Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie

Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie
by Julie Sternberg
Amulet Books, 2011. 119 pgs. Intermediate

When Eleanor's parents tell her they have "difficult news," she thinks Grandma Sadie may have died. But the news is even more difficult than that. Her beloved babysitter Bibi is moving away. This news is "like pickle juice on a cookie," or a black banana, or a spiderweb stuck on your leg. All through the terrible August after Bibi leaves, Eleanor thinks of all she is missing with Bibi gone, and all the things her new babysitter Natalie does that are not like what Bibi did. Her parents make her play with the Terrible Agnes because her friend Pearl is gone for the summer, and she accidentally starts reading Moby Dick for summer reading. But one day Eleanor notices that August has become September, that Pearl is back, that she really does like Natalie, and nothing seems so terrible anymore. Sternberg's free verse story of disappointment and renewal, accompanied by Matthew Cordell's witty drawings is a perfect beginning chapter book for little girls facing unwanted changes, or for anyone wanting a gentle, funny story.

Comments

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...

Review: I Hate Everything!

I Hate Everything! By Sophy Henn New York: Beach Lane Books, 2025. Picture Book. Two ghosts are floating atop a solid colored background. The first one yells, “I HATE EVERYTHING!” The second ghost responds, “Really?” Thus, begins the conversation which helps the first ghost realize that they don’t actually hate everything. This is a great picture book that is all about feelings and ghosts. The simple speech bubbles will allow even young preschoolers to understand what is happening. The illustrations though simple, have clever bits that readers will laugh out loud at. Basically, this is a brilliant book that every young reader who is mad at the world (or who knows someone who seems to be mad at the world) should read.

Review: The Library in the Woods

The Library in the Woods Written by Calvin Alexander Ramsey Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie Minneapolis, MN : Carolrhoda Books, 2025. Picture Book. I am always intrigued by picture books that tell stories from the past in beautiful and meaningful ways, leaving the reader educated, and also hopeful and inspired. This book definitely did that for me! The cover is a beautiful peek into the story waiting on the pages. Junior and his family have lived on a farm that is having a hard time producing what it needs to for the family to survive economically. The parents make the hard decision to move away from the farm and into the city. Junior misses a lot of things about his life in the country. However, when Junior's friends tell him about a library in the woods, things change for him in the best way! He is amazed by the seemingly endless collection of books, and is eager to check some out for his family. Junior excitedly borrows a few books, including one about a farmer for his dad ...

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog