The Lemonade War

January 1, 2012
Gr 3-5-Siblings Evan and Jessie are very different. To Evan's consternation, math genius Jessie is about to skip third grade and join his fourth grade class. Though adept at people skills, Evan fears Jessie will show him up and expose him as an academic loser. Thus begins the lemonade war in a misguided attempt to win a bet to prove which one of them is a better salesperson and settle their arguments. Lack of communication and a desire for revenge spin the competition out of control, until neither brother nor sister can win anything but mutual misery. Each chapter in Jacqueline Davies' book (Houghton, 2007) opens with a sales tip and definitions of everything from profit margins to franchises. Math concepts are also rife with ratios, arithmetic, and challenging real-life word problems. Stina Nielsen's crisp narration captures the contrasts of the children's personalities. This novel is ideal for classroom listening, with built-in math problems, marketing maxims, and discussion points on sibling rivalry and effective communication. Despite a weak ending and an all-but-absent parent, the story of young capitalists dueling over the all-American lemonade stand during a heat wave is engaging and believable. The sequel, "The Lemonade Crime" ("SL"J, Nov. 2011, p. 68), resolves the ending. Teacher's guides, trailers, and activities can be found at http: //www.lemonadewar.com.-"Lonna Pierce, MacArthur Elementary School, Binghamton, NY"

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.