Jessie is Maxwell's friend, deserves to know why his behavior is sometimes erratic, and directly asks, 'What's wrong with Maxwell?' Maxwell's mother responds that 'He's just different,' which nine-year-old Jessie has obviously already figured out. The explanation that Maxwell's mother gives of his neurological differences is inadequate. Also, the character of Maxwell, who is obviously on the autism spectrum, competes for attention and reader brain space with the protagonists' grandmother. The grandmother is experiencing the onset of Alzheimer's or some sort of dementia, which is confusing and frightening for children, yet it is never addressed or explained properly by Jessie's and Evan's mother.

While I loved the first two titles in this lower middle grade series, this book has some issues, in my opinion. The themes in this book are far more serious and complex, and the focus of the kids' business ventures is completely gone. This is the third book in The Lemonade War series, but it doesn't seem to fit into the series or resemble the first two books in any way except that the two children and their mother are characters, and the chapters alternate POV between the brother and sister. The five books in this fun-to-read series Davies writes with heart, humor, and honesty about the inevitability of profound change and reveals just how well she understands the complex emotions of the children. Who on earth would steal the New Year’s Bell? And how could Grandma, Mrs.Treski, Evan, Jessie, and their neighbors ring in the New Year without it? Like a modern-day Beverly Cleary, Ms.

Third, someone had climbed the long, slow slope of Lovell Hill to the top and had stolen the old iron bell hanging on its heavy wooden crossbeam. Second, the fire had left a hole in the back kitchen wall big enough to drive a car through! And with Grandma in the hospital and not in her house, everything felt off.

Treski, Evan, and Jessie had driven up to Grandma’s two days after Christmas instead of the day before, missing Christmas with Grandma entirely. Everything about this trip to Grandma’s house was First, because of the fire, Mrs. The third installment of the popular Lemonade War series finds siblings Evan and Jessie Treski at their grandmother's Vermont house for the holidays, solving another mystery.

The bell bandit book