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The Lemonade War #1

The Lemonade War

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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)

Check out www.lemonadewar.com for more information on The Lemonade War Series, including sequels The Lemonade Crime, The Bell Bandit, and The Candy Smash.

177 pages, Hardcover

First published April 23, 2007

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About the author

Jacqueline Davies

44 books269 followers
Jacqueline 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 2,209 reviews
Profile Image for Fatma Al Zahraa Yehia.
603 reviews977 followers
August 20, 2025
لن يُحبك أحد مثل اخوتك، ولن يبغضك أحد أيضا قدر ما أبغضوك.

لا يوجد أخوة لا يجمعهم تاريخ مشترك من الخلافات والعداوة والمرارات القديمة. وهذا ليس له أية علاقة بمقدار الحب الذي يجمع بينهم. فأكثر إنسان تكرهه، هو من يجمعك به سقف مشترك.

كل أخ أصغر شعر بالمرارة والخذلان عندما عرف أن أخاه الأكبر "فضّل" عليه غريباً دخيلاً عليهم. كل أخ أكبر شعر في لحظة ما بإحساس الخجل من أخ/أخت صغيرة تسىء التصرف أمام اصدقاءه وتجعله عُرضة لسخريتهم القاسية.

تلك القصة الجميلة هى أول قصة للأطفال ما قبل سن المراهقة وجدتها تتناول تلك العلاقة المعقدة. كانت معالجة خفيفة ومضحكة تتلاءم مع السن الموجه له تلك القصة.

أعجبت كثيرا بتبسيط المؤلفة لعلم إدارة الأعمال من خلال مشروعي بطلا القصة الصغيران. وأقول أنني فهمت منها مالم أستطع فهمه من قبل في كتب الاقتصاد التي سبق وحاولت قراءتها.

أرشح تلك القصة الجميلة بشدة لأي أم تعتقد أن أطفالها هم الأطفال الوحيدين الذين لا تنتهي شجاراتهم. أرشحها بشدة لكل أخ صغير يشعر بالتجاهل من إخوته الأكبر. وكل أخ أكبر قد يشعر في وقت من الأوقات أن أخوته الصغار هم عبء عليه.
Profile Image for Heba.
1,241 reviews3,085 followers
January 20, 2021
رواية مسلية ، شيقة ، وممتعة جداً..
بالرغم من المنافسة الشرسة بين "ايفان" و أخته " جيسي" إلا انهما كانا متحابين ، في النهاية لم تؤثر حرب شراب الليمون على علاقتهما أبداً..
لقد فكرت جدياً مشاركة الطفلين بيع شراب الليمون 😍...
Profile Image for Erica.
1,472 reviews498 followers
February 5, 2020
This was on my Overdrive wishlist and I have no idea why.
I listened to it this week because I'm waiting for a long audiobook to come in so I can't start a full-on story right now. I prefer listening to stories over music when I'm doing my job (less of a chance I'll burst into song in the middle of a quiet room. Also, cuts down on chair dancing which, from what I hear, isn't a safe workplace activity) so I've decided the solution to my waiting period is to listen to middle grade books. They rarely take longer than 2 days to complete and I get to partake in reading at a level I don't usually read. It's win/win and I'll still be able to start my long audiobook pretty much as soon as it comes in.

This book is 10 years old this year. Except for Evan's iPod desire, it holds up really well.
I'm not sure why it took me a decade to get to this, it's a phenomenal story. It covers all kinds of territory, from sibling rivalry to struggles in relating with other humans to math to business enterprises to community to friendship to family and it all goes together seamlessly, not making a big to-do out of any one issue. Added bonus: not everyone is given physical characteristics and even with assumptions regarding surnames, most of the characters in this book could be represented by anyone. There aren't even any people parts on the cover so a reader isn't biased as to who these people may be.

Quick summary: Evan is bitter that his 2nd-grade sister, Jessie, will be skipping 3rd grade to join him in 4th grade after summer break. Evan's an incredible big brother and has tailored a lot of his time and communication to his younger sister who has difficulties understanding people, emotions, and the nuances of human interaction. She relies on him to help her navigate the world around her but the thing is, Evan needs his own space, too, and now the one space he has is going to include his charming, brilliant, but needy sister. A fight ensues and it leads to a war of lemonade stands in which the sibling who has earned the most money by the end of summer (5 days away) wins and gets the other sibling's earnings, as well.

You know this isn't going to end with one kid winning and the other losing. You also know they're going to have to work out their issues. That's just how these stories go. But the in-between, the path through lemonade stands to reconciliation, it's beautiful.

The sibling anger herein is tangible and realistic. We've got Evan. He's caring and loving but has also had it with being the stellar big brother and when he finds out that his smarter-than-him sister will be joining him in class in the coming school year, his good sense and patience fly out the window and he freaks out, taking everything out on his sister. Then we've got Jessie who is logical, a math genius and who also excels at being patient when explaining to others things that come so naturally to her. However, she can't understand in reverse; she takes words at face value, doesn't get when kids are being subtly mean to her, and can't seem to make any friends. She's so frustrated with her normally understandable and understanding brother's cold behavior.
I am the oldest sibling and I was the smartest, school-wise, so this particular dynamic didn't happen to me. However, I did feel the sting of carting around younger siblings when I wanted to play with my friends, of sharing resources, and of petty jealousies so I got what was going on between these two. I think this story could be a source of comfort to a lot of frustrated siblings, both older and younger.

I loved how each kid's talents were showcased. Evan's not as sympathetic because he knows better but, at the same time, he's reached his limit and that's a relatable situation. Jessie's trying as hard as she can and she's got great ideas and is a whiz at problem solving but she's super needy. The kids don't have to come to the realization that they work better together, though they do work well together. They already know this. Instead, they get to learn more about how they work independently of one another and that's a really important message for kids with close siblings; it's hard to figure out who you are without relation to who your sisters/brothers are.

I hope kids who read this feel more and more uncomfortable as Evan and Jessie become vicious toward one another. It's great to see how far kids can be pushed when they're set on winning and how vindictive they can become in the name of being right. I think adults often miss that in-between, wondering why kids sometimes go from being happy-go-lucky straight to crazy but this illustrates that path beautifully and I hope young readers can feel when the line from competition to plain-old wrong is crossed.
I had one minor gripe about something not tied up on the end but it looks like that's addressed in the next book so I'm looking even more forward to reading that one...just as soon as I'm done with all my assigned readings.

Gabe and I were talking about this one over dinner last night, about how charmed I am with this story. He said it sounded familiar and looked up some information about it. Apparently, this is used in the classroom a lot. I can see why. In addition to the math component - and can I just say I'm with Evan; I was horrible at math, it made no sense. Had I had a book like this, though, I would have been comforted and I think I'd have gained a little confidence in allowing myself to find other ways to puzzle out word problems - the compassion element, the running-a-business theme, and stressing the importance of friends are all useful teaching tools.

I highly recommend this book to any reader willing to pick up a middle grade novel.
Profile Image for Afaf Ammar.
986 reviews577 followers
August 10, 2020
إيڤان في العاشرة من عمره، وأخته الصغيرة چيسي في الثامنة، وكان الصيف حارًا لذا قررا بيع شراب الليمون، ولكن في حرب تنافسية بينهما؛ حرب شراب الليمون...
تُرى من سيكسب؟!
إيڤان البارع في فهم الناس والتحدث معهم،
أم أخته چيسي البارعة في حل مسائل الرياضيات المعقدة، وحل كل الألغاز باستثناء اللغز الخاص بمشاعر الناس المعقدة؛ فهي تفضل أن تحل مائة مسألة رياضيات، على أن تحاول اكتشاف المشاعر المختلطة لأي شخص...
كيف ستنتهي الحرب والمنافسة التي سينتهي معها فصل الصيف، لتبدأ العواصف الممطرة في الخريف؟

رواية ممتعة ولذيذة، كشراب الليمون الخاص بإيڤان وچيسي، لذيذ ومثلج ويروي العطش في الصيف الحار،
عن المنافسات الجادة بين الأطفال رغم سنوات عمرهم التي تعد على الأصابع، ومغامرات الطفولة، وشقاوة ومرح الأطفال،
وعن الأخوة، وحب الأخ لأخته، وحب الأخت لأخيها؛
الحب الذي تتقلب فصول السنة ولا يتقلب هو،
الحب الذي لا يعرف شرطًا ولا غضبًا ولا حقدًا، ولا كذبًا ولا زيفًا،
الحب الذي يعطي، ويتسامح، ويرسم ابتسامة تشبه ابتسامة الطفل عند مشاهدته بريق أضواء الألعاب النارية في السماء...
الحب الوحيد الذي يكبر معهما كلما كبرا وهما ممسكين بيد بعضهما البعض،
يكبر ليسع الكون بأكمله...


09.08.2020
Profile Image for Heba Hssn.
222 reviews125 followers
April 12, 2021
هذه الرواية ستبقي لها ذكريات أقوي منها
وستُحمل عليها لحظات فارقة في حياتي
لقد كنت شخصا في نصفها الأول
وأصبحت أخر في نصفها الآخر
لقد كانت مقترحة من غاليتي هبة نور❤
وكانت أول قراءة جماعية مع سيف وسيلفيا
وأصبحت الرواية التي تزامنت مع وفاة أبي
ومن المواضيع التي ناقشتها معه كانت هي
إكتشفت بها أني كنت أتشارك معه حياتي كلها
وحتي جميع الكتب الذي قرأتها كان عنده علم بها
فلقد كان رفيقي وصديقي وأبي
وصدقا كنت أتمني أن أكملها له كي لا تبقي عالقة هكذا
ولكن قدر لها أن تبقي عالقة مثلي
اللهم إن أبي قد أدي فينا أمانته وأحسن إلينا ،فطيب في الجنان مقامه واجمعنا به في الفردوس الأعلي يا رب العالمين
Profile Image for Shaimaa شيماء.
563 reviews364 followers
September 11, 2025
القصة بتناقش موضوع شائك جدا والحقيقة معرفش إيه حله.. مشكلة  الغيرة من الطفل المتميز عقليا وخصوصا من إخواته نفسهم.. هل مينفعش الطفل المتميز دراسيا يكون طفل طبيعي وعنده صحاب عادي ولا لازم يكون فيه دايما حاجز بينه وبين الناس، هل ده لأنه فاشل اجتماعيا ولا لأن محدش بيديله فرصة وبيكون فيه صورة نمطية كده إنه دحيح وجد زيادة عن اللزوم ودمه تقيل!!!

القصة عن جيسي واخوها ايفان.. الفرق بينهم في العمر ١٤ شهر، فرق سنة دراسية.. جيسي متميزة وشاطرة قدراتها العقلية عالية بالمقارنة بأخوها ايفان اللي هو طفل عادي او طفل مش شاطر اوي زي ما بنقول.. لكن هو طفل اجتماعي وبيعرف يتعامل مع الناس وبيفهمهم وليه اصحاب كثير وكمان دايما بيعلم أخته إزاى تفهم تصرفات الناس.

القصة بدأت لما المدرسة قررت إن جيسى اللي كانت في تانية ابتدائي تنط سنة دراسية وتدخل رابعة علطول مع مين، مع أخوها ايفان...

الموضوع ده أثر على ايفان بشكل مش كويس ومن خلال الأحداث هنعرف إن إيفان اللي كانت علاقته حلوة بأخته الصغيرة في البيت خاف إنها تبقى معاه في الفصل عشان هتشوفه وهو مش بيعرف يحل المسائل ومش بيعرف يقرأ كويس وطبعا محدش هيسيبه في حاله وهيقعدوا يقارنوه بأخته الصغيرة العبقرية...

بعكس جيسي اللي كانت فاكرة إنها هتبقى حاجة حلوة إنها تبقى مع اخوها وتصاحب صحابه عشان هي مفيش عندها أصدقاء ومش بتعرف تتعامل مع الناس زي ماهما عاوزين، مع إنها كانت برضه متوترة شوية عشان خافت متعرفش تتأقلم بسهولة مع تلاميذ الصف الرابع وإنهم هيبصلوها كطفلة صغيرة مهما كانت شاطرة، بالعكس ممكن شطارتها تخليهم يضايقوا منها..

المقارنة بين الإخوة شيء سخيف، والناس مصممة عليه خصوصا المدرسين اللي هو حياتك هتبقى مظلمة لو كان حظك إن حد من أخواتك كان أشطر منك او اهدى منك او اي صفة بيحبها الناس، كمان بيأثر على العلاقة بين الإخوة وخصوصا كمان لو حصل من الأب والأم.. وفي النهاية محدش بيبقى مرتاح حتى الطفل المتميز مش في مصلحته إن تتكون مشاعر عدائية ضده وهو ملوش ذنب، بس إحنا الكبار بنكون السبب سواء في مبالغتنا في مدح طفل أو مبالغتنا في المقارنة بينه وبين غيره... خصوصا إن كل طفل متفرد بصفاته ومينفعش الناس كلها تكون شبه بعض.

طبعا حرب الليمونادة قامت وكل واحد فيهم طلع فيها مشاعره المكبوتة، واتعلموا فيها بعض أساليب إدارة الأعمال اللي الكاتبة اهتمت بيها وحطت شوية تعريفات مختصرة وإزاي طبقوها في شغلهم، وكمان استخدموا بعض الأساليب الرديئة وندموا عليها..


الأطفال في القصة اختاروا إنهم يحلوا مشاكلهم بنفسهم ومرضيوش يدخلوا الأم بينهم لأنهم مكنوش عايزينها تزعل.

و في النهاية اتعاتبوا وطلعوا اللي جواهم واتعلموا في الآخر إن ملهمش غير بعض.


القصة من ترشيحات الصديقة العزيزة فاطمة الزهراء يحيى اللي مهتمة بأدب اليافعين، وكمان عجبت الصديقة العزيزة هبه، فأكيد لازم تكون قصة حلوة ومميزة.
Profile Image for Sandra.
920 reviews138 followers
August 24, 2015
Loved this book!

Evan and Jessie Treski will be in the same fourth grade classroom next year, since Jessie will skip one grade. Evan is not really happy with the idea of having his little sister in his same grade, specially because Jessie is the "smart-one" and he's scared to death of being embarrassed by her.
Jessie can't understand why Evan is so mad at her. She was feeling so happy she'll be in Evan's class next year since he is the "good-one-understanding-people" and could help her to fit in the new group.
This disagreement between sister and brother will end in The Lemonade War, where the first one earning one hundred dollars selling lemonade in the 5 days before coming back to school wins and keeps all the money. The looser wins nothing.
This is a book full of funny situations, feelings fathom and comical introduction of business concepts. It's fresh and enjoyable. The last chapter is as funny as emotional. Absolutely recommended for children in the 8-10 years old range.

Check out more children's book reviews in my Reviews in Chalk Blog!
Profile Image for فاطِمة طه.
471 reviews134 followers
May 17, 2022
"هذا هو ما كان يجعل جيسي تصاب بالجنون بشأن الفتيات، إنهن دائمًا يقلن نصف الأشياء، و من ثَم يتوقعن منك أن تعرف النصف الآخر".

كان هذه ألطف شئ قرأته منذ مدة طويلة جدًا!
كيف يمكن لطفلين في صفهما الرابع أن يحركا هذا الكم الهائل من المشاعر في داخلك.

شئ رائع أن ترى أجزاء، و مواقف من طفولتك في قصة أحدهم.

كم هو شعور مبهج!

جيسي و إيفان شقيقان رائعان متناغمان بطريقة رائعة حتى تأتي تلك الرسالة التي تعكر صفو تناغمهما.
تلك الحرب التي افتعلوها ستخطف أنفاسك لن تستطيع ترك الراوية من يدك!
لابد و أن يقرأ كل أطفال، و بالغي العالم هذه الرواية.

ستصطحبك في رحلة كيف تحب نفسك و كيف تفهم الآخرين.
ستجعلك تدرك أننا أحيانًا نستاء من الآخرين، و ربما نكرههم فقط لأننا مستاءون من أنفسنا!

رواية رائعة خمس نجوم و مشاعري الجياشة.
٢ يوليو ٢٠٢١
Profile Image for Nour Allam.
517 reviews227 followers
April 27, 2018
كتابي ال (52) لعام 2018.

على الرغم من أن هذه الرواية للناشئة إلّا أنني استمتعت جداً بمطالعتها، فهي لطيفة إلى حد كبير وتتضمن الكثير من القيم المفيدة والتي يجب أن نعلّمها للأطفال والمراهقين كالحب بين الأخوة والصدق والصراحة....
بالاضافة إلى أنها تعطي تعريفات بسيطة وسلسة لعدّة مصطلحات اقتصادية وأخرى تتعلّق بالتسويق وهذه المصطلحات نجدها مبهمة بالنسبة للناشئة على الرغم من أهميتها الشديدة.

التقييم:
🌟🌟🌟 3 نجوم ، أنصح بها بشدّة❤
112 reviews1 follower
June 25, 2009
Evan and his younger sister have a totally different reaction to the news that they will be in the same class next year. Evan is not feeling very good about having his younger sister skipping third grade and being in fourth grade with him next school year. Jesse is excited to be in her big brother's room. She feels he will be her gateway to having friends in her class this year and will ease her into being the new girl in the class. As the summer is closely coming to an end they begin a "friendly competion" with opening their own Lemonade stands to see who can raise $100.00 first. They both use different approaches to earning their money.

Good book to use as a Math lesson as they use Math facts to prove calculations on what they have to do to get to 100. This would be a good book for boys or girls. I would recomend it as a 4th or 5th grade read.
Profile Image for Brenda.
1,330 reviews21 followers
August 10, 2012
With the start of school just around the corner The Lemonade Wars by Jacqueline Davies is a perfect reading fit. What would you do if you discovered that your little sister was going to skip into your grade at school next year? Not only your grade, but also your exact classroom because there is only one 4th grade in the school? That is the news the letter from school had to share. Jessie is good at school. She is smart. She has great ideas. She loves to get things done and to solve problems. She does things, but she’s not that good at understanding people. She doesn’t have many friends. Other kids think she’s weird. Evan’s not so great at school. He is athletic and active. He has friends. Will that be the case now… now that everything has changed?

That’s the dilemma. Evan and Jessie get along just great at home. They like being together and since their dad has left the family they have made a pact never to fight and argue, especially in front of mom. But now Evan is angry. He doesn’t want to be shown up by his little sister. She’s good at reading. She’s GREAT at math, but she’s awkward. Now everyone he knows will know too and it’s just too much to bear.

There’s a heat wave and Evan sets up a lemonade stand (one of Jessie’s favorite things to do) with Scott?!? He purposefully excludes Jessie. She’s hurt. “Good,” thinks Evan. “But Scott,” wonders Jessie. He’s not nice and he’s not really Evan’s great friend. One thing leads to another and before you know it that last dog days of summer have turned into an all out war – winner takes all! When the final summer fireworks explode who will be the winner, Jessie or Evan?

Read The Lemonade War to find out. You’ll be glad you did!
The story continues in The Lemonade Crime and you can discover more about the family in The Bell Bandit. This is the third of the five books in the series full of great characters, relationships and genuine understanding of how things change no matter how much you wish they would stay the same.
Profile Image for Samantha Smith.
133 reviews8 followers
May 1, 2015
Why do so many people like this book? To me it read like some kind of child labor manual. All the math and business lessons. Also, where was the mother in all this? She seems to pay no attention to the children except when assigning them chores around the house. Not my favorite book. Definitely won't be recommending it. I'm actually kind of shocked by this book's positive reviews!
Profile Image for Allyson Jamison.
346 reviews7 followers
August 10, 2022
What a cute and fun little story! I loved the sibling relation between Evan and Jessie, even if they were at odds throughout the book. They each had their reasons for being upset which was worked out in the end. You could still see the love that was clearly there between the two of them and I really liked that, too often books these days portray siblings hating each other and rarely show true, genuine relationships.
The bet was super fun! And centered around lemonade stands? What a great read!
I would definitely recommend this book as cute, clean, and super fun to read! Very well written as well.
14 reviews1 follower
September 25, 2018
I really enjoyed this book because I also have a younger sibling just like Evan. I know exactly why Evan is thinking things that way and if I were him, I think I'd do the exact same thing. This book taught me how to see things in different point of view. Maybe next time when I'm having an argument with my sister or even someone else, I would try to look at things from their point of view. I strongly recommend this book to people who have siblings because they may find this to be cool and interesting.
Profile Image for Naksed.
2,220 reviews
May 3, 2022
I found the character of the little sister off-putting and borderline sociopathic, despite the author trying to hammer the point that she is simply misunderstood because she is far above other kids in terms of intelligence. Intelligence? Or cunning? I just couldn’t get over the fact that in a fit of rage, she POISONED the lemonade that her brother was planning on selling. I mean, some poor unsuspecting kid could have gotten really sick, and her own brother could have landed in big trouble. And she showed no genuine remorse when found out. Is this how serial killers start off? *shudder*
Profile Image for Martha Freeman.
Author 53 books66 followers
March 21, 2017
“The Lemonade War” is an excellent back-to-school title that deserves its place on the Amazon bestseller list.

Jessie and Evan are sister and brother, only 14 months apart in age and – because Jessie has skipped – both entering fourth grade. Jessie is good at math but not so good at people, and Evan is the opposite.

The two are close not only because of their complementary talents but also, the reader infers, because of the tough times they weathered as their parents’ marriage fell apart.

Now it’s the end of summer, and a heat wave afflicts their Massachusetts neighborhood. Jessie wants to set up a lemonade stand with Evan, but Evan has been acting weird ever since a letter arrived saying the two are going to be in the same class.

The book is told first from Evan’s then from Jessie’s point of view, and over time we recognize a time-honored theme, the difficulty of understanding even people we’re close to. Jessie thinks Evan doesn’t want her in his class, and she’s right. But it’s not because she’s embarrassing. It’s because he knows she’s smarter than he is.

The result of the bad feelings between them is – you guessed it – a lemonade war. Each sibling allies with a friend to see who can make more money selling lemonade before Labor Day.

This is a really clever set-up. The competition keeps the pages turning while the whole lemonade thing gives the author a chance to impart lessons on business, free enterprise and arithmetic. At one point, Jessie and her business partner Megan even take a stab at franchising.

Yeah, it’s didactic, which is also the rap from naysaying critics. In this it reminds me of “Frindle” and other popular titles from Andrew Clements. And like Clements, Davies compensates for the moralizing with good storytelling and thought-provoking ideas.

The premise -- siblings competing to sell lemonade – is funny, and The Lemonade War has a few laugh-out-loud moments. At the same time, the book has emotional depth. There is at least one really nasty character, a boy who may or may not be a thief. Jessie’s second-grade year was marred when she was victimized by some mean girls in her class. And underlying everything is sadness over the parents’ divorce and the responsibility Jessie and Evan feel for taking care of their mom.

I do have some quibbles. At times both children and especially their vocabulary seem much older than any eight- or nine-year-old I ever encountered. For example, Evan says his friend Scott is “bankrolling” their first lemonade stand, and Jessie instructs Megan to “hold down the fort” so she can scout the competition.
In this context, Evan’s cluelessness about basic arithmetic seems unlikely. Even with the coins in front of him, he can’t figure out how much money he’s made selling 14 cups of lemonade at 50 cents each.

All in all, though, “The Lemonade War” is a well-constructed, fast-paced book with a satisfying ending. And if you want to know what happens next, there are two sequels: “The Lemonade Crime,” in which we learn even more about Evan’s weasel-y friend Scott, and “The Bell Bandit.”
Profile Image for Dana.
433 reviews
April 17, 2017
I selected this as one of six books for student book clubs in my classroom and I'm glad I did! This was such a cute book and an easy read for my students in this group!

Evan and his younger sister, Jessie, enter into a lemonade war at the end of the summer. The two spend one final weekend setting up lemonade stands around their neighborhood in order to see who will raise the most money, winner takes all. What follows is a series of ups and downs as brother and sister try to one-up each other in an attempt to show each other who is the best. Great read! I'm excited to work with my students as they read this one!
92 reviews3 followers
January 14, 2015
Derek read this to me and I totally enjoyed it. Take away for us was to recognize that the way we see things might not be the same way someone else does and to appreciate your siblings.
Profile Image for Steven R. McEvoy.
3,783 reviews172 followers
December 23, 2016
This was the first book by Jacqueline Davies that I have read but it will not be the last! This book was recommended to me based on my love of books by Andrew Clements. This book was a fun read, and deals with a number of interesting topics. And I am sure children will love the sibling rivalries.

This book takes place over a summer vacation from school. The two main characters in this book are Evan Treski, Evan is frustrated because his younger sister, Jessie is smarter than him. She is so smart she is skipping a grade and in the fall they will be in the same class. Evan really does not like this and it is eating at him. He does not like it because he already struggles in school, and now his little sister is going to show him up every day in class. Ever is great at people smarts, but Jessie is the brain when it comes to book smarts. But Jessie struggles with interactions with people, especially her peers. But all of this comes to a head when they start the lemonade war. Each out to prove a point. But both unaware of everything the other is feeling.

The characters are very well written. It is really fun watching the siblings battle and keep escalating the conflict. And both are making bad choices, even after struggling with the decision. And then each of them learning to live with it. It was also interesting how much business vocabulary is woven into the story with both the words and their meaning. It is also very interesting to watch the different approaches to business and the conflict with each other.

This book teaches a lot, but without being preachy. It teaches about business, family relationships, teamwork, relationships and also forgiveness.

This book has won a number of awards the 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, Nutmeg Award 20111. And if the rest of the series is just as good we are in for some more excellent read.

This was a very enjoyable read, I look forward to reading it and the rest of the series with my children, as such I think it is a great book for young readers and those who read with or to them.

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and soon reviews of other books by Jacqueline Davies.
Profile Image for Kate.
533 reviews37 followers
June 11, 2015
Things have been strained between Evan and Jessie since they found out that Jessie will be skipping a grade. That means she'll be in the fourth grade next year, like Evan - and worst of all, they'll be in the same class. Evan's worried that Jessie's intelligence will make him look bad. Jessie's worried she won't make friends as easily as Evan does. Their worries and anger at each other spark an all-out lemonade stand war. Whoever earns the most money at their respective lemonade stand by the start of school takes all the money earned.

A perennial favorite among teachers since its publication, The Lemonade War left me cold. It reads like it was written with an eye toward Common Core standards so it could incorporate math and business into literature, more so than to be a good book. There's a review excerpted on the back of the paperback edition where the reviewer says that it is "subtly educational," and I beg to differ. The business and math in this book is anything but subtle, and trust me: children pick up on that, they aren't stupid. At the target age, I would have seen this for what it was: a vehicle for teaching math and business, not a book to be enjoyed for its own sake.
Profile Image for Patricia Mae.
158 reviews18 followers
May 2, 2025
This book was really amazing...this is all about two siblings fighting each other. And at the end of the story the two siblings, they are already getting along...

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.

This book was great! This story was your anger will slowly fade away, if you work things out. It was nicely written, I love the characters, and the end of the story.
Profile Image for Nancy Kotkin.
1,405 reviews30 followers
November 6, 2018
This first book in The Lemonade War series portrays the closeness, miscommunication, anger and resentment, and ultimate reconciliation of siblings. The third-person POV alternates between the brother and sister. The author's masterful ability to show, not tell, brings the story to life. Math problems and business principles are woven into the story.
Profile Image for Hadley Farrell.
28 reviews
June 7, 2025
I read this to my class for our economics unit. It was a really good introduction for the kids on what economics and how it works on their level. The kids loved it so much and wanted to read it all day. I also enjoyed it and the class and I can’t wait to read the next one.
37 reviews
October 16, 2025
Meh, capitalism for kids where the ones doing all the work get the shaft and while some little prick steals all the money. Seems spot on.
Profile Image for Doaa.
42 reviews
December 29, 2018
كتاب لطيف جداً
رواية تدرو أحداثها حول أخ أكبر وأخته الصغيرة أعمارهم بين ال8 وال 10سنوات
كان كل شئ بينهم يسير على ما يرام يلعبان سويا يتلسقان الاشجار كان يحكى لها الحواديت وهى تساعده فى انجاز المهام الصعبة كان كل شئ جيد فى عطلة الصيف
جيسى تحب إيفان وإيفان يحب أخته مأ أجملهما أخان أتخيلهم الأن وهم يلعبان فى المرأب بحب وسعادة أويتسلقان شجرة وإيفان يحكى لجيسى حكاية من خياله لكى ينسيها شجار أبيه وأمه
ليت كل شئ ينتهى هنا
ماذا ننتظر من الحياة سوا لحظة سعادة لحظة حب نتنمى أن يتوقف فيها الزمن ماذا ننتظر أكتر من ذلك لقد أخذنا من الحياة ما نريد
لكن سرعان ما يتغير كل شئ تتحول اللحظات ويتحول الأشخاص وتتقلب قلوبنا بين حب وبغض بين فرح وحزن بين سعادة والم،
قبل أنتهاء عطلة الصيف بأيام تتلقى السيدة تريسكى والدة جيسى وإيفان خطاب من مدرسة طلفيها مضمون الخطاب إن "جيسى التى تصغر أخاها بصف دراسى سوف تلتحق معه بنفس الصف وهو الصف الرابع هذا العام نظراً لقلة عدد طلاب الصف الرابع"، جيسى متفوقة دراسيا وعبقرية وتتفوق فى كل المسابقات ولديها عقل متميز فى الدراسة وخاصة فى حل المسائل الحسابية على عكس إيفان الذى لايحب الرياضيات ويقرأ الحروف بصعوبة.
ماذا تنتظر من أخين ولد وبنت فى نفس الصف الدراسى وبينهم فرق فى المستوى الصغيرة متميزة والكبير متوسط ؟
ماذا سيحدث ؟ ماذا تنتظر؟
حقاً الأمر معقد أخين ولد وبنت كبير وصغير متوسوط ومتميز فى نفس الصف، كل ما أستطيع تخيله أن هنا فى تلك المواقف سيبدأ الأختبار الحقيقى لعلاقة الأخان جيسى وإيفان هنا ستطفو على السطح كل المشاكل النفسية ، فى تلك المواقف الصعبة مواقف الاختلاف يبدأ الأختبار الحقيقى لأخلاق ومبادئ البشر
أولاً كيف يتقبل كل من جيسى وإيفان الخبر ؟
جيسى سعيدة لأنها ستلتحق بالصف الرابع صف إيفان نعم سعادتها تكمن فى وجودها مع إيفان لأنها تحب إيفان سيلعبان و يدرسان معاً تخيلت أنا إيفان سيعرفها على طلاب الصف الرابع وسيحمها من سخرية واستهزاء الطلاب بأنها أصغر منهم ولا تنتمى اليهم أما إيفان فكان له رأى أخر.
إيفان يعلم جيداً أن جيسى متفوقة عليه دراسياً لكن كل منهما فى صف مختلف وهذا ما يخفف من المقارانات بينهم لكن ماذا لو أصبحت جيسى الصغيرة معه فى نفس الصف فى نفس الفصل. هل سيهزأ به زملائه الأولاد لان أخته أشطر منه؟ هل سيسخرون منه البنات ويلقبونه بالفاشل؟ هل ستقارن أمه وجدته العلامات الدراسية بينه وبين جيسى ؟ كيف سيفرح بانتصاراته الصغيرة مثل أن يأخد العلامة كاملة فى مادة الإملاء فى الوقت الذى تحوذ جيسى بالمركز الأول فى مسابقة الشعر على مستوى الولاية ؟ من حينها سينظر الى انتصاره هذا أن تم اعتباره انتصار أساسا؟ من سيخبر؟ من سيشاركه فرحته فى حين أن الجميع يحتفل بجيسى؟
كيف سيواجه جيسى وإيفان الموقف جيسى صاحبة الموقف الأقوى وإيفان صاحب الموقف الأضعف؟
صاحب الموقف الأقوى فى بداية الأمر غالبا ما يرى كل شئ جميل وبيكون متفائل وبيكون عبيط أما صاحب الموقف الأضعف سيكون هو صاحب الأختبار الأقوى هو من سيعانى من المشاكل النفسية منذ اللحظة الأولى مشكلتنا الأساسية هنا هى الغيرة كلنا نغار لكن الأهم كيف سنتصرف عندما نغار؟ هل سنكره ونبتعد؟ هل سنكره ونؤذى؟ سأكون ايجابية مثل الكاتبة وأضع الأحتمال الثالث هل ستكون هناك منافسة يجتهد فيها كل منا أن يكون الأفضل؟
هنا لم يعد إيفان فقط هو من يعانى من حرب نفسية جيسى أيضا أصبحت تعانى من الوحدة من رفض أخيها لها أصبحت تعانى من خسارة أقرب الناس اليها
وهنا ستبأ حرب شراب الليمون وستنتهى الرواية نهاية لطيفة وبها العديد من الأفكار الأقتصادية الجيدة
أحببتها كثيراً
أحببت جيسى الطفلة البريئة وأحببت إيفان الرجل الصغير
<3 <3
Profile Image for Katie Fitzgerald.
Author 29 books253 followers
December 19, 2016
At the start of this story, Jessie and her older brother Evan learn that, because Jessie has skipped a grade, they will be in the same fourth grade class when school starts in a couple of weeks. Jessie, who has a hard time picking up on social cues, can’t understand why her brother, who is himself self-conscious about his performance as a student, is upset. The pair’s miscommunications grow worse and worse as school gets closer, resulting eventually in a war over whose lemonade stand can raise more money. Embedded in the plot are definitions of vocabulary words related to business, math problems which are solved to further the success of the lemonade stands, and subtle hints at Jessie and Evan’s dad’s abandonment of the family, which contributes to their overall feelings of frustration.

I was really impressed by the level of the writing in this book. Author Jacqueline Davies is a master of showing rather than telling, which makes the lessons her book offers very easy and even enjoyable to swallow. Jessie and Evan clearly have a very close relationship, a concept that can sometimes across as cheesy to kids who fight with their siblings, but Davies handles it in a very straightforward and emotionally honest way, which makes it very plausible and touching. The differences between the two kids are also very carefully and specifically described, and these differences in temperament, personality, and socialization add fuel to the fire of their fight once it begins. Yes, this book does teach the reader about business and math, but it’s also about family relationships, compromise, teamwork, and learning to forgive.
Profile Image for Barbara.
1,981 reviews
December 23, 2014
A colleague I teach with recommended this book to me as a possible classroom read aloud, and I enjoyed it. Jacqueline Davies seems to really understand children well, and her characters react very realistically to events that happen in their lives. The plot revolves around a brother and sister, Jessie and Evan, who care about each other very much, but have very different strengths and weaknesses that are causing conflict for them. Jessie is very strong academically, but doesn't know how to relate to people very well, and Evan can make friends and relate to people easily, but math is very hard for him. They have bad attitudes at times, call each other names, etc., but the love they have for each other is still there. The story does an excellent job of showing that there can still be a great deal of love present even in the midst of the strongest sibling rivalry, and that it is often very difficult to understand someones emotions, even if you are very close to them. Both children seem to feel they have to shoulder adult worries and responsibilities at times, and it made me want to reassure both of them. Think of how much money these two could have made if they had worked together; their strengths were very complimentary. Ms. Davies is also able to get several economic concepts across in a very fun way. I think my class will enjoy listening to it and discussing it.
Profile Image for AB.
29 reviews1 follower
August 9, 2024
As a kid, this book was inspiring. It was probably the reason I did set up a lemonade stand, once.

As an adult, it’s still inspiring, but the part of the story that really stood out was the emotions. Both of these kids have complex feelings but haven’t learned how to properly express them.

This book is fun, but also has lots of lessons. How to do long division, lots of economics tips, and the importance of sharing how you really feel. Misunderstandings cause problems that wouldn’t have been there otherwise.
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