"The Lemonade War" by Jacqueline Davies

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies follows the journey of brother and sister, Evan and Jesse, as they participate in a not so friendly competition towards money, recognition, and most importantly - bragging rights. Faced with a situation that could change Evan's reputation, he sets out to do the annual summer lemonade stand all on his own while leaving Jesse in the dark. Upset by this, Jesse does only what a good sister would do: get even! As the summer days quickly narrow down towards the beginning of a new school year, Evan and Jesse must learn a hard lesson in communication, forgiveness, and family.

This book is an excellent read for upper elementary aged students as it pertains to situations involving friends, school, and bullying. In addition to this, we learn of many social issues in the household of Evan and Jesse. With a single, working mother and an absent father built into the story, many students will be able to relate to these social issues that are too often considered taboo to discuss among school aged children. I love how this book provides an opportunity for kids to learn about the importance of communication as there are many instances where a negative situation arrises due to a misunderstanding. Additionally, this book proves that people are smart at many different things. In this case, Evan is people smart while Jesse is book smart. I feel that this gives the opportunity for students to learn that everybody possess certain strengths that are essential in life and not solely limited to a select few. The Lemonade War is a fun, lesson learning book that should be enjoyed by all students. It may even inspire them to create a lemonade stand of their own! ;)