Project Pay Day

NOW A FEATURE FILM! And being developed as a TV series...

“Our parents just said we had to get summer jobs. They didn’t say *what* summer jobs!”

Dave and his two best friends, Hannah and Curtis, are looking forward to a summer of complete freedom, but their parents have another idea: they insist that the three teenagers get summer jobs.

But the friends come up with a plan: Why not invent fake jobs to get their parents off their backs? The trouble is, their parents are going to want to see them bringing in real money. And that means finding a way to get-rich-quick, but without breaking the law, and without doing any actual work.

The summer passes and Dave, Curtis, and Hannah try a long list of schemes: trying to catch bank robbers to win the reward; scientifically calculating the “correct” number of jelly beans in a contest jar; finding and exploring a network of underground smugglers' tunnels; and even diving for sunken treasure.

But “Project Pay Day” never quite goes according to plan, and they don’t make the money they need.

Soon summer is almost over, and they have no choice but to solve a big local mystery — or face the consequences of their actions, which includes their parents breaking up the trio for good!

(For readers age 10 and up)

An early version of this book was published under the title Project Sweet Life.

“A hilarious story filled with mishaps, close calls, and outrageous adventures…The novel will be especially appealing to middle school boys.”
– School Library Journal

“The friendship, lightly and expertly depicted, drives the book, while their smartly plotted moneymaking schemes are creative, highjinks-filled, and hilariously almost effective.”
– Horn Book Review

“The characters ring true, and teens will appreciate that the trio puts more effort into evading work than they would have expended at a real job. An amusing story with great teen appeal.”
– Booklist

“Marked by sly wit and a certain old-fashioned jauntiness, this tale of three chums on a quest for indolence strikes many a wish-fulfillment fancy…Hartinger blends urban legend with the actual history of Tacoma’s routing of its Chinese community (author’s note included) to craft an irresistible setting (who wouldn’t want to explore lost tunnels under a city in search of treasure?), humorous episodes tinged with mild danger, and a light-hearted mystery”
– BCCB

“This comedy of errors builds quickly and surely, with each potential scheme ending in disaster yet spawning ever new possibilities. Hartinger is relentless in ramping up the tension on his young characters. He does so with wit and flair, moreover, building into the mix an episode from the racially troubled history of Tacoma, Washington…Lovable, flawed, and genuinely charming, Hartinger’s characters drive the story…here is a funny, realistic yet whimsical story delivered up with loving care.”
– CLCD

“This book was hilarious and had me turning pages to see what the next plan would be. The best part was that none of it ever felt like it was unrealistic — I really believed that the crazy adventures and money schemes could actually work! Author Brent Hartinger has the perfect voice of teen boys. His characters sounded exactly like the teens I know.”
– GreenBeanTeenQueen

“An ingenious plot with a little Tom Sawyer, a little Homer Price, and a lotta laughs! That’s what I call ‘sweet!’”
– Michael Cart, Booklist columnist