but now he didn't approve of the game. He started writing a very critical report about the school.

However, Mr. Klapper soon fell in love with the game again. He started helping coach the team, forgetting about his inspection job.

The Big Game and Surprises

The Zucchini Warriors were set to win the Daw Cup, a big trophy. But then, Mr. Greer, Kevin Klapper's boss, showed up. He wanted to know why Kevin had missed work. Mr. Greer found a messy guest cottage and a draft of Kevin's first, negative report. He mistakenly thought Mr. Sturgeon had done something bad to Kevin to stop the report. He called the police.

Also, Kevin's wife found out what he was really doing. She drove to the Hall to confront him. Both the police and Kevin's wife arrived at the same time. This happened right after the team won the cup and received it.

The police sirens scared the hamsters. They swarmed out from under the stands! Elmer heard them and rushed onto the field. Cathy and Elmer were seen together, and the secret was out. The trophy was taken away because the Warriors had an "ineligible player." The other team won by default.

Aftermath and Consequences

When the police arrived, Bruno was worried Mr. Sturgeon would be arrested. So, he confessed to the quarterback switch. Mr. Greer was first happy to see Kevin alive, then very angry. Kevin's wife was also upset.

But Mr. Carson stood up for Kevin. He announced that he had arranged a coaching job for Kevin. Mr. Sturgeon was a bit angry with the team for all the trouble. However, he admitted that Cathy Burton's efforts were a big part of their success. As punishment, the team had to clean up the stadium. This included the huge hamster nest under the bleachers. Elmer didn't have to help, because of an earlier agreement he made with Bruno.

New Characters You'll Meet

• Calvin 'The Beast' Fihzgart - A tough-talking player who often pretends to be hurt.
• Myron Blakenship - A student who just can't keep a secret.
• Dave Jackson - A student who came from Buffalo, New York.
• Henry 'Hank the Tank' Carson - A former student from the class of '58. He was a football player who became a millionaire. He owns "Mr. Zucchini" snack wagons that sell battered, deep-fried zucchini sticks. He still acts like a student at heart.
• Kevin Klapper - An inspector from the Ontario Ministry of Education. He is married and has two children. He is very thin.
• Mr. Douglas Greer - Kevin Klapper's boss.

Game Scores of the Zucchini Warriors

Book Updates

In 2004, a newer version of the book was released. The changes to the text were very small. The main difference was that Kevin Klapper typed his reports and letters on a laptop instead of by hand. This updated edition also included a preview from Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood.