An award-winning novel about growing up and making choices
Viginia Euwer Wolff’s groundbreaking novel, written in free verse, tells the story of fourteen-year-old LaVaughn, who is determined to go to college—she just needs the money to get there. When she answers a babysitting ad, LaVaughn meets Jolly, a seventeen-year-old single mother with two kids by different fathers. As she helps Jolly make lemonade out of the lemons her life has given her, LaVaughn learns some lessons outside the classroom.
effective verse I had a bit of trouble with this book at first. It's written in verse, which is not my favorite style. But once I got used to it, I found it to be an very effective technique. The uneven rhythm and stark language help to underscore the tension inherent in the story between those who are able to see beyond the walls of the projects and those who have a harder time of it.
Hope, love, and making lemonade I don't remember when I added this to my list of books to read, but at some point I did. I must have missed the hints about this being written loosely and in freestyle, because I was a bit surprised when I opened the book. But though I don't generally like books that only use weirdly written poems as a means of communicating a story (which this thankfully did not do), I found myself able to follow the loose structure and the free, simple way in which the book is written.
And I also found that it was great. The story is easy to follow and yet almost heartbreaking. Difficult dilemmas are translated so easily into words, but in the end are still powerful. Main characters LaVaughn and Jolly are clearly portrayed, both at their best and worst. Side characters, like Jolly's two kids, Jeremy and Jilly, are built well, despite the fact that one's a baby and the other a toddler. LaVaughn's mother is also clearly portrayed and her own fears and worries permeate the story.
In the end, this is a story of growth, development, and maybe even hope. It's a story of difficult times - how can seventeen year old Jolly take care of two babies if she's unemployed, uneducated, and prone to bad luck? Should LaVaughn sacrifice hopes of a better future to help out Jolly? And in the end, it's rather unclear what did in fact happen. But one thing is clear - these five or so characters are real and tell an all-too common tale of a young woman who slips through the cracks.
It's a really great read. The loose writing style means it's easy to read and the characters will make you stay. It's short but to the point, clearly portraying the difficulties of living in bad neighborhoods with no money and near-impossible responsibilities. It's heart-warming, but clear and offers something important in return - a bit of hope and a bit of love.
Make Lemonade Lavaghn's life isn't the best, her father was killed when she was young, and she lives on the west side of the city. When she starts thinking about college, her mother says that she must be very committed and help pay her way by going to find a job on the bulletin board at school. She sees a babysitting job that says 'BABYSITTER NEEDED BAD!' so she calls and gets the job. Jolly is 17 and has 2 kids, a 2 year old and a baby. She has no boyfriend and lives alone. Her job is not very good, and gets fired for something she didn't do. Once that happens, Lavaghn is babysitting for no charge, but that is surely not helping her. Lavaghn helps Jolly though her hard life, but can she make it better? I could not stop reading this book with Virginia Wolff writing. I love the poetry style writing, and how it is so unique and not very hard to follow. I really like the sequel, True Believer, I liked how it went on from she left off in Make Lemonade. This book is very sad and touching to many, so if you want to know the real world is, you should read this book. -Emma R.
Make lemonade Make Lemonade By: Virginia Euwer Wolff
Make lemonade is a very emotional book were every teenager should read. Jolly is a very caring and hard working mother who really cares about her children. Verna Lavaughn decides she should have an after school job so that she can start saving for college. She sees a notice on the schools activities bored. No one has responded, so she thinks she should. What she doesn't know is she is about to enter is a world of anger screaming headaches and crying. While Verna is trying so hard in taking her first new steps in her new life she also has created a worse life for herself. As you begin to read further into the book you just can't put it down. While you read on you can feel jilly and Jeremy's tears. You can be right outside the window of Verna job interview and see everything that's going on. As jolly loses her job to "Mr. Fingers Boss" and has to find some way to support the family, Verna shows her the love nobody else ever has. When jolly can't support her two kids Verna does. I recommend this book to anyone who wouldn't mind being drained into a book, or that wouldn't mind the sad and unhappy moments that make lemonade can bring you. Desiree C.
The Best Book I've Ever Read. I have to say that the book Make Lemonade was the best book I've ever read. It's written differently, and I have never read one like that before. (In stanzas) There were a lot of surprising things and you never know whats going to happen next. I'm reading the sequel right now and it's just as good. So I definitely do recommend this book to anybody who's in for a surprise!
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