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A review by xaqrii
Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff
5.0
REQUIRED
Make Lemonade was the dark horse of this term for me. I hadn't ever read a novel in verse and I think this was a great introduction. The book is about LaVaughn who babysits for the young, single-mother Jolly so she can work to support her family. LaVaughn learns, as she babysits, that things aren't what they seem: just because Jolly is a single mother doesn't make her irresponsible; just because Jolly didn't finish school doesn't mean she isn't smart; sometimes, your mother isn't always right. LaVaughn struggles to help Jolly when she loses her job and doesn't have the wherewithal to find a new one, and eventually ends up back in high school. The story is really eye-opening to the struggles of the underemployed and single mothers. It fights stereotypes the reader may bring to the book pretty directly through LaVaughn's stereotypes. I think this would be a really good book for younger teens, especially those who are interested in what poetry can be outside of what "classical" poetry they learn in school.
Make Lemonade was the dark horse of this term for me. I hadn't ever read a novel in verse and I think this was a great introduction. The book is about LaVaughn who babysits for the young, single-mother Jolly so she can work to support her family. LaVaughn learns, as she babysits, that things aren't what they seem: just because Jolly is a single mother doesn't make her irresponsible; just because Jolly didn't finish school doesn't mean she isn't smart; sometimes, your mother isn't always right. LaVaughn struggles to help Jolly when she loses her job and doesn't have the wherewithal to find a new one, and eventually ends up back in high school. The story is really eye-opening to the struggles of the underemployed and single mothers. It fights stereotypes the reader may bring to the book pretty directly through LaVaughn's stereotypes. I think this would be a really good book for younger teens, especially those who are interested in what poetry can be outside of what "classical" poetry they learn in school.