June 2016

The Lemonade War

The Lemonade War

by  Jacqueline Davies

Evan Treski is people-smart. His sister Jessie is math-smart. With just five days left of summer vacation, Evan and Jessie launch an all-out war to see who can sell the most lemonade before school starts. As the battleground heats up, there really is no telling who will win — or if their fight will ever end. Filled with savvy marketing tips, business terms, charts, diagrams, and math problems, this fresh, funny, and emotionally charged novel explores how solving problems and working together is important for success.

 

A Note from the First Lady:

Dear Read20 Book Club families,

Summer is an important time for building stronger brains. To stay on track for success while school is out of session, kids of all ages need to engage in brain-building activities. It is extremely important that families continue to read at least 20 minutes each day over the break. In fact, if you have extra free time this summer, I hope you will read even more! Watch this video about ways to keep your student on track for academic success this summer.

Jacqueline Davies’ The Lemonade War is the perfect read for June. Starting a lemonade stand is a classic summer activity to have fun with friends and to learn about the value of money and entrepreneurship. The Lemonade War also illustrates how working together is key for success. At first, Evan and his sister, Jessie spend so much time fighting that they are not productive. When they learn to understand and appreciate their differences, business becomes more successful. I hope Evan and Jessie’s story teaches you how to have a successful business and successful relationships with your siblings and friends!

Keep up the great reading,

Crissy Haslam
First Lady of Tennessee

 

Family Activities

  1. Evan and Jessie make their lemonade from the frozen concentrate at the grocery store, but making fresh lemonade is easy. Ask a parent or adult to help you make fresh lemonade. Be sure an adult helps with cutting the lemons!

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • ¾ cup sugar
    • 4 cups water
    • ice cubes

    To get freshly squeezed lemon juice:
    Take a whole lemon and roll it on the counter with your hand pressing down on top of it. This will make it easier to squeeze. Now ask an adult to help cut it in half and either squeeze the halves by hand or use a citrus juicer. Don’t forget to take out the seeds! Repeat until you have 1 cup of fresh juice.

    Mix the ingredients:
    In a pitcher, combine the lemon juice and the sugar. Stir well until the sugar dissolves. Pour in the water and stir again. Add ice cubes. Invite your friends over and enjoy!

    Makes 6 servings

  2. After reading about Evan and Jessie’s successes and failures in The Lemonade War, write about how you would design and operate your own lemonade stand. Where would your business be located and who would be your customers? Decide how the money earned will be spent. You may choose to also design posters, advertisements, and other business schemes, as Evan and Jessie did.
  3. After spending time together running a lemonade stand, Megan gives Jessie a “comment card” telling her that she is a good friend with good ideas. Jessie keeps it in her money box as a reminder of how much Megan likes her. Think about someone you really care about, like a parent, sibling, friend, or teacher. Write something nice about this person and give them your “comment card” the next time you see them. Why do you think it is important to say nice things to the people you care about?
  4. The Lemonade War is part of a five book series written by author Jacqueline Davies that includes The Lemonade Crime, The Bell Bandit, The Candy Smash, and The Magic Trap. After you finish the book of the month, visit your local public library to check out other books in the series or find other great stories to read this summer.