Homeschool Friday - The Lemonade War

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

The Lemonade War

By: Jacqueline Davies

Publication: April 23, 2007 by Clarion Books

177 pages

Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Family

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--For a full hour, he poured lemonade. The world is a thirsty place, he thought as he nearly emptied his fourth pitcher of the day. And I am the Lemonade King.

Fourth-grader Evan Treski is people-smart. He’s good at talking with people, even grownups. His younger sister, Jessie, on the other hand, is math-smart, but not especially good with people. So when the siblings’ lemonade stand war begins, there really is no telling who will win—or even if their fight will ever end. Brimming with savvy marketing tips for making money at any business, definitions of business terms, charts, diagrams, and even math problems, this fresh, funny, emotionally charged novel subtly explores how arguments can escalate beyond anyone’s intent.

Awards: 2009 Rhode Island Children's Book Award, 2007 New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, North Carolina Children’s Book Award 2011, 2011 Nutmeg Award (Connecticut)

My niece-in-law recommended The Lemonade War to me because it is largely about sibling relationships. Evan and Jessie are brother and sister. Evan is older. He's going into fourth grade. Jessie has just found out that she will be skipping a grade and will be in the same grade as Evan when school starts back. Jessie is nervous to be in class with kids that she doesn't know. Evan has always had her back and helped her when she didn't understand social situations. Jessie is so glad that Evan will be in class with her so she won't be alone and scared. But Evan isn't so happy about this situation. He expects his friends to make fun of him for having his younger sister be in the same class with him. As the summer comes to a close and school is about to start back, tensions rise between the siblings. Jessie doesn't understand why Evan is being so mean to her.

Evan and Jessie have a big fight that ends with them having a lemonade challenge. Whoever sells the most lemonade (as in makes the most amount of money) or reaches $100 first wins. Jessie and Evan go back and forth in methods of selling their lemonade through the last week of summer in order to get the most amount of money they can.

Jessie has a business strategy that she uses to help her. But both are determined not to be the loser. I can't tell you what happens, but I will tell you that Jessie learns some lessons about friendship and about business. Evan learns some lessons about being a big brother. Both learn about loving each other better. It's a heart-warming story that's going to make your kid(s) want to have a lemonade stand.

The Lemonade Stand is a great story about siblings. We don't always get along with our siblings. Sometimes we have to sacrifice for each other because we love our siblings. But also, The Lemonade Stand gave some practical business advice that anyone can implement. My kids loved this story, and of course, they wanted to have a lemonade stand after we finished it. The Lemonade Stand gets 4 Stars. Have you or your children read The Lemonade Stand? What did you think? Let me know!