Customer Reviews

The Lemonade War (The Lemonade War Series)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am about to describe to you a true situation that I have experienced time and time again as a children's librarian. A parent will walk up to me and ask for a work of fiction for kids dealing either with money or business. Money or business. This request is usually met with a blank stare on my part followed by a furious search of the library's catalog. Let's see . . . money . . . money . . . Well there's that graphic novel version of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," for kids, but that's not really fiction. If you work in your own children's room then you may know that nine times out of ten the answer to this kind of query will have to be, The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill. I mean, face it. When was the last time any book for children dealt with finances in a format that was fun, readable, and contained halfway decent writing? Well, when I heard about "The Lemonade War" I thought my prayers had been answered. Then I read it and realized I'd been thinking about the title all wrong. I thought it would just be this lightweight bit of fluff with some business info for the kiddies on the side. Instead, the book delivers emotional punch after emotional punch. It resonates with the reader. Pulls you deep inside its story and doesn't let go once. This is the first fictional children's novel by author Jacqueline Davies. And you can bet that if she writes another, I'll be first in line to buy.

Before the letter came, siblings Evan and Jessie got along just fine. She's just a second grader and Evan's going into the fourth, but they always helped one another out. Being exceptionally smart, Jessie would help Evan figure out stuff like how to make the ultimate lemonade stand. In return, her big brother would help her deal with some of the complexities of understanding kids her own age. Then came the letter and everything changed. Jessie's going to skip a grade and be in Evan's class next year and the boy is mortified. It's bad enough having a little sister who makes you look dumb at home, since she's a certified genius and all. Now imagine how much worse it would be at school where all your friends could see smart she was compared to how dumb you are. Now Evan's rejected Jessie completely and she's bewildered and hurt. She was hoping he'd help her make some friends in the coming year. When it's clear that that's not going to happen, though, betrayal turns to anger. Before they know it, the two kids are locked in a battle to determine who can sell the most lemonade by the end of the summer. Evan's doing it to show that he can beat Jessie in something. Jessie's doing it to win back Evan's respect. And neither of them have any idea how out-of-hand the whole business is going to get for the next few days. Business tips and math problems chart the course of the competition.

I made the big big mistake of reading the beginning of J.L. Bell's review of this book prior to reading it myself. My rule when reviewing a book is to never ever look at anyone else's take on a book before writing my own. Keeps me honest. But look at Bell I did and lo and behold his first sentence stuck so squarely in my head that I've been turning it over in my mind ever since. He writes, "Jacqueline Davies's The Lemonade War is, I thought, a surprisingly dark book." That is all that I read of his review before remembering that I wasn't suppose to indulge myself in this manner. Still, the damage had been done. I picked up the book to read and sure enough, Bell was right. Jacqueline Davies knows exactly how to pinpoint childhood rage and bewilderment and then drill it home for all it's worth. It's heartbreaking to identify with Jessie. She doesn't idolize Evan, but he is undoubtedly her best friend. All her life he's been the one to take her side. To help her understand things that no one else would explain. And suddenly she's going to get a chance to do the thing that she's always wanted most in the world; be in Evan's class and get to hang out with him all the time. So how does he react? Not just with anger, but also with inexplicable (to her) cruelty. Time and time again the two kids come close to reconciliation, only to have Jessie's social awkwardness make things worse instead of better.

The writing itself just kills you too. Evan goes from being Jessie's sole confidant to a guy who'd rather hang out with some jerk like his old semi-pal Scott than her. Davies also knows how to make a scene look one way from one character's point of view and then turn it around 180 degrees so that you see how different it was according to the other character. I loved the little details too. The random mother who, Evan can see, is the kind of nosy woman who "thought she was the mother of the whole wide world." I was disappointed that there were contemporary mentions of things like Xboxes and iPods in the story, though. "The Lemonade War" is, I suspect, going to be one of those books that sticks in the public's mind for quite some time and current technologies undercut that "classic" status I'm hoping it will achieve.

Regardless, I appreciated the honesty of this book. In the midst of all the business tips and money calculations, Davies' real talent is in human relationships. You could throw away the premise of the lemonade war and still end up with characters interacting with a kind of honesty and realism that I'd bet a whole host of fellow authors would kill to have in their own books. There's something about "The Lemonade War" that feels very real to me. Maybe it's the conflicted ending or the fact that you know that there will probably be more problems to come in Evan and Jessie's lives. At the root of the story, though, is this sibling bond that doesn't drip of saccharine or ooey-gooey feelings. If you want a book that knows how to produce familial affection without ever feeling false, fawning, or sticky sweet, let "The Lemonade War" serve as your guide.

There is a certain breed of fiction where parents exist solely as a means of transportation or money. They're peripheral figures that might dole out a smattering of advice now and then, but basically live on the fringes of the story's central action. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell definitely fits this definition. Ditto, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. And I dare say that "The Lemonade War" belongs to that group. It's just as memorable as those books and the adults are just as useless.

My fear is that "The Lemonade War" might end up being written off as yet another gimmick book. It's obviously more than just a teach-kids-business title, and I want people to recognize that fact. It's gripping, moving, and fun. There are business tips spotted throughout, and they're great, but that's not why people are going to remember this book. Ms. Davies' characters' emotions hit home time after time. A surprise delight for anyone looking for a fun read (particularly in the summer).

I've got a sister just like Jessie, but I'm the smarter one, and we can both understand feelings. We're both misers, (Nora a little bit more), But she likes lemonade stands way more. I really liked how they both sabotaged each other's money to become the winner of the Lemonade War. I can also relate, because I play with Nora a lot, but if I found she was being promoted from 3rd to 5th, I would be the same as Evan. Jacqueline Davies sure can write a story about a conflict between a brother and a brother. Even though it was 3rd person writing, she sure can write it from a kid's perspective! This is a really good book, some people might say as good as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)(a really good book), or all the Harry Potter Books. Kids (and even grownups) of all ages will like this book. I recommend this book to everyone who reads this, because I know you'll like it!

Daniel Glenn Leonard
10 years old

My son's third-grade teacher is reading this book aloud to the class. He loves it so much he wants a copy of his own! It's an honest, apt depiction of children's real emotions and behaviors. Like Beverly Cleary, Ms. Davies does not try to sugarcoat kids' anger, fears, and how those can be acted out. Children clearly recognize and respond to this.

Out school also had the pleasure of bringing Ms. Davies in for an author visit. She made a real connection with the kids at all different grade levels, and won high praise from the teachers and school librarians! She has written other wonderful books, for pre-school through elementary.

Jessie Treski knows two things that I don't: her multiplication tables up to 14 times 14, and how to run a successful lemonade stand. Jessie is so smart, in fact, that when summer vacation is over and school begins in a few days, she'll skip the third grade entirely and go straight to fourthsville. Evan, Jessie's fourth-grader-to-be brother is not happy with this turn of events and is having visions of his little sister crashing his fourth grade party, showing him up, and generally ruining his classmate cred. Desperate to best his sister at something, Evan puts his people skills to work selling lemonade. When he is put to shame yet again by Jessie, the Lemonade War begins. Evan is fighting for his reputation; Jessie is fighting to show that she can fit in with the fourth grade crowd.
The Lemonade War is an entertaining read with a splash of math and business sense. Many readers will identify with the brother/sister conflict and sense of competition. A quality selection.

Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davis was a very enjoyable book that I read
almost 3 months ago. I think kids between the ages of 8-11 would most
likely enjoy this book. I think Ms. Davis did a good job of writing a
book that kids would understand since it's not too advance. I usually
enjoy reading longer books better than shorter books, but this book was
still fantastic and I think other kids should read it too.

This book is about two siblings Evan,age 9, and Jessie,age 8, who go
in a contest with each other to see who can make more money selling
lemonade, but don't let this summary trick you into thinking this
book is boring because it's not. You see Evan is trying to beat Jessie
at something after he finds out that his sister is skipping from 3rd
grade to 4th grade.(After all, it's not easy having your little genius
sister go into your grade)Jessie is trying to earn the respect of her
brother in the contest. Basically, this is a really good book.

I read with my children every night, and while I selected this book for the financial aspect of it- my 7 year old really loved the story. He was particularly interested in the sibling rivalry, and we talked a lot about how he would feel if his little brother were in his class. He was very interested in the characters of the children, which I thought were very well done. Jessie is book smart but not people smart. Evan is very people smart, but less book smart than Jessie. I think if we read this again in a few years time, he will get new and different information out of it- he even asked about making his own lemonade stand! Glad I bought this one and will recommend it to friends.

This book has a great storyline - sibling rivalry spurs a lemonade war that ends up with brother and sister behaving badly. Some great business tips throughout the book, and some easy math gets worked in.

In my opinion, the strength of this book is in the relationship between Evan and Jessie, how they help one another and how they misunderstand each other. Their parents' divorce has led them to solemnly promise each other not to fight and worry their mother; the whole topic of divorce and its repercussions on children is handled well.

Parent notes: A few "I hate you"s and some hitting.

An excellent children's book aimed for kids aged nine through eleven. Rivalry and fighting between brother and sister of who can make $100 by doing lemonade stands during summer break. A humorous and fresh realistic fiction story. Something that all siblings can relate to. A great read!

Good read for my 8 year old son AND my 10 year old daughter. Looking forward to buying the next book in the series. We got the KINDLE version. Good stuff :)

This book is a great read if your judt looking for something fun to read. It's a good book about buisness and being a kid, part of growing up. Getting into a war with a brother or sister. I rate this 5 stars.