Genre 3: Poetry; Verse Novel

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wolff, Virginia Euwer. 1993. MAKE LEMONADE. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.
ISBN 0805080708

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Told in verse is the story of 14-year-old LaVaughn, a girl growing up in the projects, but determined to better herself by going to college. Knowing her widowed mother could never afford college tuition, LaVaughn looks for employment, and her life is soon interwoven with that of Jolly's-- a teenage mother with two young children, Jilly and Jeremy. LaVaughn babysits the children while Jolly works nights, and LaVaughn is exposed to what life for her may look like if she can't escape her neighborhood. Living in poverty and squalor, Jolly is beaten, sexually harrassed, and fired from her job. LaVaughn then has to learn who she really is, and what she is willing to do to get what she wants out of life. She is torn between wanting to continue to help Jolly, and the fear of helping Jolly so much that she abandons her own dreams. Ultimately, LaVaughn emerges a stronger and wiser soul, and she is able to assist nearly illiterate Jolly with going back to school and getting the assistance she needs.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this gritty, moving novel, Wolff uses verse to tell LaVaughn's story. The use of verse works well, allowing the personas of LaVaughn and Jolly to be fully developed. Figurative language further allows readers to emotionally see and feel the characters' hardships, such as when LaVaughn says,
"This word COLLEGE is in my house,
and you have to walk around it in the rooms
like furniture."
Wolff uses hard, distinctive language, which further allows the reader to visualize what is happening, such as when Jolly returns home beaten, and LaVaughn says,
"Then I go back to the people in the room.
Jolly's taking Jilly from me, holding her against her neck,
and Jeremy's jumping out of the way of Jilly's kicking feet,
and he's wondering what to do with his towel,
and I look around and see I'm the only one not crying
in the whole house
so I go get the ice."
The language is also realistic to the story's setting, with slang and grammatical errors peppered throughout. Emotionally heartwrenching, yet uplifting simultaneously, Wolff's incredible use of voice will appeal to adolescents, eager to read a story which will resonate with them personally, make them consider their future, and give them a glimpse into the lives of teenage mothers and those in poverty.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
STARRED-- PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY:
"Radiant with hope, this keenly observed and poignant novel is a stellar addition to YA literature."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:
"This stunning work belongs in every public and high school library."
POINTER-- KIRKUS REVIEWS:
"Hopeful-- and powerfully moving."
Winner, Golden Kite Award for Fiction
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Booklist Top of the List

5. CONNECTIONS
* Have students research available resources for teenage mothers in their area. Are programs available such as those that Jolly participated in?
* Have students research college costs and brainstorm ways they might earn the necessary money for college.
* Have students practice writing a short story in verse.
* Read the sequel to MAKE LEMONADE:
TRUE BELIEVER by Virginia Euwer Wolff
ISBN 0689852886
* Read other verse books and then compare elements used such as voice and characterization:
CRASHBOOMLOVE by Juan Felipe Herrera
ISBN 0826321143
LOVE THAT DOG by Sharon Creech
ISBN 0064409597
SHANGHAI MESSENGER by Andrea Cheng
ISBN 1584302380
WITNESS by Karen Hesse
ISBN 0439272009