The Candy Smash (The Lemonade War Series)
As Valentine’s Day approaches, Evan suffers through hearts-and-flowers crafts in school while wrestling with his secret crush on a classmate and discovering that he loves reading and writing poetry. Meanwhile, his precocious younger sister, Jessie (an aspiring journalist and also a classmate, having skipped a grade), prepares to reveal all in the latest edition of her newspaper. The simply written third-person narrative illuminates the characters’ thoughts, personalities, and points of view. While an element of mystery winds through the story, readers will be more intrigued by the complications arising as fourth-graders deal with unfamiliar emotions. Another rewarding chapter book from the Lemonade War series. Grades 3-5. --Carolyn Phelan