The Lemonade Club by Patricia Polacco

Patricia Polacco is one of my favorite children's authors.  I often read her books over and over.  One of my all time favorites is The Lemonade Club.

Amazon Product Description:

Everyone loves Miss Wichelman’s fifth-grade class—especially best friends Traci and Marilyn. That’s where they learn that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade! They are having a great year until Traci begins to notice some changes in Marilyn. She’s losing weight, and seems tired all the time. She has leukemia—and a tough road of chemotherapy ahead. It is not only Traci and Miss Wichelman who stand up for her, but in a surprising and unexpected turn, the whole fifth-grade class, who figures out a way to say we’re with you.

I love Patricia Polacco's books. They touch on real life situations that we sometimes forget that children may have to face. Spoiler alert:

In this book, when Marilyn loses her hair due to chemotherapy, the entire class, including Miss Wichelman, shaves their heads.  Soon everyone's hair begins to grow back - everyone's but Miss Wichelman. Turns out she has breast cancer.

Even more of spoiler:

This is not a sad book. (Ok, that's as far as I'm going to go without giving you the ending to the story.)  Even if you have not been touched by cancer in some way, even if you do not have any young children in your life - you should read this book.  As are many of Polacco's books this one is based on a true story. Polacco does her usual excellent job of taking a tough subject and turning into a touching and beautifully written children's story.

Recommended for 3rd Grade and up.

Mrs. Archer's rating 5 of 5.