The Lemonade War Graphic Novel

Gr 1-5–With summer vacation winding down and the temperature climbing, siblings Evan and Jessie Treski decide to flex their business acumen by opening competing lemonade stands. At the end of five days of sales, the winner takes all; however, along the way, both siblings engage in unsavory tricks to come out on top. The economic subplot makes the original novel a good mentor text for integrating math and literacy, but the graphic novel falls short on delivering a story that will resonate with kids emotionally. There are a few improbabilities in the story that might make it difficult for modern readers to connect with. For one, Jessie is skipping a grade to be placed in her brother’s class, an exceedingly rare practice, representing less than one percent of students, and many readers will not be familiar with this concept. Also, it is implied via Jessie’s super-smarts and social challenges that she is neurodivergent, but it is unclear why this is not stated overtly as an important aspect of the narrative. The illustrations lack dimension and detail, preventing this title from being a standout realistic fiction graphic novel.