Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie

"Is there a story here?" That's the question Julie Sternberg asked herself as she and her husband drove their young girls around town after hearing news that their beloved babysitter was moving away. Everything that Julie and her husband suggested doing brought up memories of the cherished sitter. Reaching down into her bag, Julie pulled out notebook and pen and wrote the first pages of Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie. (Click HERE for a video of the author.)

I had a bad August.

A very bad August.

As bad as pickle juice on a cookie.
As bad as a spiderweb on your leg.
As bad as the black parts of a banana.
I hope your August was better.
I really do.

Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie is a sweetly written book about a soon-to-be third grader named Eleanor. Eleanor is having a terrible August because she has learned that her babysitter, Bibi, is moving away to Florida to take care of her sick father. Bibi has been her babysitter for Eleanor's entire eight years.

Eleanor is having a tough time coping with this change in her life. Nothing seems to be much fun anymore. And everything reminds her of Bibi. Then Natalie, a new babysitter, arrives. Natalie spends time playing mancala, a marble game, with Eleanor. Natalie waits patiently with her for the mail carrier who never seems to have the greatly desired letter from Bibi that Eleanor anticipates. All of Natalie's kindness and understanding seem lost on Eleanor. Will Eleanor adapt to this change in her life? Will she accept Natalie and come to terms with Bibi's move?

Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie is a great story for a young reader who might be experiencing a change in their own life. Whether a lost friendship, a move to a new school, or a greater loss of a parent or a family member, this book could help younger readers cope with their own feelings of bereavement.

Visit Julie's website HERE.

Let's not forget the wonderful illustrator of this book, Matthew Cordell. Visit his website HERE. You may recognize some of his other works. (And take a peek at Leap Back Home to Me...I must put my hands on this book! It looks fantastic!)

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

And the 2011 Newbery Medal Winner Goes To...

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

"Abilene Tucker's aiming to learn about her father's childhood in Manifest, Kansas. Having heard his stories of the town in its 1918 heyday, Abilene's disappointed to find Manifest's a dried up Depression town. But her disappointment turns into intrigue when she discovers a hidden cigar box containing old letters, a collection of momentos, and mention of a spy known as The Rattler.

"Those mysterious words send Abilene and her new friends on a spy hunt even though they are warned to Leave Well Enough Alone. The more she hears, the more she's determined to learn what role her father played in Manifest's secret history."

Click HERE to go to the book's website.

The four Newbery Honor winners are...

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Not only did One Crazy Summer win a Newbery Honor, but this book also won the Coretta Scott King Award. Visit my last post HERE to read more about this book (also the winner of the Scott O'Dell Award).

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

I LOVED this book and would highly recommend it to all middle grade readers. See my small post HERE I wrote during my Bookaday challenge over holiday vacation. I was so happy to see this garner an award.

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman

"Welcome to the night, where mice stir and furry moths flutter. Where snails spiral into shells as orb spiders circle in silk. Where the roots of oak trees recover and repair from their time in the light. Where the porcupette eats delicacies --raspberry leaves!--and coos and sings.

"Come out to the cool, night wood, and buzz and hoot and howl--but beware of the great horned owl--for it's wild and it's windy way out in the woods!"

I have not read Dark Emperor, but I am a big fan of Joyce Sidman's This is Just to Say: Poems of Apologies and Forgiveness. I use it every year with my sixth grade students. We read through her poetry and then try some poems of apology and forgiveness ourselves. They are always great!

Click HERE to view the book trailer (YouTube).

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

"In 1841, a Japanese fishing vessel sinks. Its crew is forced to swim to a small, unknown island, where they are rescued by a passing American ship. Japan's borders remain closed to all Western nations, so the crew sets off to America, learning English on the way.

"Manjiro, a fourteen-year-old boy, is curious and eager to learn everything he can about his new culture. Eventually the captain adopts Manjiro and takes him to his home in New England. The boy lives for some time in New England, and then heads to San Fransisco to pan for gold. After many years, he makes it back to Japan, only to be imprisoned as an outsider. With his hard-won knowledge of the West, Manjiro is in a unique position to persuade the shogun to ease open the boundaries around Japan; he may even achieve his unlikely dream of becoming a samurai."

This book is based on the true story of Manjiro Nakahama. Read more about him HERE.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!