I felt like this series just got better as it went along. The last book here was compelling in several ways. Topics include Hurricanes, Divorce, and Magic. The divorce topic is done pretty well and a great way to have a dialog with your child, especially if a parent is not really reliable.

Jessie and Evan Treski are over a year apart in age but in the same class at school. Jessie is smart and skipped a grade. They live with their mom in a big, old house that seems to always need something fixed. Mom is getting ready to go on a trip when dad suddenly shows up. Dad has been out of their lives for a while. He is a war reporter and always gone. Since the divorce he might pop in for a day every once in a while but never stays long. When their babysitter has an accident and can't stay with them, dad decides he can handle the kids for a week while mom is gone. The only problem is dad is not real good with parenting. He is always on the phone and does a lot of things mom would not approve of.

Evan has become obsessed with magic and wants to put on a magic show. He needs a big finally however to make the show great. Dad actually helps out when he gets Evan a bunny and a magic box. Jessie volunteers to be the assistant and they prepare for the magic show in the backyard. Only problem is a hurricane is heading up the east coast right for them. Dad needs to catch a plane before the airport closes so he takes off unexpectedly leaving the kids by themselves. Mom's flight home is cancelled because of the hurricane. The kids are left on their own to endure the hurricane and the damage it causes.

I haven't read the rest of this series but I don't think you have to in order to enjoy this book. I liked how resourceful and intelligent Jessie and Evan were. They were fine on their own in incredible circumstances. I thought the dad was a bit over the top. I'm not sure even the worst parent would leave two kids home alone with a hurricane approaching, but you never know. I liked how Evan really worked with Jessie when she got over-excited. I am assuming she is somewhere on the autism spectrum even though it was never stated. I thought it was good that it was portrayed as just a part of their everyday life. Evan knew how to calm her and get her back on track.

This was was right up there with The Bell Bandit for me. The issues it dealt with really hit home and were done really well. So that's why it gets 5 stars but really I would say 4.5 but Goodreads doesn't let you do that. I wish this book had been around when I was a kid, it would have helped me deal with some of the stuff I was going through. I also might have become a magician! I hope there's a next one.

I read this book out of obligation because I've read all the other ones. But really, this series can be over. it could have been done with the second one. I just couldn't get into this one. I hope she doesn't' write another one because I'll probably feel like I need to read that too even though I don't want to.

This review published by Brigham Young University's The Children's Book and Media Review

Jessie and Evan Treski are excited about magic, so Evan decides that he’s going to put on a magic show. Their mom is getting ready to go on a trip when their dad, a war reporter and very good at doing disappearing acts on his own, shows up unexpectedly. When their babysitter has an accident, their dad agrees to watch the kids while their mom is gone. Their dad tries to be helpful with the show by getting them a rabbit and a magic box, but he leaves before the show for work, leaving Evan and Jessie by themselves. When a hurricane comes, the kids have to work together to make it through the storm and to put on the show themselves.

Although it mentions events that happened earlier in the series, this book could also be read by someone who has not read the other books. The kids in this book and highly resourceful and intelligent in difficult situations, but the idea of the dad leaving the kids alone with a hurricane approaching is difficult to swallow. The relationship between Jessie and Evan is sweet, particularly when Evan patiently works with Jessie to calm her down when she is over-excited or scared about what is going on. This book is the fifth in a series of fun, realistic fiction highlighting the relationship between a brother and sister.

In this fifth and final book in the Lemonade War Series, Jessie and Evan's father reappears in their life. Due to a series of unexpected events, he turns up at the perfect time to stay with them for a week while their mom travels for work. While Jessie is thrilled to have him home, Evan is less trusting. He is a war correspondent and rarely stays for more than a day or two. This time though, he seems to be making good on his word, helping Even learn magic tricks and supporting their attempts to put together a magic show for the whole neighborhood. No one expects a hurricane to change course, however, and there are serious repercussions for everyone. While this book does stand alone, I believe it will be enjoyed most by fans of the whole series. Recommended for grades 4-6.

I think this one was my favorite of the series, behind The Lemonade War.