Evan is horrified that his younger sister is skipping third grade and joining his class. In the last days of summer, they compete for who can make the most profit selling lemonade. The plot heavy-handedly works in business theory and math. However, the sibling relationship is sensitively drawn, and readers will be invested in who comes out on top. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

At the tail end of summer, Evan discovers that his younger sister, Jessie, who has just skipped third grade, will be not just in his grade, but in his fourth-grade classroom. Normally buddies, they find themselves at odds over trifles and increasingly determined to earn more money than the other before school starts. Lemonade stands, entrepreneurial schemes, and dirty tricks find their way into the competition before Evan and Jessie fess up to the concerns that are really worrying them. Each chapter begins with a business-oriented definition such as underselling: pricing the same goods for less than the competition, and the book ends with a poster entitled Ten Tips for Turning Lemons Into Loot. However, the basics of economics take a backseat to Evan and Jessie's realizations about themselves and their relationship. Davies, author of Where the Ground Meets the Sky (2002), does a good job of showing the siblings' strengths, flaws, and points of view in this engaging chapter book. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2007 Booklist

Told from the point of view of two warring siblings, this could have been an engaging first chapter book. Unfortunately, the length makes it less likely to appeal to the intended audience. Jessie and Evan are usually good friends as well as sister and brother. But the news that bright Jessie will be skipping a grade to join Evan's fourth-grade class creates tension. Evan believes himself to be less than clever; Jessie's emotional maturity doesn't quite measure up to her intelligence. Rivalry and misunderstandings grow as the two compete to earn the most money in the waning days of summer. The plot rolls along smoothly and readers will be able to both follow the action and feel superior to both main characters as their motivations and misconceptions are clearly displayed. Indeed, a bit more subtlety in characterization might have strengthened the book's appeal. The final resolution is not entirely believable, but the emphasis on cooperation and understanding is clear. Earnest and potentially successful, but just misses the mark. (Fiction. 8-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 3-5-Evan Treski and his younger sister, Jessie, get along well in many ways. They play together, and their natural talents are complementary. Jessie is a whiz in math and other school subjects, but "feelings were her weakest subject." Evan is competent in the social arena, but he is not such a good student. Their relationship changes the summer between Evan's third and fourth grades, when a letter arrives announcing what the boy sees as total disaster for him. He and his bright, skipping-third-grade sister will be in the same class. Thus begins the Lemonade War over which child can make the most money during the last week before school. The story is highly readable and engaging, filled with real-life problems that relate to math, getting along with siblings and friends, dealing with pride, and determining right from wrong. It even gives a glimpse into the marketing world. Each chapter begins with a marketing term, defined, but implemented as only competing children can. The result is a funny, fresh, and plausible novel with likable characters, and is suitable for reluctant readers.-Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at Washington DC Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.