The Startup Squad

April 15, 2019
Can Resa Lopez learn to balance leadership and teamwork in time to run a successful business that wins the school contest? When Resa finds out that the sixth-grade trip is to Adventure Central and that the team whose lemonade stand raises the most money for the trip gets QuickTix--wait-free access to all the thrilling rides--she is beyond excited. She and her best friend, Didi Singh, are happy to be on the same team, but Resa quickly judges their other team members wanting: unreliable fashionista Harriet Nguyen and quiet Amelia Grant, the new girl. Resa assumes that Amelia is "stuck-up" because she doesn't speak much, but Amelia finds her voice when Resa insists on bossing everyone around. Didi normally tries to smooth things over on Resa's behalf, but even she gets fed up with Resa's attitude. The team's setbacks and failures are almost unbearable, but the chuckleworthy snark will keep readers going. The team members learn not only about listening to each other, using their strengths, and stepping out of their comfort zones, but also about important business skills such as marketing and location, which are expounded upon in an endnote. Resa makes for a daringly flawed early-middle-grade protagonist, with room for growth that's realized satisfyingly. Resa (Teresa) is Afro-Latina, Didi (Indira) is Indian, Amelia is white, and Harriet is Asian. A refreshing depiction of drama turned positive, this series opener is perfect for young entrepreneurs. (Fiction. 8-12)

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April 15, 2019
Grades 4-7 The sixth-graders have to fund their outing to Adventure Central by running lemonade stands, but Resa and her best friend, Didi, aren't happy about their teacher-assigned group. Here's the (lemonade-powder) scoop: hard-headed Resa has great ideas but doesn't always leave room for others to express theirs; peacemaker Didi just goes with the flow; Harriet, the cutup, is always late; and Amelia, new and quiet, is bright but has trouble making her ideas heard. Using the $20 they've been given, the diverse group must purchase supplies for two weekends and make a profit. With Resa at the helm, the group appears doomed their first day, unless the girls can find a way to cooperate and succeed. Coauthor Weisfeld, himself a successful entrepreneur, has formed the Startup Squad series to empower girls to follow their dreams, learn business techniques, and become successful leaders?ideas further supported in the factual back matter. Teamwork and friendship are at the fore of this business-savvy series, which will hold particular appeal for girls struggling to find ways for their ideas to bloom.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)