The Lemonade War Novel Study: Free Activities & Inexpensive Resources

Are you gearing up for a novel study of The Lemonade War with your students? If you’re on the hunt for engaging resources to bring Jacqueline Davies’ story to life, you’ve found the right place. In this post, I’ll walk you through some of my favorite pre-reading activities, along with comprehensive literature study printables, and share some free post-reading activities that will leave a lasting impression on your students during your Lemonade War novel study.

Still deciding if The Lemonade War is the perfect choice for your class? I’ll also provide insights about the book to help you make the best decision for your readers. By the end of this post, you’ll be fully equipped to deliver a memorable The Lemonade War novel study that your students will love!

The Lemonade War Summary

Set against the backdrop of a sweltering summer, The Lemonade War follows siblings Evan and Jessie as they navigate the ups and downs of a fierce rivalry. Evan, outgoing and quick-witted, and Jessie, his younger, academically gifted sister, find themselves at odds when they both decide to start lemonade stands. What begins as a friendly competition quickly escalates into a full-blown battle, testing their entrepreneurial skills, determination, and their relationship.

Through clever strategies and unexpected twists, Evan and Jessie each strive to outdo the other, but as the stakes rise, so do the challenges. In their quest to win the lemonade war, they both discover more than just the secrets to running a successful business—they uncover important lessons about fairness, family, and the complexity of sibling dynamics.

As the summer days tick down, you’ll be left wondering: who will come out on top, and what will it cost them?

The Lemonade War Novel Study: Pre-Reading & Post-Reading Ideas

Using fun and engaging activities before and after your novel study can boost student interest and help them connect with the story. You don’t need to spend a lot of time or materials on these activities, but giving students some hands-on experiences related to the book’s themes can be a great way to get them excited and ready to dive into learning.

Pre-Reading Activities for The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

The pre-reading part of your novel unit is a great chance to get students curious, spark their imaginations, and build excitement for the story ahead. It’s also the perfect time to introduce key themes or big ideas you want them to think about. That’s why picking an engaging pre-reading activity is so important for getting students interested in the book from the start.

Here are some engaging activities that promise to captivate your learner’s and get students in the right frame of mind for your Lemonade War novel study. While you might start these before starting the book, several could be continued throughout your novel unit as a cross-curricular activity.

• Lemonade Stand Smackdown!: Divide the class into teams and have them design their dream lemonade stands. They can consider location, decorations, pricing strategy, and even special flavors! Teams can present their ideas and vote for the most appealing stand. This sparks creativity and gets students thinking about the business side of the lemonade war.
• Sweet and Sour Showdown: Brainstorm a list of different lemonade flavors using unusual or unexpected ingredients (lavender lemonade, spicy ginger lemonade). Students can then taste-test these flavor combinations (with safe and edible ingredients) and vote for their favorites. This taps into the competitive and creative spirit of the book.
• Advertising Agency: The lemonade war involves some friendly competition. Challenge students to create short advertising campaigns for their own lemonade brand. This could involve catchy slogans, jingles, or persuasive posters.
• The Price is Right: Research the cost of lemons, sugar, and other ingredients needed to make lemonade. Students can then calculate the cost per cup and brainstorm different pricing strategies to maximize profit, considering competition and target audience.
• Sweet Success Story: Take a day to research famous entrepreneurs who started young. Students can create presentations, a biography foldable, or even a trading card of the figures, highlighting their creativity, determination, and business sense. Once you start reading, connect this to the entrepreneurial spirit of Evan and Jessie.

These intro activities are designed to spark curiosity about the themes of competition, entrepreneurship, and sibling dynamics. Knowing that different students are drawn to different aspects of a story—and that you might want to connect with other subjects—I’ve shared a range of fun, hands-on options that are sure to engage your learners. These themes are central to The Lemonade War.

Fun & Engaging Lemonade War Post-reading Activities

After wrapping up your novel study, it’s a good idea to include a couple of activities to bring the experience full circle for students. These post-reading activities are designed to take The Lemonade War beyond the pages, allowing students to explore the story further through hands-on projects, interactive challenges, and creative tasks that reinforce key concepts and connections.

Here are some creative post-reading activities you can add to your lesson plans after you wrap up your Lemonade War book study:

• Lemonade War Peace Treaty: Imagine Evan and Jessie decide to end the war and work together. Students can design a “peace treaty” outlining how they will collaborate, share profits, and maybe even create new lemonade flavors together.
• Community Coolers: Organize a school fundraiser selling homemade lemonade (with permission and following hygiene guidelines). Students can manage different aspects like production, marketing, and sales, experiencing teamwork and the joy of giving back.
• Lemonade Stand Review: Research famous lemonade stands that have gained national attention for their creativity or social impact. Students can create presentations or reviews highlighting these stands and the stories behind them.
• Beyond the Pitcher: Lemonade isn’t the only refreshing drink! Students can research and present information about different beverages enjoyed around the world, exploring cultural traditions and flavor profiles. This broadens their knowledge beyond the book’s focus.
• Creative Can Campaign: Design a campaign to promote recycling used beverage cans. Students can create posters, slogans, or even short public service announcements encouraging responsible waste disposal.
• Financial Fairytale: Write a short story about a fictional character who uses their business sense and creativity to achieve a goal. This story can be humorous or inspirational, connecting to the themes of hard work and resourcefulness.
• Lemonade Stand Legacy: Imagine Evan and Jessie continue their business ventures beyond lemonade. Students can brainstorm new product ideas or services they could offer, considering their skills and target market.

The Lemonade War Literature Guide

If you need reading response activities to support comprehension, I’ve got you covered. Each of my 300+ novel units includes an instructional guide to help you effortlessly plan your daily lessons.

Plus, you’ll find PDF printables that target key reading comprehension skills and vocabulary, all in a student-friendly format designed to keep learners engaged without feeling overwhelmed.

The Lemonade War novel study includes everything you need for a three-week (15-day) novel unit designed to focus on a single comprehension skill and text-based vocabulary word each day to maximize student learning. Here’s a taste of what’s included in this novel unit:

What’s included in The Lemonade War literature study unit?

Reading comprehension skills and strategies addressed:

A single daily response focus helps you plan for meaningful instruction and review. Rather than bouncing between 5 different skills at a surface level, you can focus on a single skill at a deeper level to ensure students truly understand and can apply this to their reading.

These are some of the daily comprehension skills highlighted in The Lemonade War book unit:

• Summarizing and identifying the main idea of large and small passages of text
• Text analysis  from the perspective of the reader & characters
• Identification of cause and effect relationships
• Making inferences and drawing conclusions based on text clues
• Analyzing problems and their solutions
• Identifying character traits and their impact on relationships
• Utilizing context clues to make meaning of unknown vocabulary

Sample of Text-Based Vocabulary Studied through this Novel Unit:

The instructional guide outlines both academic vocabulary students need to know to respond to the comprehension/discussion question of the day and the daily text-based vocabulary word students will study each day.

Here are some of the key vocabulary words students will explore in this The Lemonade War novel study unit:

Purchase The Lemonade War Novel Study

When you purchase The Lemonade War Novel Study PDF from Differentiated Teaching, you’ll receive all the following resources in a downloadable format:

• Daily comprehension prompts in 3 formats for differentiation
  • Foldable trifold brochures
  • Cut & paste journal prompts for interactive notebooks
  • Daily Google Slides
• Weekly word of the day flip books for text-based vocabulary
• Easy-to-follow directions for printing & prep
• Instructional planning guide
• Answer keys