The Bell Bandit by Jacqueline Davies is a 2012 novel for young adult readers and the third book in The Lemonade War Series, which explores the adventures of siblings Evan and Jessie Treski. This installment takes place during a New Year’s visit to their grandmother’s house when they discover that the beloved town bell, a symbol of community, joy, and tradition, has gone missing. As the siblings set out to solve the mystery of the stolen bell, they also navigate challenges associated with their grandmother’s worsening memory loss, changing traditions, and how community contributes to a sense of belonging.

This study guide refers to the Clarion Books paperback edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss dementia.

Plot Summary

Told in chapters that alternate the third-person perspectives of protagonists Jessie and Evan Treski, The Bell Bandit opens with nine-year-old Jessie Treski in the car with her mother, Susan Treski, and 10-year-old brother, Evan, on their way to their annual visit to their grandma’s farm. This year feels different to Jessie. Evan seems less interested in spending time with her because he’s listening to music and sitting in the car's front seat rather than in the back with her. Most concerning, though, is that Grandma is struggling with memory loss: she forgot a kettle of water on the stove and left for a walk. As a result, a fire broke out and damaged her house, and she broke her wrist from a fall when she found her house engulfed in flame. The fire is also why the Treskis drive to Grandma’s house two days after Christmas instead of the day before, as in past years.

The New Year’s Eve visit to Grandma’s is an important tradition. Each year at midnight, the community gathers at the top of Lovell’s Hill behind Grandma’s house, and the youngest and oldest members of the community that year ring the bell together to welcome the new year. Jessie cherishes this tradition and worries that all the changes this year might impede their attendance at the yearly bellringing. When they arrive at Grandma’s, Evan notes extensive damage in the kitchen and room directly above the kitchen. A man from town, Pete, arrives at the house and informs them that he will be working on the repairs. Pete’s request that Evan help him makes Evan feel that he’s responsible and a source of support to his family.

An overnight snowstorm and car trouble prevent Mrs. Treski from picking up Grandma first thing from the hospital. Jessie decides to see the bell in person and begins the trek to the hill, stopping to see whether the teepee she and Evan built last summer is still standing. She goes inside the teepee, thinking it feels safe and familiar amid so much change in her life. As she continues to the hill, her grandma’s young neighbor, Maxwell Cooper, nearly runs her over. Jessie notes that Maxwell has a peculiar affect, but she allows him to join her on the rest of the journey up the hill. When they reach the top, she sees that the bell is missing.

At Grandma’s, Evan and Pete finish work for the day as Jessie rushes into the house, exclaiming that the bell is missing. Before they can discuss it at length, Mrs. Treski arrives home with Grandma, and Evan immediately notices that Grandma seems off and tired. Jessie launches into asking Grandma about the missing bell, and it is clear to Evan that Grandma is confused. Her confusion worsens when she walks into the kitchen and sees the damage. Grandma turns and asks Evan if he is the one who did this to her kitchen. The family sees that Grandma neither recognizes Evan nor remembers the fire that caused the damage.

The next morning, Grandma seems to be feeling better, so she and Jessie work on a jigsaw puzzle together. Jessie, normally skilled with puzzles, struggles to assemble any pieces. Maxwell stops by, and Grandma leaves them to work on the puzzle while she naps. Maxwell begins putting puzzle pieces together with such ease that Jessie grows frustrated and asks if he wants to do something else instead. He suggests they watch Get Smart, an old television show about secret agents. The show gives Jessie the idea that she and Maxwell should investigate the bell’s disappearance.

Later that afternoon, Mrs. Treski asks Evan to take Grandma for a walk and to stay away from Lovell’s Hill so that Grandma does not see that the bell is missing. They walk for 15 minutes, taking an unusual path, and Evan realizes with dread as they crest a hill that they are at the top of Lovell’s Hill. Grandma becomes confused when she sees the bell is missing. No longer recognizing Evan, she accuses him of stealing it. In her upset, she falls in the snow and refuses Evan’s help. Evan momentarily struggles with what to do but then plays into Grandma’s confusion, telling her that Mrs. Treski sent him to help her return home. This information puts Grandma at ease, and she lets Evan help her.

Jessie and Maxwell are watching Get Smart when Grandma and Evan arrive home. Grandma, still confused, talks about needing to feed the chickens even though she has not kept chickens in years. Jessie gets upset, thinking Grandma is just pretending, and Mrs. Treski must take Grandma upstairs to bed. When Jessie asks Evan about Grandma’s behavior, he snaps at her, angry that Grandma remembers Jessie but does not remember him. Jessie wonders whether solving the mystery of the missing bell will help fix Grandma’s memory. She tells Maxwell they must solve the mystery soon because New Year’s Eve is the next day.

The next day, Evan is helping Pete again when he finds Grandma in the kitchen, getting ready to go for a walk. Evan tries to convince her to stay home, but she grows frustrated. Evan offers to go with her, and she agrees, but when Evan returns with his gear, Grandma is gone. Meanwhile, Jessie and Maxwell earnestly search for the bell thief. They land on two neighborhood boys, Jeff and Mike Sinclair, as their main suspects because Maxwell overheard them talking about stealing the bell. Jessie wants to spy on them, but Maxwell resists the idea. Jessie convinces him to go, and they stake out the Sinclairs’ barn. Inside, they watch Jeff and Mike build a wooden device that they try to use to tear the legs off a live frog. Distraught, Maxwell grabs a rock and throws it through the barn window before running away, screaming.

Evan begins searching for Grandma. He runs to the end of the driveway and meets Pete, who instructs him to wait at the house while he drives into town to alert Mrs. Treski that Grandma is missing. Evan decides to search for Grandma throughout the property. As he reaches the top of Lovell’s Hill, thinking she may have gone there, he hears shattering glass and begins running toward the sound. He arrives at the Sinclairs’ barn and finds his sister confronting Jeff and Mike. The brothers threaten to harm Jessie and Evan for damaging their property but back down when Evan stands up to them.

After rescuing the frog, Jessie and Evan decide to look for Grandma. They retrace the steps of her favorite walk. When they reach Lovell’s Hill, Evan, beginning to cry, says he is cold and scared. His feelings inspire Jessie, who leads Evan to the teepee, where they find Grandma unharmed but confused. She thinks she is waiting for the bus that used to take her to her community college classes when she was a young woman. Evan tells Grandma he works for the bus company and is there to take her home. Grandma allows Evan to lead her home.

At home, Evan and Jessie reunite with their mother. Evan offers to take Jessie to Maxwell’s house. Jessie explains to his mother what happened at the Sinclairs’ barn and asks Mrs. Cooper why Maxwell acts the way he does. She explains that even though Maxwell is highly intelligent, he sees and experiences the world differently from others and that certain things are challenging for him, such as noises, changes in routine, and understanding emotions. In his room, Jessie asks Maxwell if he thinks the Sinclair boys have the bell. Maxwell explains that he took the bell down to protect it after hearing the boys talk about stealing it. He had not told Jessie before because he thought she wanted to figure it out herself. With the mystery solved, Jessie, Maxwell, and Evan work together to get the bell back to Lovell’s Hill right away to have it ready for midnight.

Near midnight, Evan and Jessie gather with the community at the top of Lovell’s Hill. Evan greets Pete and his family and tells Pete of his family’s plans to leave the next day, taking Grandma home with them, possibly forever. Midnight approaches, and the moment is bittersweet. Grandma would have been the eldest person had she been able to attend, but she is resting at home with Mrs. Treski. Suddenly, Jessie and Evan see Grandma cresting the hill. Grandma says she is ready to ring the bell but wants Maxwell and Jessie to join her. She also motions to Evan and whispers that while she does not know who he is exactly, she knows in her heart that she knows him. They ring in the new year together, and Evan notices that Grandma’s laughter sounds like her old self. Evan wishes Jessie a Happy New Year over the sound of the bell’s song.