Book 1 · Labor Day · Ages 6–9 · By PJ King

Lulu Lilly The Great Lemonade Strike: A Labor Day Story of Bees, Bosses, and One Very Bad Batch
Lulu Lilly fired the cat. The cat did not even work there.
When Lulu finds out that Monday is Labor Day — and NOT a day about labradors — she learns something shocking: the garbage truck men come to her house every single week, and she has never once said thank you. With her WORDS. So Lulu launches Operation: Thank the Workers. One lemonade stand, one weekend, one crew of best friends.
Batch Number One goes wrong (sugar and salt live in the same white bags). The bees go wrong (bees LOVE lemonade). But mostly the boss goes wrong — because the boss is Lulu, and Boss Lulu has a whistle, a clipboard, a hat that says BOSS, and a payroll made entirely of stickers. So her crew goes on STRIKE. Even the cat joins the picket line. The FIRED cat.
Now Lulu has one weekend to run a whole lemonade empire alone and learn the biggest lesson in business: if nobody wants to work for you, the problem is probably the boss.
Why parents pick this one
- 8 short, funny chapters sized just right for one-a-night bedtime reading
- 58 black-and-white illustrations
- Lulu's Six Official Labor Day Rules (Rule 5: Rest is not lazy. Rest is part of the job.)
- An Ocean-in-a-Bottle craft — full write-up free on this site
- Includes a short, heartfelt prayer of gratitude at the end — a gentle, faith-friendly touch
Book details
- Author
- PJ King
- Reading age
- 6–9 years
- Grade level
- 1st, 2nd & 3rd grade
- Print length
- 115 pages
- Chapters
- 8 short chapters
- Illustrations
- 58 black-and-white drawings
- ASIN
- B0HCL4PTSG
- ISBN-13
- 979-8-9941657-5-1
- Published
- August 1, 2026
- Publisher
- Book Bugle Press
- End-of-book craft
- Ocean in a Bottle
- Series
- Lulu Lilly's Adventure Chapter Books
- Themes
- Work and rest, Saying thank you, Teamwork, Labor Day, Humor
What parents say
Notes from parents.
★★★★★ 5 stars
Who knew we needed a Labor Day kids book?
August 18, 2026 · Paperback
“This story had me laughing almost immediately. Lulu's confusion between "Labor" and "Labrador" is exactly the kind of joke that my kid loves. It's a genuinely funny, big-hearted Labor Day story that sneaks in real lessons about work, bosses, and treating people fairly while holding kids' attention.”
“This was a fun and heartwarming story that teaches children important lessons about teamwork, fairness, gratitude, and the value of both work and rest. Lulu's hilarious lemonade-stand mishaps and her journey from boss to thoughtful leader make the story entertaining while still delivering a meaningful message. I especially enjoyed how the story encourages kids to appreciate the everyday workers who help their communities and to show kindness when someone is going through a difficult time.”
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