Like Pickle Juice On A Cookie
by Julie Sternberg, published 2011
“After her very important call my mom sat on the couch with me and read five whole chapters of a book to me… And when we got to the happy ending, my mom’s eyes got red …My mom always cries at happy endings.”
Here’s one of the absolute best early readers/first chapter books I’ve come across. The writing in this children’s book is simple, laid out with only a few words on a line for ease of reading. The story is told first person by a third grade girl. The vocabulary is very accessible, and the chapters are short. Best of all, it’s a great story. It’s a story that makes you happy to read.
The plot is simple – the family babysitter is moving away, and Eleanor deals with accepting change. But it’s not the plot that makes the children’s book so good. Rather, it’s the lovely way every day moments and feelings are captured and expressed in a way that children can easily relate to.
I wish all early readers were like this. I started this website determined for find good children’s books to inspire reading, but many of the books for the younger age are so flat. This children’s book sets a new standard. I hope other authors can follow. This book can easily be read aloud for the younger children who are not ready to tackle it on their own. Meanwhile, the author has created several other books in the same genre that I’ll going to track down.
