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Pratt Twins #7
The Pink Lemonade Charade
Chris and Susan visit Washington, D.C., on a class trip and wind up in the midst of international intrigue, when Chris befriends Natasha, a young Russian ballerina who wishes to defect
- GenresYoung Adult
128 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 12, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 21, 2018
Seven books into the series and Cynthia Blair misfires with The Pink Lemonade Charade. I can understand that she wanted to reflect on a bigger issue (Russian defectors, relevant in the late 80s) and have the girls become involved in an international scandal, but it simply wasn't as much fun as the earlier books which involve masquerades, summer camps, and a host of more interesting environments and plots than a visit to D.C. and a Russian ballet performance!
May 11, 2024
this plot is so outlandish idk how someone could even think this up
September 19, 2018
Teenaged twin sisters Christine and Susan Pratt are thrilled to be going on a spring tour of Washington, D.C. with their schoolmates. The highlight of the trip will be their chance to meet young members of a ballet company from Moscow. But when Chris's new Russian friend, Natasha, asks for help to defect to America, the twins undertake their most dangerous caper yet in The Pink Lemonade Charade by author Cynthia Blair.
Well, now. This seventh Pratt Twins book is the fifth for me. So I was prepared for the excess of italics and exclamation points, plus the pretty corny flair to it all.
This isn't the only book of the series to have a modest share of flat moments. But it's the first where I got to thinking the real story here could have been told in significantly fewer pages, though it's not a long book as it is. Some short stretches here and there feel like filler.
Nevertheless, this is still a good old-fashioned, fun YA read. Certainly the most serious situation I've seen Chris and Sooz in. (Hahaha, "Sooz in." Susan! And the italics and exclamation point are mine this time. You're welcome.)
While I wouldn't recommend that real-life teens face something like the former Soviet Union's KGB on their own, I still can't help but to like the Pratt sisters as heroines. They're plucky, they're thinkers, and they're doers. This adventure gets rather touching, with a standout, powerful display of true, empathetic friendship in action.
Six more books follow this one in the series. We'll see if I go on to watch the twins finish up high school and advance to the postsecondary phase of their lives.
Well, now. This seventh Pratt Twins book is the fifth for me. So I was prepared for the excess of italics and exclamation points, plus the pretty corny flair to it all.
This isn't the only book of the series to have a modest share of flat moments. But it's the first where I got to thinking the real story here could have been told in significantly fewer pages, though it's not a long book as it is. Some short stretches here and there feel like filler.
Nevertheless, this is still a good old-fashioned, fun YA read. Certainly the most serious situation I've seen Chris and Sooz in. (Hahaha, "Sooz in." Susan! And the italics and exclamation point are mine this time. You're welcome.)
While I wouldn't recommend that real-life teens face something like the former Soviet Union's KGB on their own, I still can't help but to like the Pratt sisters as heroines. They're plucky, they're thinkers, and they're doers. This adventure gets rather touching, with a standout, powerful display of true, empathetic friendship in action.
Six more books follow this one in the series. We'll see if I go on to watch the twins finish up high school and advance to the postsecondary phase of their lives.
November 7, 2022
The Pink Lemonade Charade
Ms. Parker announces a class trip to Washington Dc over Spring Break. Not only that but the students of Whittington High have been invited to participate in a cultural exchange program. They will be meeting ballet dancers from Russia. The dancers have invited them to watch one of their classes and in turn they’ll be invited to a special party Sat. They’ll also be special guests at the dancer’s première US performance.
At the airport, Chris gets thirsty and goes off to find pink lemonade. She overhears someone named “Ivan” being scolded. She then sees a group of Russian’s and it turns out the Russians from the cultural exchange group.
She meets a girl named Natasha who she accidentally picks up her bag. They start to talk and Natasha tells her that she’s heard a lot about the States because she has family there. She’s excited especially about the food and trying pink lemonade. Chris tells her she’ll see her soon and returns to her sister, Holly, and Beth.
But Mr Pirov (the ballet troupe’s instructor) and a man in a gray suit vow to keep their eye on Chris because they think it’s suspicious her bag just happened to get mixed up with their star ballerina.
The next day, the students take a tour of the city and then sit in on a session for Congress. Beth and Susan want to see the American History Museum, but Holly and Chris want to see the Science Museum. So, they split up. Chris again sees Natasha, her friend, the same man in gray, and another lady. She goes over to introduce Holly to Natasha, but they’re interrupted by the Russian lady who hurries off her and the other dancers. Before she leaves, she gives Chris a book about ballet and tells her it’s important that she read it by Saturday.
As Chris and Susan read the book later that night, they find a note from Natasha that says she wants to defect and to help her. Chris and Susan agree to act like it never happened, but later that night Chris thinks of Natasha’s strict guardians and thinks maybe there’s something they can do.
While shopping with Beth, Susan finds the perfect pink T-shirt dress and buys one for herself and Chris. Beth walks away to look at clothes and the man in the dark suit comes up to Susan thinking she’s Chris. He’s done his research and knows all kinds of facts, but he doesn’t know that she’s a twin. He warns her to stay away from Natasha. She can be friendly with her at the party and the rehearsal, but just don’t meet up with her anywhere else. Susan “Chris” agrees. Then she goes to meet the real Chris for lunch. Chris thinks the man works for the government. She and Susan agree to help Natasha escape.
At dance class, Susan creates a distraction (as Chris) and jumps up to join the other dancers. This allows the real Chris to tell Natasha she and Susan will think of a plan.
Chris comes up with the idea that they’ll sneak Natasha a pink dress, then she and Sooz will wear the same dress, then Natasha can sneak out with Susan and go to the police. First Chris spills grape jelly on her pink dress and Beth offers to lend her hers. Then Chris pretends to be an interviewer and is able to slip into the restroom, give Natasha the dress, and explain the plan.
At the party, Skip gets taught the lesson no means no when he tries to force her to dance with him and she spills pink lemonade over his head.
The switch goes off without a hitch until they get outside the dressing room and run into Mr. Pirov. Mrs. Korsky catches Chris in the bathroom and she tells her she’s hiding from Skip Chris sees Skip and calls his name, he tries to apologize, Chis acts like she doesn’t want him near her, and Korsky kicks him out and escorts her back to her group.
Natasha is able to get out with the help of the other ballet dancers who recognize her but help her and Susan escape.
Susan and Chris get a mention in the paper. Skip apologizes to Chis, and Susan gets accepted to Morgan Art School. It ends with Chris declaring she wants to be a lawyer to help others fight for their freedom like Natasha.
My Thoughts:
I had an issue with Natasha in this book. I thought it was selfish to involve two strangers in an escape plot. Even though I looked up consequences for Americans helping Russians defect and couldn’t find any, it still seemed like a risk you wouldn’t want to take or get someone else involved in.
Natasha even calls them out by name in the end in the article. I felt like she just should have kept her mouth shut.
Then I also wondered what the guardians did that made her want to defect in the first place. Korsky seemed reasonable. She helped Chris get away from Skip. But this might mean nothing of what she’s like behind closed doors. I admit the other one was kind of scary (Pirov).
I didn’t understand also why he was so suspicious of Chris just “talking” to Natasha. Could it be that he already knew Natasha was planning to escape? If so then this points a lot to him maybe being the reason. And then when I think about how he doesn’t give her any privacy and is strict with who she associates with to the point he looks them up and does background checks, I take it back. I do understand why she wants to be free.
Then they really weren’t very good if they knew all that about Chris but they didn’t know she was a TWIN.
I’m not sure tho what happens next. Natasha is free but it takes money to live ANYWHERE! Maybe she’s saved up enough over the years to be able to give her a start until she can find another job or another ballet company to work for. .
The plan went well and all ended well in the end, as we all knew it would. But parts of it were a little farfetched. For example, how easy this whole thing was to pull off. If the chaperones never left her side (Natasha) and they were so paranoid of people just talking to her, then why did they leave her alone in the dressing room after the performance.
I also think they went a little overboard in this one trying to shove in the mention of pink lemonade.
Rating: 5
Rating: 5
Ms. Parker announces a class trip to Washington Dc over Spring Break. Not only that but the students of Whittington High have been invited to participate in a cultural exchange program. They will be meeting ballet dancers from Russia. The dancers have invited them to watch one of their classes and in turn they’ll be invited to a special party Sat. They’ll also be special guests at the dancer’s première US performance.
At the airport, Chris gets thirsty and goes off to find pink lemonade. She overhears someone named “Ivan” being scolded. She then sees a group of Russian’s and it turns out the Russians from the cultural exchange group.
She meets a girl named Natasha who she accidentally picks up her bag. They start to talk and Natasha tells her that she’s heard a lot about the States because she has family there. She’s excited especially about the food and trying pink lemonade. Chris tells her she’ll see her soon and returns to her sister, Holly, and Beth.
But Mr Pirov (the ballet troupe’s instructor) and a man in a gray suit vow to keep their eye on Chris because they think it’s suspicious her bag just happened to get mixed up with their star ballerina.
The next day, the students take a tour of the city and then sit in on a session for Congress. Beth and Susan want to see the American History Museum, but Holly and Chris want to see the Science Museum. So, they split up. Chris again sees Natasha, her friend, the same man in gray, and another lady. She goes over to introduce Holly to Natasha, but they’re interrupted by the Russian lady who hurries off her and the other dancers. Before she leaves, she gives Chris a book about ballet and tells her it’s important that she read it by Saturday.
As Chris and Susan read the book later that night, they find a note from Natasha that says she wants to defect and to help her. Chris and Susan agree to act like it never happened, but later that night Chris thinks of Natasha’s strict guardians and thinks maybe there’s something they can do.
While shopping with Beth, Susan finds the perfect pink T-shirt dress and buys one for herself and Chris. Beth walks away to look at clothes and the man in the dark suit comes up to Susan thinking she’s Chris. He’s done his research and knows all kinds of facts, but he doesn’t know that she’s a twin. He warns her to stay away from Natasha. She can be friendly with her at the party and the rehearsal, but just don’t meet up with her anywhere else. Susan “Chris” agrees. Then she goes to meet the real Chris for lunch. Chris thinks the man works for the government. She and Susan agree to help Natasha escape.
At dance class, Susan creates a distraction (as Chris) and jumps up to join the other dancers. This allows the real Chris to tell Natasha she and Susan will think of a plan.
Chris comes up with the idea that they’ll sneak Natasha a pink dress, then she and Sooz will wear the same dress, then Natasha can sneak out with Susan and go to the police. First Chris spills grape jelly on her pink dress and Beth offers to lend her hers. Then Chris pretends to be an interviewer and is able to slip into the restroom, give Natasha the dress, and explain the plan.
At the party, Skip gets taught the lesson no means no when he tries to force her to dance with him and she spills pink lemonade over his head.
The switch goes off without a hitch until they get outside the dressing room and run into Mr. Pirov. Mrs. Korsky catches Chris in the bathroom and she tells her she’s hiding from Skip Chris sees Skip and calls his name, he tries to apologize, Chis acts like she doesn’t want him near her, and Korsky kicks him out and escorts her back to her group.
Natasha is able to get out with the help of the other ballet dancers who recognize her but help her and Susan escape.
Susan and Chris get a mention in the paper. Skip apologizes to Chis, and Susan gets accepted to Morgan Art School. It ends with Chris declaring she wants to be a lawyer to help others fight for their freedom like Natasha.
My Thoughts:
I had an issue with Natasha in this book. I thought it was selfish to involve two strangers in an escape plot. Even though I looked up consequences for Americans helping Russians defect and couldn’t find any, it still seemed like a risk you wouldn’t want to take or get someone else involved in.
Natasha even calls them out by name in the end in the article. I felt like she just should have kept her mouth shut.
Then I also wondered what the guardians did that made her want to defect in the first place. Korsky seemed reasonable. She helped Chris get away from Skip. But this might mean nothing of what she’s like behind closed doors. I admit the other one was kind of scary (Pirov).
I didn’t understand also why he was so suspicious of Chris just “talking” to Natasha. Could it be that he already knew Natasha was planning to escape? If so then this points a lot to him maybe being the reason. And then when I think about how he doesn’t give her any privacy and is strict with who she associates with to the point he looks them up and does background checks, I take it back. I do understand why she wants to be free.
Then they really weren’t very good if they knew all that about Chris but they didn’t know she was a TWIN.
I’m not sure tho what happens next. Natasha is free but it takes money to live ANYWHERE! Maybe she’s saved up enough over the years to be able to give her a start until she can find another job or another ballet company to work for. .
The plan went well and all ended well in the end, as we all knew it would. But parts of it were a little farfetched. For example, how easy this whole thing was to pull off. If the chaperones never left her side (Natasha) and they were so paranoid of people just talking to her, then why did they leave her alone in the dressing room after the performance.
I also think they went a little overboard in this one trying to shove in the mention of pink lemonade.
Rating: 5
Rating: 5
June 15, 2025
Identical twins Christine and Susan Pratt are very excited when they find out they, along with their classmates at Whittington High School, are to go on a trip to Washington, DC. Apparently, their school has been invited to participate in a special cultural exchange program in which the Russian ballerinas will host a party for them, and in return, they will watch the ballet company perform Coppelia on stage in their first American appearance at the Kennedy Center.
In a rather big coincidence, Chris, the outgoing twin just happens to meet Natasha, one of the Russian ballerinas at the airport and again at a museum. In their second encounter, Natasha thoughtfully gifts Chris a book where she later discovers a note inside, asking Chris for help to defect from her country.
The twins, known for their love of playing tricks and practical jokes, come up with a plan to help their Russian friend, by using the pink dresses they bought that look like the color of pink lemonade to which they amusingly deem it "The Pink Lemonade Charade."
Mildly interesting story, the writing was good. The ending was completely unrealistic, but other than that it was an okay read.
In a rather big coincidence, Chris, the outgoing twin just happens to meet Natasha, one of the Russian ballerinas at the airport and again at a museum. In their second encounter, Natasha thoughtfully gifts Chris a book where she later discovers a note inside, asking Chris for help to defect from her country.
The twins, known for their love of playing tricks and practical jokes, come up with a plan to help their Russian friend, by using the pink dresses they bought that look like the color of pink lemonade to which they amusingly deem it "The Pink Lemonade Charade."
Mildly interesting story, the writing was good. The ending was completely unrealistic, but other than that it was an okay read.
January 17, 2022
Not as much fun as previous installments despite a brief Mr. Collins appearance.
November 29, 2025
Fun read
My goal Dec 2024 was to purchase and reread all of Cynthia Blairs books that I read as a tween / teen. I'm enjoying the escapades the sisters get into.
My goal Dec 2024 was to purchase and reread all of Cynthia Blairs books that I read as a tween / teen. I'm enjoying the escapades the sisters get into.
July 23, 2009
This is one of the books that has stuck in my head from childhood. Re-read this many times before it was given away.
April 4, 2013
Interesting story about acceptance and helping one another even when danger is possible.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews