Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The Lemonade Crime


Davies, Jacqueline. The Lemonade Crime. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 2011.  

Recommended: Grades 3-5

In the Lemonade Wars Evan and Jessie operated lemonade stands, and the deal was winner take all. However, Evan thinking he was being sly stole Jessie’s money, but he met his comeuppance, because when he went to swim at a friend’s house, ALL of the money was stolen. When one of their classmates brags about his new X-box 20/20, they are certain they have found the thief.  When they accuse him, he becomes defensive and angry. So they decide to hold court on the playground with each person assuming the role of a person in the courtroom.  As the trial progresses, the reader is introduced to trial proceedings even down to the act of perjury. As in The Lemonade Wars, each chapter opens with a vocabulary word related to the courtroom.

This is an enjoyable read for middle grade students. There is right balance of humor and tension. The author does leave one issue unresolved so that the reader is motivated to read the sequel. These appear to be “high end” series books.

No comments:

Post a Comment