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The Lemonade War #3
The Bell Bandit
The third installment of the popular Lemonade War series finds siblings Evan and Jessie Treski at their grandmother's Vermont house for the holidays, solving another mystery. Everything about this trip to Grandma’s house was First, because of the fire, Mrs. Treski, Evan, and Jessie had driven up to Grandma’s two days after Christmas instead of the day before, missing Christmas with Grandma entirely. Second, the fire had left a hole in the back kitchen wall big enough to drive a car through! And with Grandma in the hospital and not in her house, everything felt off. Third, someone had climbed the long, slow slope of Lovell Hill to the top and had stolen the old iron bell hanging on its heavy wooden crossbeam. Who on earth would steal the New Year’s Bell? And how could Grandma, Mrs. Treski, Evan, Jessie, and their neighbors ring in the New Year without it? Like a modern-day Beverly Cleary, Ms. Davies writes with heart, humor, and honesty about the inevitability of profound change and reveals just how well she understands the complex emotions of the children. The six books in this fun-to-read series
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
613 people are currently reading
1281 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Davies
53 books269 followersJacqueline Davies is the author of both novels and picture books. She lives in Needham, Massachusetts with her three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
June 6, 2019
This is the third book in The Lemonade War series, but it doesn't seem to fit into the series or resemble the first two books in any way except that the two children and their mother are characters, and the chapters alternate POV between the brother and sister. The themes in this book are far more serious and complex, and the focus of the kids' business ventures is completely gone.
While I loved the first two titles in this lower middle grade series, this book has some issues, in my opinion. The grandmother is experiencing the onset of Alzheimer's or some sort of dementia, which is confusing and frightening for children, yet it is never addressed or explained properly by Jessie's and Evan's mother. Also, the character of Maxwell, who is obviously on the autism spectrum, competes for attention and reader brain space with the protagonists' grandmother.
The explanation that Maxwell's mother gives of his neurological differences is inadequate. Jessie is Maxwell's friend, deserves to know why his behavior is sometimes erratic, and directly asks, "What's wrong with Maxwell?" Maxwell's mother responds that "He's just different," which nine-year-old Jessie has obviously already figured out. Maxwell's mother never mentions any cognitive or neurological differences, and ends with "He has a really tough time understanding feelings." Jessie, who has never been especially good at that either, is now left more confused than ever because she's already figured out that Maxwell is different and still has not been given a reason. Hiding the truth from children is not doing them any favor. Surely Jessie can be a better friend to Maxwell if she understands his differences and why he behaves as he does.
While I loved the first two titles in this lower middle grade series, this book has some issues, in my opinion. The grandmother is experiencing the onset of Alzheimer's or some sort of dementia, which is confusing and frightening for children, yet it is never addressed or explained properly by Jessie's and Evan's mother. Also, the character of Maxwell, who is obviously on the autism spectrum, competes for attention and reader brain space with the protagonists' grandmother.
The explanation that Maxwell's mother gives of his neurological differences is inadequate. Jessie is Maxwell's friend, deserves to know why his behavior is sometimes erratic, and directly asks, "What's wrong with Maxwell?" Maxwell's mother responds that "He's just different," which nine-year-old Jessie has obviously already figured out. Maxwell's mother never mentions any cognitive or neurological differences, and ends with "He has a really tough time understanding feelings." Jessie, who has never been especially good at that either, is now left more confused than ever because she's already figured out that Maxwell is different and still has not been given a reason. Hiding the truth from children is not doing them any favor. Surely Jessie can be a better friend to Maxwell if she understands his differences and why he behaves as he does.
February 16, 2016
It was okay sometimes it sounded like the characters were making up words.That was all the thing I think that would need help on but anyway it was the best. I thought it was a little bit better then the The lemonade war.
June 17, 2024
It was cute
January 30, 2018
Book #3 in a great series! Really good read! Good read for 4-5th graders, but younger readers enjoyed having this book read to them. Lexile 730 - Reading Counts:7 points
Read
May 19, 2025read for work - it wasn’t baddd just different from the rest of the series. The message might be going over children’s heads as nothing is ever confirmed, named or explained to any of the characters or readers (grandma’s memory condition, or Maxwell (and Jessie’s) autism) so my student was just confused and I had to explain. Explaining these things is fine, I just think it would’ve worked better if the author somewhat did so incase a child was reading this by themselves. The story isn’t very engaging for the children either I’m not sure if my student will want to continue the series, if anything it would just be for the character Jessie because she is very likeable and relatable to young girls (although in this book not as much).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2025
A seriously disturbing book that has a grandmother in the throes of Alzheimer's and two antisocial boys who are shown to be mutilating a live frog (trying to pull its legs off), I had to skip reading that to my kiddo because I didn't think it was age-appropriate content. I don't think I'd ever come across the inclusion of sociopathic - and I am not exaggerating when I use the term here - behavior in a kids' book. Yes, it is a reality of our world that people out there exist who are cruel to animals intentionally, but it's not what I want to read with my kiddo. The grandmother being combative and of diminished mental capacity might be slightly more acceptable because Alzheimer's touches many people's lives, but again, really tough topics for children to be reading about at this stage of their development. Not a recommended book of mine in any way, shape or form.
May 27, 2012
A decent sequel to the first two books in the Lemonade War series. These books are highly readable, short and compact. Lacked that extra thematic element of the first two: economics and marketing in the Lemonade War and the justice system in the Lemonade Crime. Those interactive recurring elements made fairly typical stories stand out. This book that lacked that special element and was just a fairly typical story about a missing object. Evan and Jessie, in this story, arrive at their grandmother's farm after she accidentally caused a fire and had to stay a week in the hospital. Upon her release, they find Grandma isn't quite the same as they remember her. She has either dementia or alzheimer's, and that topic is treated pretty sensitively. Evan and Jessie also meet Grandma's neighbor - a 12-year-old boy named Maxwell, who has a form of autism or asperger's syndrome. That topic is treated fairly well until the end, when Jessie likens a particularly confusing conversation with him to being in a mental hospital. That's not an appropriate remark and doesn't ring true for an 8-year-old, who wouldn't understand what that means anyway. I think the author was trying to illustrate how a child would view talking to someone with autism, but it just didn't make sense.
Not a standout in the series, but fans of the first two will read this and probably enjoy it despite its lack of cohesion. This is a five-part series, so I'm interested to see where the final two will go. It would have been nice to see lemonade incorporated into the Bell Bandit in some capacity, but you can't blame an author for wanting to try something new. However, for a fourth-grader, sometimes that continuity is needed.
Not a standout in the series, but fans of the first two will read this and probably enjoy it despite its lack of cohesion. This is a five-part series, so I'm interested to see where the final two will go. It would have been nice to see lemonade incorporated into the Bell Bandit in some capacity, but you can't blame an author for wanting to try something new. However, for a fourth-grader, sometimes that continuity is needed.
December 13, 2012
This is the third book in The Lemonade War series but it's actually a stand-alone. I wasn't as prepared for the depth of the themes in this book - Grandma Treski has Alzheimer's (although there is no label given to her behavior), Maxwell is most likely autistic (although he is just labeled as different) and there is a scene of animal torture that the neighbor boys commit that made me hold my breath to see how it turned out. All in all, a very good read but in a very different tone from the previous books. We had a lot of discussion while reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2014
I didn't like this book as much as the first two because it deals with heavier subjects. Still, it is very well written. I believe that Evan grows up a lot in this book, having to learn a new way to communicate with his grandma who doesn't remember him all of the time. Jessie meets a new friend who has an even harder time with feelings than she does. A lot of changes are happening to both Jessie and Evan in this book, and some of the subjects this book brings up may be hard for some children to understand. Still. They are relevant issues in today's world.
March 28, 2015
My kids and I have loved reading The Lemonade War books out loud to each other, but I didn't like this one nearly as well as the others in the series. Usually each book introduces industry-related concepts with each chapter, but this book doesn't have that. And I found the characters' interactions with their Grandma, who's starting to suffer from dementia, to be disturbing / upsetting at times. I respect what the author was trying to do, but it made it less fun. I strongly recommend the series, but recommend skipping this one.
July 13, 2014
Another delightful story in The Lemonade War series. In this one, Jessie and Evan try to understand what is happening to their Grandma, who has become confused and forget. They also try to solve the mystery of the town's missing historical bell.
I continue to enjoy this series that I am reading at the recommendation of my 10-yr-old niece. The author writes meaningful stories with good messages for middle school aged kids. Plus, they are lots of fun!
I continue to enjoy this series that I am reading at the recommendation of my 10-yr-old niece. The author writes meaningful stories with good messages for middle school aged kids. Plus, they are lots of fun!
May 30, 2022
Hook
“Grandma?” Jessie asked in a near whisper. “Did you take the bell down-sometime this year?” Grandma laughed. “What a thing! No, I couldn’t take that bell down anymore. That old bell is still up there on Lovell’s Hill. Always will be.” She had stopped working on the puzzle and was using her good hand to rub her shoulder as if it ached. “Maybe you wanted to sell it?” asked Jessie, thinking of the appraisal letter. “No, Jessie. I would never sell the New Year’s Eve bell.” “Maybe you… forgot.” “I didn’t forget, Jessie,” said Grandma, shaking her head. “But you could have-” “No!” Her grandmother dropped her hand to the table so that it made a sharp rapping sound “Now stop, Jessie! The bell is on the hill. It’s always been there , and it always will be there. So, enough.”
Essential book information
Title: The Bell Bandit, Author: Jacqueline Davies, this book is part of a series, it is called The Lemonade War Series and The Bell Bandit is book 3, however there are no references to previous books in the series and all the characters are introduced anyways. The main characters are: a girl named Jessie, her older brother named Evan, their mother named Susan (Mrs Treski), their grandma, a boy named Maxwell who is one of grandma’s neighbors and gets along with Jessie and Evan, and you could argue Pete who is a repairman to be one of the main characters in the story. The reading level is average, anyone that understands a decent amount of English would be able to read this book and understand it, and the genre of the book is Mystery and Fiction and is written in 1st person and 3rd person omniscient POV’s
Basic plot summary
The book is about a family that went to their grandma’s house as they usually would a few days up to a week and a few days before New Year’s Eve and when they arrived at grandma’s house, there was an accident that happened which caused her to go to the hospital and her home to not be in the best state, so when the Treski family arrived, they are helping with the repairs of the house, specifically Pete and his little helper Evan, whilst living at grandma’s house, they were allowed to go around the neighborhood/town and they noticed that the special New Year’s Eve was gone, but it would be a tragedy for grandma to find out because the bell means so much to her, so Jessie and Maxwell based off a show that they both enjoy decide to start an investigation on who stole the bell and/or where it went, hints the name of the book The Bell Bandit.
My Praise and Critique
I found the book pleasing and very interesting, I felt like even in the sections where it was more of a casual everyday life moment, Jacqueline Davies (the author) found a way to make it engaging and still makes you want to read those sections and not skip through it, throughout the novel I noticed that she uses good imagery strategies by using specific descriptive words, and even if you might not notice it at first, it could make a big difference in your visualization unless you don’t understand the word because some of them are quite abstract. Another thing I enjoy in the book is that it is still mainly dominated by words, but it has an illustration of something in the story if it can’t be properly visualized just using her words or just so you can imagine things a bit better, some examples of this is in this book is when they were showing the whole in the wall at grandma’s house which not only showed precisely where the whole was, but it also showed the layout of the first floor of grandma’s house. The book also doesn’t have too many characters nor too many settings so it makes the story easier to follow for the reader. However, there are parts in the story where it is a bit neutral or dull, and although Jacqueline Davies finds ways to make those parts sort of interesting, I do think there are some that are a bit unnecessary, and although the small amount of characters makes it easier to follow, it might make it boring for some people including myself as I like to have quite a few more characters personally in the novels that I read.
My Recommendation
I think that people who would enjoy this book are people that enjoy mysteries and problem solving kind of books, I would recommend this book to people who like simple, and short stories and are at an average or understand an average level of reading, and the age group that I think would enjoy this book the most would be 7 to 12 or 13 year olds
Star rating: 4 stars
“Grandma?” Jessie asked in a near whisper. “Did you take the bell down-sometime this year?” Grandma laughed. “What a thing! No, I couldn’t take that bell down anymore. That old bell is still up there on Lovell’s Hill. Always will be.” She had stopped working on the puzzle and was using her good hand to rub her shoulder as if it ached. “Maybe you wanted to sell it?” asked Jessie, thinking of the appraisal letter. “No, Jessie. I would never sell the New Year’s Eve bell.” “Maybe you… forgot.” “I didn’t forget, Jessie,” said Grandma, shaking her head. “But you could have-” “No!” Her grandmother dropped her hand to the table so that it made a sharp rapping sound “Now stop, Jessie! The bell is on the hill. It’s always been there , and it always will be there. So, enough.”
Essential book information
Title: The Bell Bandit, Author: Jacqueline Davies, this book is part of a series, it is called The Lemonade War Series and The Bell Bandit is book 3, however there are no references to previous books in the series and all the characters are introduced anyways. The main characters are: a girl named Jessie, her older brother named Evan, their mother named Susan (Mrs Treski), their grandma, a boy named Maxwell who is one of grandma’s neighbors and gets along with Jessie and Evan, and you could argue Pete who is a repairman to be one of the main characters in the story. The reading level is average, anyone that understands a decent amount of English would be able to read this book and understand it, and the genre of the book is Mystery and Fiction and is written in 1st person and 3rd person omniscient POV’s
Basic plot summary
The book is about a family that went to their grandma’s house as they usually would a few days up to a week and a few days before New Year’s Eve and when they arrived at grandma’s house, there was an accident that happened which caused her to go to the hospital and her home to not be in the best state, so when the Treski family arrived, they are helping with the repairs of the house, specifically Pete and his little helper Evan, whilst living at grandma’s house, they were allowed to go around the neighborhood/town and they noticed that the special New Year’s Eve was gone, but it would be a tragedy for grandma to find out because the bell means so much to her, so Jessie and Maxwell based off a show that they both enjoy decide to start an investigation on who stole the bell and/or where it went, hints the name of the book The Bell Bandit.
My Praise and Critique
I found the book pleasing and very interesting, I felt like even in the sections where it was more of a casual everyday life moment, Jacqueline Davies (the author) found a way to make it engaging and still makes you want to read those sections and not skip through it, throughout the novel I noticed that she uses good imagery strategies by using specific descriptive words, and even if you might not notice it at first, it could make a big difference in your visualization unless you don’t understand the word because some of them are quite abstract. Another thing I enjoy in the book is that it is still mainly dominated by words, but it has an illustration of something in the story if it can’t be properly visualized just using her words or just so you can imagine things a bit better, some examples of this is in this book is when they were showing the whole in the wall at grandma’s house which not only showed precisely where the whole was, but it also showed the layout of the first floor of grandma’s house. The book also doesn’t have too many characters nor too many settings so it makes the story easier to follow for the reader. However, there are parts in the story where it is a bit neutral or dull, and although Jacqueline Davies finds ways to make those parts sort of interesting, I do think there are some that are a bit unnecessary, and although the small amount of characters makes it easier to follow, it might make it boring for some people including myself as I like to have quite a few more characters personally in the novels that I read.
My Recommendation
I think that people who would enjoy this book are people that enjoy mysteries and problem solving kind of books, I would recommend this book to people who like simple, and short stories and are at an average or understand an average level of reading, and the age group that I think would enjoy this book the most would be 7 to 12 or 13 year olds
Star rating: 4 stars
March 16, 2018
I thought that this book was really just OK but giving it two stars just doesn't give it justice.
Cover
I love the lemon theme that was integrated into the cover. Having the Lemon as the bead line is brilliant. The real question I have is, is it really necessary? (I'll get to that right away.)
Interior
Granted I read the last two books way too long ago to have a true comparison within characters "the flow." (The way a book transcends into the next one.)
I found the beginning of this book really rough. I spent half the book trying to figure the two characters traits apart. I kept going back mainly to the highlights I remember from first book which one was the smarter one. Even though he helped with the house and she picked out puzzles and books their personality traits didn't stand out nearly as strong as the last two had.
What I want to know is why on earth didn't Mrs. Treski at any point in the (Four?) days keep from saying that Grandma has Dementia? That first night when Grandma looks at you and says I don't know you why on earth wouldn't you explain that her memory isn't working right right then and there. (It would have been a lot easier than saying don't ask her anything that might upset her.
I get why they didn't say Maxwell has Autism. Apart from one moment with Grandma no one really cared about him. I don't think his mother should have danced around the subject like that at the end.
There was also a becoming the man of the house story in here. Even's father has been missing and he wants to be the man of the household cliche. I don't think this really needed to be in here.
(Personally I would have gone the helper route. (E.g. If the scenario was farming and he took off. The kid in grade 4 doesn't become the Farmer. He becomes a farmhand.) It also didn't add much to the story other than giving him the goal help fix the house.
I did like the analogy about the grandma's mind and the house. Where the last two books taught business and legal terms this book is really out of left field teaching a reality moment. I do appreciate where the author was going and it was done well, but I think it should have gone with the same style as the last two. This brings me to my last opinion.
THE REAL QUESTION
Which brings me to Series biggest question.Should this book be part of The Lemonade War series. Apart from a couple Easter Eggs you could had anyone replace the characters and it would have been a fine stand alone book.
Cover
I love the lemon theme that was integrated into the cover. Having the Lemon as the bead line is brilliant. The real question I have is, is it really necessary? (I'll get to that right away.)
Interior
Granted I read the last two books way too long ago to have a true comparison within characters "the flow." (The way a book transcends into the next one.)
I found the beginning of this book really rough. I spent half the book trying to figure the two characters traits apart. I kept going back mainly to the highlights I remember from first book which one was the smarter one. Even though he helped with the house and she picked out puzzles and books their personality traits didn't stand out nearly as strong as the last two had.
What I want to know is why on earth didn't Mrs. Treski at any point in the (Four?) days keep from saying that Grandma has Dementia? That first night when Grandma looks at you and says I don't know you why on earth wouldn't you explain that her memory isn't working right right then and there. (It would have been a lot easier than saying don't ask her anything that might upset her.
I get why they didn't say Maxwell has Autism. Apart from one moment with Grandma no one really cared about him. I don't think his mother should have danced around the subject like that at the end.
There was also a becoming the man of the house story in here. Even's father has been missing and he wants to be the man of the household cliche. I don't think this really needed to be in here.
(Personally I would have gone the helper route. (E.g. If the scenario was farming and he took off. The kid in grade 4 doesn't become the Farmer. He becomes a farmhand.) It also didn't add much to the story other than giving him the goal help fix the house.
I did like the analogy about the grandma's mind and the house. Where the last two books taught business and legal terms this book is really out of left field teaching a reality moment. I do appreciate where the author was going and it was done well, but I think it should have gone with the same style as the last two. This brings me to my last opinion.
THE REAL QUESTION
Which brings me to Series biggest question.Should this book be part of The Lemonade War series. Apart from a couple Easter Eggs you could had anyone replace the characters and it would have been a fine stand alone book.
January 5, 2018
Evan and Jessie have to go to their grandma's house because she needs some help because her kitchen burnt down. And there is a strange kid named Maxwell that lives just down the street from their grandmother and him and Jessie become pretty close. They decide to walk up to the bell up on the hill that they ring every New Years, but the bell ended up not being there. And they went over to Maxwell's house and the bell was in his closet. He hadn't told Jessie it was there but he said he took it because he heard two boys saying they would takes it and after Jessie was frustrated with him, so they put it back on and they were able to have the same new years after all.
The theme for this book it people should not lie, and people should not steal. People should not lie because like in the book, Jessie got frustrated with Maxwell because they were searching everywhere for that bell. And it ended up being in his closet. People should not steal because all of Jessie and Evan's family were concerned about it. So Maxwell caused a lot of trouble lying and stealing.
This book was pretty good because I was very concerned about their grandma and the bell. It kept me entertained and was a bit suspenseful. And there were some parts that I didn't see coming at all. The author did a great jot at keeping me distracted from one thing. But then going back to another entertaining or suspenseful part.
The theme for this book it people should not lie, and people should not steal. People should not lie because like in the book, Jessie got frustrated with Maxwell because they were searching everywhere for that bell. And it ended up being in his closet. People should not steal because all of Jessie and Evan's family were concerned about it. So Maxwell caused a lot of trouble lying and stealing.
This book was pretty good because I was very concerned about their grandma and the bell. It kept me entertained and was a bit suspenseful. And there were some parts that I didn't see coming at all. The author did a great jot at keeping me distracted from one thing. But then going back to another entertaining or suspenseful part.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2021
In the third installment in The Lemonade War Series, The Bell Bandit includes another adventure with siblings Evan and Jessie. This story takes place at their grandmother’s house, who has been having a difficult time due to a fire that broke out in her home. Once they arrive, they realize that their grandmother is not well. On top of that, a large bell that was special to their grandmother has gone missing which is critical to their New Year’s Eve celebration. Using their detective skills and getting into lots of trouble, the kids end up rescuing the bell to keep their grandmother’s tradition alive.
This novel is written similarly to the past two in this series with the perspectives of each chapter alternating between Evan and Jessie. Additionally, it explores topics that might be new to young readers. For example, the kid’s grandmother has signs of dementia that scare the children, especially when she does not recognize them and when she thinks that the current year is decades earlier. Also, a friend that Jessie meets that is a neighbor of his grandmother’s has challenges socially which may be signs of Asperger’s Syndrome. Finally, through her detective work, Jessie meets two elementary-aged boys who take pleasure in abusing live frogs. These deep topics could leave young readers with questions but were also handled with care in this novel.
This novel is written similarly to the past two in this series with the perspectives of each chapter alternating between Evan and Jessie. Additionally, it explores topics that might be new to young readers. For example, the kid’s grandmother has signs of dementia that scare the children, especially when she does not recognize them and when she thinks that the current year is decades earlier. Also, a friend that Jessie meets that is a neighbor of his grandmother’s has challenges socially which may be signs of Asperger’s Syndrome. Finally, through her detective work, Jessie meets two elementary-aged boys who take pleasure in abusing live frogs. These deep topics could leave young readers with questions but were also handled with care in this novel.
March 4, 2019
I enjoyed this book, but it wasn’t as fun as the previous 2 books in this series. This book dealt with dementia/Alzheimer’s. I think what bothered me the most about this book was that the mom did explain to the kids what was going on. Instead the grandma’s crazy behavior and forgetting them was pretty scary for the kids. It also never explained what would happen to grandma. She is clearly not capable of living by herself any longer.
I think it’s important to talk about these topics in a book, I just feel the author missed a huge teaching moment for it’s readers. It was ultimately a sweet book, but the reader (which the book is targeted to kids) doesn’t get that understanding about what was really happening. It bothered me that the kids were so scared and upset. While when dealing with someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s is upsetting even when you know what is going on, when you don’t know what’s going on it could be very scary. The poor kid kept thinking it was his fault his grandma kept forgetting him. I just think it was the mom’s duty to explain that grandma loves you, she just forgets. Overall, it was a good story, just very sad.
I think it’s important to talk about these topics in a book, I just feel the author missed a huge teaching moment for it’s readers. It was ultimately a sweet book, but the reader (which the book is targeted to kids) doesn’t get that understanding about what was really happening. It bothered me that the kids were so scared and upset. While when dealing with someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s is upsetting even when you know what is going on, when you don’t know what’s going on it could be very scary. The poor kid kept thinking it was his fault his grandma kept forgetting him. I just think it was the mom’s duty to explain that grandma loves you, she just forgets. Overall, it was a good story, just very sad.
March 7, 2018
The book The Bell Bandit written by Jacqueline Davies, is an action-packed tale filled with adventures at every corner. After many adventures in the series, Evan and Jessie are taking a trip to grandma's but this time everything is different. The famous bell on grandmas hill is gone and grandmas house has just been burned down!! After facing the struggles, Evan and Jessie solve the mystery and fix grandma's house. The authors writing is amusing with a funny twist at every bend. The writing is very heart touching and emotional but at the same time inspirational. There are many strengths in the book such as the heartfelt words and funny storytelling. There are no weakness in this book and I have love it. After reading all the books in the series I think that this was one of the best ones.
I rate this book along with all the others in the series a good 5 out of 5!! I reccomend this book for grades 2-6.
I rate this book along with all the others in the series a good 5 out of 5!! I reccomend this book for grades 2-6.
May 14, 2019
I'm back and forth about this book. It was more like a 2.5 stars for me. I mean, I liked it, and it was OK, but I had a hard time getting into it. It didn't carry a theme with each chapter like the Lemonade Wars did with business and marketing or like the Lemonade Crime did with justice. It didn't seem to pick up pace until the very end.
That said, I appreciate that the author included a neighbor boy that has an autism spectrum disorder, although she never says that, that the main character becomes friends with, as well as a grandmother who has Alzheimer or dementia. Those two characters could be great talking points with children.
There were parts that seemed highly unrealistic to me for the age group, or even at the beginning when they go to stay in the house that just had a fire in it (I would have gotten a hotel room).
That said, I appreciate that the author included a neighbor boy that has an autism spectrum disorder, although she never says that, that the main character becomes friends with, as well as a grandmother who has Alzheimer or dementia. Those two characters could be great talking points with children.
There were parts that seemed highly unrealistic to me for the age group, or even at the beginning when they go to stay in the house that just had a fire in it (I would have gotten a hotel room).
February 7, 2018
So far, I still like book one in this series the most. Whereas Book 1 had moments of humor, I thought that the subject manner in this book was a little heavy for a children's book. One of my third graders who is reading the series at the same time as me thought the part about the grandma was pretty sad. The grandma probably has Alzheimer's and goes in and out of remembering things about where she is and who her grandkids are. Additionally, one of the kids in the book probably has autism or is on the spectrum. As an adult knowing about this disorder I can understand the kid's actions. I'm not sure a kid reading this book would understand these actions without adult explanation. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
June 13, 2025
the final installment...this time the struggle is a lot harder. I found it difficult to believe that the mom, who seems involved in the kids lives and to be a good mom, never gives atleast a 5 minute explanation to the kids about what's going on with grandma. this leads to Jessi being traumatized when she could have understood what was going on. she's smart and would've understood, on a basic level, what was going on if she had just been told...even if she was emotionally immature. so much pain could have been avoided if someone just talked to these kids. for that, I give it a 3... BUT if you have a kid that is dealing with a grandparent with alzheimers or other memory issues, this could be helpful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2026
*4.5
I remembered ts book being my least fave in the series. 😬
But re-listening I realized that this one is actually much better then the others- for an older/more mature audience. 🥰
I did enjoy the more diverse/special-needs cast with a boy on the spectrum and an elderly woman with either dementia or Alzheimer's. 😊
But; the grandma who had the forgetfulness could possibly scare some of the fans from the previous books. 🫶
She did talk to Evan and Jessie a little harshly and did have a scary scene where she ran away.
Overall; I rate ts book 4.5 stars and mature 10 year olds and up could read ts in my eyes.
(as always, it is up to the parents tho.)
My next listen?
The Candy Smash; by Jacqueline Davies.
🔔🎊🔕🕵♀️
↕️
🍬💝💘💋
I remembered ts book being my least fave in the series. 😬
But re-listening I realized that this one is actually much better then the others- for an older/more mature audience. 🥰
I did enjoy the more diverse/special-needs cast with a boy on the spectrum and an elderly woman with either dementia or Alzheimer's. 😊
But; the grandma who had the forgetfulness could possibly scare some of the fans from the previous books. 🫶
She did talk to Evan and Jessie a little harshly and did have a scary scene where she ran away.
Overall; I rate ts book 4.5 stars and mature 10 year olds and up could read ts in my eyes.
(as always, it is up to the parents tho.)
My next listen?
The Candy Smash; by Jacqueline Davies.
🔔🎊🔕🕵♀️
↕️
🍬💝💘💋
October 30, 2017
I wasn't as into this book as the first two. This one changes settings (to Gramma's house) and rather than the main conflict being between kids, now it's a family matter (Gramma) as well as a little mystery about a missing bell. I would have liked to see some consequences for certain side characters in this book, or maybe more interaction from adults - perhaps explanations or something rather than leaving Evan and Jessie guessing and confused. I will continue to read the series as there are only 2 books left, and it is a rather quick read if I can ever sit down and do it, though if the series was significantly longer, I might have considered stopping after this one.
November 10, 2018
I agree with other reviewers that there's something different in this book that makes it not quite as enjoyable as the first two in the series. Part of it is the subject matter, the difficulties of dealing with dementia in a grandparent, for example. There was an element of humor and hijinx that is understandably absent. Even so, the book is solid and develops our familiar characters with complex emotions. The series remains a great one for adapting to book units with lots of cross-curriciular application. In this book we have New Year's traditions, parts of a bell, bullying, autism, and dementia. There's a lot there to develop.
December 8, 2023
My son and I are enjoying this series (this is number three). We enjoy the “everyday” feel of the storylines, and the unique perspectives of Jessie as she approaches the problem of solving the mystery of her Grandma’s missing bell. My son really engages with the problem solving and enjoys the pictures and diagrams that accompany the story. As a parent, I appreciate the sensitive way Davies handles topics such as autism and dementia, providing a safe and approachable introduction to these ideas for her younger readers.
February 1, 2024
I read this book in about a week. The Bell Bandit is a mystery story about Evan and Jessie Treski going to their grandmother's house in Vermont around Christmas time. The mystery part of the book is about who stole the bell hence the bell Bandit. I liked this book because it told a good story and didn’t skip important parts. I would recommend this book to all teens and even older people would enjoy this story. The Bell Bandit is a part of The Lemonade War Series and after reading this book I would recommend the rest of the series.
October 7, 2017
I didn’t read the others in this series, so I experienced this as a stand alone book and found that it holds its own beautifully. I loved the caring brother figure, the deep love of the family taking turns sharing the loads of life, and the complexities of mental health and diversity that were brought up in this book. I especially love that concepts like this were brought up in a book for elementary aged students. Also, I always appreciate a non-gory mystery! A good read!
July 24, 2018
This third book in the Lemonade Wars series was a little more serious than the first two, but I continue to be impressed with the series. It carefully handled the issues of having a grandparent with dementia and a friend who is socially different. The only thing that might be too intense for younger readers was a scene with two boys planning to torture an animal.
Spoiler:
They're stopped before they can actually do it, but it's a pretty vivid scene.
Spoiler:
They're stopped before they can actually do it, but it's a pretty vivid scene.
August 20, 2019
Like the second in the series, I liked it but not as much as the first one. This introduced some new characters because the family is at Grandma's house over the holidays. But Jessie and Evan are both a little irritating, though not as much as the mother. I don't think her actions fit with the developed character when dealing with her mother and kids.
Anyway, I still like the series and want to continue reading it. Just wasn't a fan of this one as much as I would have liked.
Anyway, I still like the series and want to continue reading it. Just wasn't a fan of this one as much as I would have liked.
September 30, 2019
Enjoying this series as a family read aloud with my two boys. My 9 year old said this is his favorite book so far in the series. They really liked the mystery in the story.
The fact that the main characters in the series have to address that their grandmother has dementia and is starting to show signs was very relevant to my boys' lives and was a good discussion starter for what to expect as their own grandmother's Alzheimer's continues to progress.
The fact that the main characters in the series have to address that their grandmother has dementia and is starting to show signs was very relevant to my boys' lives and was a good discussion starter for what to expect as their own grandmother's Alzheimer's continues to progress.
October 29, 2019
I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, and this one didn’t disappoint! I’m so glad. This author seems to have her finger on the pulse of the middle schooler perfectly.
In this story, we have 2 overarching themes that play a role: how we deal with/treat kids who are “different,” and how we handle the tough topic of grandparents whose mental status changes and how to handle that. Ms. Davies handles both topics beautifully. Bravo. Highly recommended!
In this story, we have 2 overarching themes that play a role: how we deal with/treat kids who are “different,” and how we handle the tough topic of grandparents whose mental status changes and how to handle that. Ms. Davies handles both topics beautifully. Bravo. Highly recommended!
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