Liam Takes a Stand

K-Gr 2—Liam's older twin brothers Lister and Lester never have time to play with him. Instead, they are always too busy competing with each other. When Lester opens a lemonade stand, Lister does, too, and neither one will hire Liam, who wants only to help. Determined to prove how hard-working he is, Liam takes odd jobs in the neighborhood, earning mostly cash—and apples from an elderly neighbor. As Lister and Lester continue trying to upstage each other, their respective lemonade stands become more and more outrageous. Meanwhile, Liam uses his profits, including Mrs. Redmond's apples, to open a juice stand of his own, which proves even more successful than his brothers' efforts. After losing all of their money, the twins ultimately beg him to hire them, and in exchange for seven hours a week of playtime, Liam agrees. Thus the siblings find a balance among work, play, and friendly competition. Characters are drawn with wide, owlish eyes and a variety of skin tones; bold black lines, bright colors, and a clean, graphic style make the cartoon illustrations appealing.