Charlotte Morgan and the Lemonade Stand--Chapter 9--Advertising

  This is my next book. Charlotte Morgan and the Lemonade Stand.  

It is still in the work-in-progress phase. The cover I am posting here is a temp cover derived from the first book.  But I like sharing my work here first.  The book is leveled for third grade readers and up.

I am using the #steemiteducation tag because the book is about using math and earning money.  

 To read what has happened earlier click the link for each individual chapter for chapter 1. Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8

Summary: Sally shows some skill at creating advertising for Charlotte's lemonade stand. 

 Chapter 9 Advertising 

At 2:00 pm the next day, Sunday, The Number Investigators met in the tree house.  “What’s the date that we are doing this lemonade stand? We need to know what to put on our posters.” Sally asked. She had a marker in hand ready to begin writing. 

“It’s next Saturday, the 21st, at 10 a.m. I talked with my parents last night about when to do this. They also agreed to bring fliers with them to work to pass out.” 

“Oh, we should totally ask our parents to do the same thing!” shouted Sally. 

“We can make copies and give them to our parents to give out at work.” 

Sally drew on her paper and then held it up, and read it out loud, “Saturday April 21st, come and get best lemonade ever! At 23 Willow Run.” 

“Don’t forget to put the time,” I said. Sally added it. 

Marcus held up his paper and read, “When life gives you lemons make lemonade! Come and get the best lemonade ever next Saturday at 10 am!” 

“That sounds sad,” Sally said matter-of-factly. “You’re advertising that her life is terrible.” 

“What do you mean?”

 “You’re saying that Sally’s life has given her lemons and now she has to make lemonade, and you want people to drink that?” 

Marcus sat silent for a second, “But life did give her lemons. Charlie ate her mom’s stuff and she’s in trouble.” 

Sally huffed, “I know that. But you want people to buy the lemonade because it makes them happy, not because Charlotte’s in trouble.” 

Marcus sat dumbfounded. After a moment he responded, “Who died and made you the advertising manager?” He balled up his paper and tossed it into the corner. 

Sally motioned with her hands, “Make it happy! Not my life stinks, and now I want you to buy my lemonade! That’s all I’m saying!” 

Aaron held up his paper, “How about this? Spring is here. It’s getting warm. Refresh with the best lemonade. Next Saturday at 10 a.m.” 

“That’s better.” 

“Don’t forget to add the date and the address,” I replied. 

Sally liked this project and took over, “Let’s do this. Everybody works on the regular size sheets of paper. And we will share and come up with the best posters that we should make copies of.”

 Marcus interrupted, “Also the better ideas, those are the ones that we can put on the large poster paper.” 

“That’s right! Don’t touch the poster paper!” Sally spoke over him. “Use the paper as a rough draft, and then we can use the large poster paper as our final copy.” 

“Final copy? You sound like a teacher,” Marcus grimaced. 

“Mrs. King does talk about final copy a lot,” She replied, and motioned for us to get to work. For the next fifteen minutes the tree house was quiet as we worked. Pencils, pens, and markers flew across the papers. The tree house floated in an ocean of creativity. “How about this?” Sally came up for air from her creative dive. “On Saturday, April 21st at 10 a.m. Come experience the best lemonade ever. 23 Willow Run. Don’t forget to make a selfie and share!” Sally showed her colorful drawing of two girls smiling with a drink in their hand and taking a selfie. The words were in bright neon pink and yellow. .

 Aaron pointed at the girls on the poster, “That’s both genius and disturbing all at the same time. Genius because it looks like other advertisements. And disturbing BECAUSE it looks like other advertisements. It’s like you memorize advertisements.” 

“Have you taken a marketing class that I am unaware of?” Marcus inquired. 

“We want to make this cool. So that’s what appeared in my head when I was thinking about it. Why what did you have?” For the second time, Marcus balled up his paper and threw it in the corner. “I think I need to try again.” 

I held up mine. “Saturday the 21st, Charlotte Morgan’s Lemonade. Available at 10 a.m.” Sally smiled. “I like that, we can call it Charlotte Morgan’s Lemonade. It’s a brand!” Her face lit up. 

“Or Charlotte’s Lemonade,” replied Aaron.

 “Morgan’s Lemonade,” said Marcus.

 “I like the whole name, Charlotte Morgan’s Lemonade,” I said. 

“I do too. I like the flow,” said Sally. 

“Here! Let’s do this!” Aaron shouted, and he bent over his paper and dove back into his work. We looked over his shoulder. He came back up from the depths of his creativity, “Here’s a logo for Charlotte Morgan’s Lemonade!” He showed his drawing. A cup of lemonade with bright beams of sunlight coming out of the cup, and a smiling girl’s face, complete with brown pony tail, floated above the cup. 

“I like it!” exclaimed Sally, who seemed to be enjoying her new role as the marketing manager of this enterprise. “Let’s put that drawing on everything we do!” 

“You mean I have to draw this a hundred times?” 

“I have a scanner. Make one good copy and then we copy that and print up copies to put on the posters,” I said. Aaron took his time and redrew and colored his illustration. We scanned it on my scanner that I had in my room. 

“What are you all up to?” said Dad, popping his head into my room. The first copy of Aaron’s drawing came off the printer, and I showed it to Dad. 

“This. Aaron created a label for the lemonade stand, and we’re going to put copies of this on all the posters and fliers we make.” 

Dad looked impressed, “Wow. You have your own brand and everything.” 

“That’s exactly what I said!” Sally gushed.

 “Well, I’ll leave you hard working entrepreneurs alone.” Dad shut the door. 

“Entrepreneurs? What’s that?” Aaron asked.

 “Entrepreneurs are people that start businesses. My dad is one I guess, since he owns his own garage, where they fix cars,” said Marcus.  

“Cool, then we are entrepreneurs,” said Sally. 

“And we have one week until we open for business,” said Aaron. 

My stomach dropped to floor when he said that. And he was right. I had one week to get ready for the opening of my lemonade stand.