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Summary: Told in a series of 66 chapters written in free verse, young LaVaughn is determined to make money to help pay for college expense. She has her heart set on being the first in her family to go to college. When she answers a babysitting ad, she meets Jolly. Jolly is a seventeen-year-old mother of two who has dropped out of school to help support her two kids. LaVaughn and Jolly spend time together, and LaVaughn tries her best to convince Jolly to return to school in order to better provide for her young family. LaVaughn learns valuable life lessons about being a young, single mother. The book offers inspiration to those reading it in the sense that there is a way to succeed if you put your mind to it and dedicate your time to your goal.
APA: Wolff, V. E. (2006). Make Lemonade. New York, NY: Square Fish.
Review: "Grade 7-12-Narrator Heather Simms brings to life 14-year-old LaVaughn, a powerful character in the novel by Virginia Euwer Wolff (Holt, 1993). Living in the projects but determined to be the first person in her family to go on to college, LaVaughn takes a job babysitting for Jolly, the teenage mother of two-year-old Jeremy and baby Jilly, whose life is the epitome of disorganization. With warmth, humor, and a voice blending street smarts and innocent naivete, Simms' melodious words draw listeners into the world of unwed parenthood, the struggle for a better life, and the deepening friendship between LaVaughn and Jolly. Written in the first person, the 66 short chapters of this powerful coming-of-age story portray life in all its gritty and sometimes heartbreaking reality, while at the same time conveying a message of inspiration and hope captured in the saying "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Wolff's writing leaves listeners with no option but to root enthusiastically for both LaVaughn and Jolly, and to rush to the shelves for the sequel, True Believer (Atheneum, 2001). This stunning work belongs in every public and high school library."
Citation: Lombardo, C., & Mandell, P. (2002). Make Lemonade (Sound recording). School Library Journal, 48(6), 73.
Library Use: This book would be a great addition to any library to teach free verse. The librarian could set up a poetry and free verse section before STAAR to help students practice reading and understanding free verse. Since many students have issues with this particular TEK, in collaboration with a teacher, the librarian can create a center where students can create a foldable to help them better understand what they read.
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