Title: Make LemonadeAuthor: Virginia Euwer Wolff
ISBN: 0-590-48141-X
Recommended Grade Level of Reader: 7th and Up
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Media Type: Book
Copyright: 1993
Genre: Fiction
Reader's Annotation: LaVaughn dreams of going to college and getting out of her terrible neighborhood, but babysitting for a teenage mom may force her to change her plans.
Plot Summary: LaVaughn, a high school student, is determined to go to college. In order to get there, she must save money to pay to her tuition. After school one day, LaVaughn sees a help-wanted flyer for a babysitting position. Interested, LaVaughn contacts the woman advertising for help. Upon meeting the mother, LaVaughn learns that the woman is actually a young teenage girl much like herself. The difference is that the mother, Jolly, has two young children and is only seventeen. LaVaugh helps Jolly throughout the course of the novel not only by babysitting, but also by enrolling Jolly in school. Jolly isn’t the only person to benefit from the situation, however. LaVaugh learns a few good lessons along the way.
Evaluation: (B) Overall, this book was enjoyable. It is written in steam of conscious style which I had to get used to in order to read the passages fluidly. I really enjoyed the subject matter of teen pregnancy and how LaVaughn got to see the struggles of being a young mother. I believe Jolly’s story helped to reinforce LaVaughn’s desire to go to college and get out her neighborhood. While I was interested in the character’s lives, this wasn’t a book that I just couldn’t put down. Nonetheless, I believe that Make Lemonade is a good book for any teenage girl to read.
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Evaluation: (B) Overall, this book was enjoyable. It is written in steam of conscious style which I had to get used to in order to read the passages fluidly. I really enjoyed the subject matter of teen pregnancy and how LaVaughn got to see the struggles of being a young mother. I believe Jolly’s story helped to reinforce LaVaughn’s desire to go to college and get out her neighborhood. While I was interested in the character’s lives, this wasn’t a book that I just couldn’t put down. Nonetheless, I believe that Make Lemonade is a good book for any teenage girl to read.
Check This Out: Lesson Plans, Book Lists, and More...
