Cardboard by Doug TenNapel is a young adult fantasy novel set in an unnamed city in the modern-day United States of America. The novel's central character is Cam, a young boy living with his widowed father, Mike. In the novel Cardboard, Doug TenNapel explores the topics of poverty, pain, and hounding, which paint a picture of reality in our society.
Doug TenNapel commences the novel by introducing a grieving family, Cam and his father, Mike. Cam's mother recently died, leaving a permanent pain for the family, which they never recover for the rest of their lives. Mike's father feels the pain and burden of raising his son alone without his wife. On the other hand, Cam wonders if his mother will ever return. When Cam receives a cardboard as a birthday present, he imagines modifying it to look like his mother and bring her back to life.
The second theme in the novel is joblessness. Mike is unwaged, and cannot fully meet his son's needs. By profession, Mike is a carpenter but relies on other people to give him casual jobs, which are rare to find. When Cam's birthday approaches, Mike wonders where he can get money to buy him a birthday gift. Mike's decision to buy the cheapest gift for his son shows his financial struggles.
Hounding is another point Doug TenNapel discusses in the novel, Cardboard. Cam experiences mistreatment from rich kids, especially Marcus, whose parents can afford him anything he wants in life. Marcus intimidates Cam and sometimes threatens to beat him when he refuses to give him whatever he wants.
The novel concludes by showing readers the value of appreciating others despite their status. When Marcus steals Cam's cardboard to create monsters, everything turns upside down for him. The monsters capture Marcus and threaten to kill him. Marcus realizes that money and his wealthy parents cannot help him. Therefore, Marcus establishes a cordial relationship with Cam and begs him for forgiveness after his rescue.
