Eleanor

I had a bad August. A very bad August. As bad as pickle juice on a cookie. As bad as a spider web on your leg. As bad as the black parts on a banana. I hope your August was better. I really do. When Eleanor's beloved babysitter, Bibi, has to move away to take care of her ailing father, Eleanor must try to bear the summer without Bibi and prepare for the upcoming school year. Her new, less-than-perfect babysitter just isn't up to snuff, and she doesn't take care of things like Bibi used to. But as the school year looms, it's time for new beginnings. Eleanor soon realizes that she will always have Bibi, no matter how far away she is. Written in a lyrical style with thoughtful and charming illustrations throughout, this remarkable debut novel tells a poignant story of friendship and the bittersweet feelings of growing up.

I hate camp. I just hate it. I wish I didn't. But I do. Being here is worse than bug juice on a burger. Or homework on Thanksgiving. Or water seeping into my shoes. In this sequel to the critically acclaimed Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie, Eleanor is off to summer camp. At first she's excited to carry on the family tradition at Camp Wallumwahpuck, but when she gets there she finds icky bugs, terrible food, and worst of all: swim class, where she just can't seem to keep up with everyone else. But as the days go on, Eleanor realizes that even the most miserable situations can be full of special surprises and that growing up is full of belly flops. Praise for Like Bug Juice on a Burger "Eleanor doesn't just survive, she grows...Readers will celebrate and look forward to more." -Kirkus Reviews "Sternberg gets all of the details exactly right, from the "orange, oozing sloppy joes†? to the frustrations of trying to swim in a life jacket. susan dove lempke." -The HornBook "This is a really sweet novel in verse and a good sequel to Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie (Abrams, 2011), though it works fine as a stand-alone." -School Library Journal "Eleanor's tentative yet heartfelt voice comes through as clearly as in the first volume, with the short, ragged-right-margin lines as approachable as her personality. Sternberg is particularly deft at leaving young-reader-sized room for interpretation and extrapolation." -The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "This sequel to Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie (2011) is just as endearing and wise, illustrating how small triumphs can help children survive what, at the time, seems an insurmountable trial." -Booklist Award Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbons List 2013 Honor list - 2014 Gryphon Award|Julie Sternberg, formerly a lawyer for the ACLU, received her MFA from The New School. She is the author of Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie, Like Bug Juice on a Burger, and Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake. She lives in New York City.; Matthew Cordell is the author-illustrator of many children's books, including Wish, Dream, and, most recently, Wolf in the Snow. He lives outside of Chicago.

I did a mean thing. A very mean thing. I HATE that I did it. But I did. This is worse than carrot juice on a cupcake or a wasp on my pillow or a dress that's too tight at the neck. In the third installment from the team who created Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie and Like Bug Juice on a Burger, Eleanor's relationship with her best friend, Pearl, experiences its first growing pains. When a glamorous new student transfers to school, at first Eleanor's excited about the possibility of a new friend. But when Pearl is assigned to be the new girl's buddy, Eleanor fears she can't compete. To make matters worse, Eleanor's been chosen for the lead role in the springtime musical, which means she has to sing a solo in front of the entire school! From overcoming stage fright to having a secret crush, young readers will relate to Eleanor as she navigates the bittersweet waters of growing up.