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dianazheng's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
was heartwarming
station12reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
lizbusby's review against another edition
3.0
A heart-breaking, yet age appropriate, look at the tragedies of old age and memory loss for kids. Also a great portrayal of an autistic kid. Very harrowing read, but great if you are looking to explain these issues to your children.
whitneydrew's review against another edition
3.0
This was a very short read, but I enjoyed getting to see the characters in a new setting.
librarybrods's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the first two in this series but just thought there was a little too much going on with the supporting characters in this one
finesilkflower's review against another edition
3.0
Wow, this was a lot heavier than the previous two books. [b:The Lemonade War|1258121|The Lemonade War|Jacqueline Davies|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347342013s/1258121.jpg|1246936] and [b:The Lemonade Crime|8725909|The Lemonade Crime|Jacqueline Davies|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349053084s/8725909.jpg|13598873] both dealt with some fairly complex emotions, but they had an overall can-do attitude, whereas this one is more about resignation with the sucky way that life is, as the children visit a grandma with dementia who can no longer reliably recognize them, make an autistic friend, and meet some legit scary neighborhood boys who torture animals. I'm just saying, reading it as a light palate-cleanser to after yet another tearful episode of "Call the Midwife" was a mistake: this volume has such a similar tone of downbeat, minor-chord, bittersweetness that I could hear the "piano theme for baby with spina bifida" in the background as I read it. The general life lessons are "some problems have no solution" and "this is the way things are now."
I'm not necessarily complaining, mind you. Not all books can be light and fluffy, and books which depict difficult situations can play an important role for children who have faced similar situations and need help making sense of it and for helping to develop empathy in others.
That said, while I respect this volume, I'm not sure I would want to re-read it. I miss the fun.
Also, this book is lacking in the practical life lessons and word problem puzzles we've come to expect from this series. That's an aspect I really liked in the previous books, which I felt set the series apart in a really cool way: the introduction of practical concepts that children are not usually taught: finance in the first book and law in the second. Although the concepts are complex, they are presented so straightforwardly that they are easy to understand. That is a really strength of the series, but I felt this one could have done more with. It has some vague recurring themes regarding maps, diagrams, and spatial analysis, but it needed to develop it a lot more. It didn't have the definitions and worked examples that the previous books had. Instead, the emotional story expanded and took over the book. Jessie would not approve.
I'm not necessarily complaining, mind you. Not all books can be light and fluffy, and books which depict difficult situations can play an important role for children who have faced similar situations and need help making sense of it and for helping to develop empathy in others.
That said, while I respect this volume, I'm not sure I would want to re-read it. I miss the fun.
Also, this book is lacking in the practical life lessons and word problem puzzles we've come to expect from this series. That's an aspect I really liked in the previous books, which I felt set the series apart in a really cool way: the introduction of practical concepts that children are not usually taught: finance in the first book and law in the second. Although the concepts are complex, they are presented so straightforwardly that they are easy to understand. That is a really strength of the series, but I felt this one could have done more with. It has some vague recurring themes regarding maps, diagrams, and spatial analysis, but it needed to develop it a lot more. It didn't have the definitions and worked examples that the previous books had. Instead, the emotional story expanded and took over the book. Jessie would not approve.
sb1999's review against another edition
4.0
This book tackled some difficult issues...it was a good read for my kids.
federo999's review against another edition
3.0
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.
mrskatiefitz's review against another edition
4.0
The Lemonade War books are precisely the kinds of stories I loved as a kid - they stick close to home, involve real life problems, and always come to a happy conclusion. This third book of the series, entitled The Bell Bandit, sees siblings Evan and Jessie Treski undergoing a period of change. Their grandmother has started to lose her memory, and recently she accidentally set her house on fire by leaving a burner on. When Jessie, Evan, and their mom visit her for New Year’s, Evan is surprised that his grandmother doesn’t seem to remember him, and Jessie is devastated to learn that the bell they ring every New Year’s Eve to welcome the new year has gone missing. Jessie, determined to keep things as familiar as possible, enlists the help of Maxwell, a neighbor boy who has autism, in helping her solve the mystery of the missing bell.
This heartwarming story continues with many of the story threads from the first two books. Evan and Jessie continue to grow apart, as Evan spends more time listening to his iPod and Jessie continues to wonder why her brother doesn’t want anything to do with her. As Grandma’s condition becomes apparent, however, the two still find they need each other. Evan, especially, realizes that Jessie’s puzzle-solving skills are the one thing that might be able to help him find his grandmother, after she goes missing on a late-night walk. Though there are some outside influences - Maxwell, a couple of neighborhood bullies, and another neighbor who helps to fix Grandma’s burned house - this story really comes back to the core family bonds that made the first book so satisfying. The author has a real talent for describing kids’ emotions in a whole host of situations, and that makes Jessie and Evan seem much more real than many other middle grade characters.
Like the first two books, which lent themselves nicely to curriculum connections with math and social studies, this one could be associated with map skills, as Jessie and Maxwell construct a map of the neighborhood to help them locate the bell. It’s also a gentle introduction to the difficulties of helping a family member with dementia which might help comfort and guide kids who are facing that experience. It’s also great to see a character with autism involved in a story where he isn’t labeled, and where his differences are an asset to the story, not just an opportunity to teach a lesson about disabilities.
For another heartwarming family story involving siblings and an ailing grandparent, try Ten Rules for Living With My Sister by Ann M. Martin. Additional read-alikes include Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli, The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin, and Carolyn Haywood’s Betsy stories.
This heartwarming story continues with many of the story threads from the first two books. Evan and Jessie continue to grow apart, as Evan spends more time listening to his iPod and Jessie continues to wonder why her brother doesn’t want anything to do with her. As Grandma’s condition becomes apparent, however, the two still find they need each other. Evan, especially, realizes that Jessie’s puzzle-solving skills are the one thing that might be able to help him find his grandmother, after she goes missing on a late-night walk. Though there are some outside influences - Maxwell, a couple of neighborhood bullies, and another neighbor who helps to fix Grandma’s burned house - this story really comes back to the core family bonds that made the first book so satisfying. The author has a real talent for describing kids’ emotions in a whole host of situations, and that makes Jessie and Evan seem much more real than many other middle grade characters.
Like the first two books, which lent themselves nicely to curriculum connections with math and social studies, this one could be associated with map skills, as Jessie and Maxwell construct a map of the neighborhood to help them locate the bell. It’s also a gentle introduction to the difficulties of helping a family member with dementia which might help comfort and guide kids who are facing that experience. It’s also great to see a character with autism involved in a story where he isn’t labeled, and where his differences are an asset to the story, not just an opportunity to teach a lesson about disabilities.
For another heartwarming family story involving siblings and an ailing grandparent, try Ten Rules for Living With My Sister by Ann M. Martin. Additional read-alikes include Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli, The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin, and Carolyn Haywood’s Betsy stories.
bibliogirl's review
3.0
I picked this one up to review. I've never read any in the series and now I feel as if I can book talk them for my kiddos.
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