Posted by Leukemia is serious and cancer can do things to an adult that can be devastating. But, when a child is diagnosed with the disease she needs the support and love of not only her family but her friends too as we learn in this outstanding and sensitively written book by Patricia Polacco the Lemonade Club.
Traci and Marilyn were great friends and in the same class at school. Mrs. Wichelman, their teacher make everyone feel special. Traci loved listening to Marilyn practice the piano. Everyday at the end of the school day Mrs. Wichelman would point to a basket of lemons, tell the kids to make a face and together they would say Lemonade. Walking home from school one day Traci and Marilyn were picked on by some bigger girls. Calling other kids names is mean but ignoring them is not always that easy. But, Traci is a great friend to Marilyn. Marilyn is chubby and the girls called her names and I do know how that feels. But, something happens that changes things as Marilyn begins to lose weight and it is not from dieting. But, when Marilyn learns that she has a fatal disease things begin to change. Her good friends and teacher support her in a way that will not only endear you to Marilyn but the children and teacher too.
Friendships bloom and kids rally around and Marilyn learned the true meaning of friendship. Miss. Wichelman always wanted to become a doctor to help kids like Marilyn. Going back to school and living her dream encouraged not only Marilyn but the other students too. Five years passed and Miss Wichelman’s students gathered together in church to witness their teacher getting married. How amazing that must have been to be invited to your teacher’s wedding and have all of your friends there. Traci and Marilyn remained lifelong friends and their teacher a part of their family. To understand just how these children came together to support not only Marilyn but their teacher too, read the Lemonade Club and understand as Miss Wichelman said: “ If you can dream it, you can Be it.” Dreams are made to come true and miracles do happen but loyalty and friendships are valuable.
Once again Patricia Polacco takes the reader on a real life journey that she experienced with Marilyn, Cynthia, Warren and all of the class called the Lemonade Club. The illustrations are life like and the story is real. The tears that you shed will be not for Marilyn’s illness but for the courage she showed to survive and the spirit she had to endure and prevail. Cancer is a terrible disease and children should not have to deal with it as Marilyn did.
Fighting back is not always easy. Good friends are hard to find. True stories are the best to read and really teach great lessons to kids. Read this story of courage, understanding, love and kindness and meet the Lemonade Club.
Patricia Polacco will be my special guest on my show November 29th at four eastern.
This was so touching. My little neice, at the time, was two when her parents were told and diagnosed with this disease. They gave her two weeks to live, and she is now 35 with two children of her own. That was along time ago, and back then they believed she would not have children, and she has two. God bless the Children. Sincerely, Nancy