I am all for works of fantasy and sci-fi to tell stories that pull the reader into different worlds and experiences. However, there's something to be said about introducing a piece of realistic fiction to an emerging reader so that they can feel that 'so someone has felt the same things that I have' feeling. When you're growing up, it's so easy to feel isolated and alien. You feel like your problems are huge and that no one could possibly understand your pains, frustrations, or anguish. And then a little book like this one comes along. Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg follows a little girl called Eleanor who experiences suffers abandonment and all the attendant stages of grief that come along after when the babysitter she's had her entire life moves away. With Eleanor's adjustment to a new babysitter who is wholly different from Bibi, she learns that sometimes change is good and relationships can survive distance. This is a good lesson for us all I think. This book is perfect for the emerging reader (probably why it was recommended in Excellent Books for Early and Eager Readers). It's written in short, simple sentences (somewhat oddly structured on each page) with illustrations by Matthew Cordell liberally spread throughout. 7/10 ( )

A part of a series this is a great book for 4-6th grade. It is about a girl who seems to find the worst in everything but later learns an important lesson. ( )

I have mixed feelings about this book. I like the organization of the text. There are only a few words on every line, so it is not overwhelming for students to read. The illustrations in this book are also distributed well, so kids can see pictures on almost every page without the page being too busy. The language in this book was easy to understand, making it a great story for children who are beginning to read chapter books. I interpreted the big idea of this book to be that when something sad happens, something good will come to balance it out. In this story, a girl named Eleanor loves her babysitter, so she is devastated to discover that she is moving to Florida. Eleanor is very sad for most of the story, but she gets a new babysitter named Natalie who is very nice to her. Although Natalie cannot replace Bibi, her old babysitter, things begin to get better for Eleanor when she makes new memories with Natalie and gets a letter in the mail from Bibi. This story helps children understand that it is okay to be sad when life doesn’t go as planned, but it will never be the end of the world. Better things always come with time. This is a great message, but I feel like it could have been portrayed in a better way. Eleanor is very upset and negative for most of the book, which does not encourage readers to be positive. There are a few times where this book does not promote polite behavior. For example, when Natalie introduced herself to Eleanor, the first thing Eleanor said was “Don’t ever call be Ellie. Please”. Although Eleanor was not happy about having a new babysitter, a more appropriate response would have been “Nice to meet you, Natalie.” in order to help children understand what is socially acceptable when meeting someone new. Toward the end of the book, Eleanor warms up to Natalie, but her character development still was not as strong as it could have been. The ending could have been improved by implying that Eleanor wanted to have a strong relationship with Natalie and was just as happy having her as a babysitter. Overall, this is a good read for students, but there are definitely some aspects that could have been improved upon. ( )

Marshmallow Fluff

Eleanor is eight. Which means that the children reading it are probably 7 or 8. But it's an easy enough read for 5 year olds, and often Eleanor acts like she's 5 or even younger. I kept wanting to tell her to act her age and stop complaining and being so self-centered. But I guess kids who never experience any hardship greater than a babysitter moving away don't have a chance to develop empathy for the billions of kids who aren't that fortunate.

I wonder if any real-life teacher writes welcome letters like Mr. C? That's a pretty neat idea.

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A fun story about a young girl who losses her beloved babysitter. The story follows Eleanor's emotions of bonding with a new babysitter, finding new friends, and having fun without her old babysitter.
This story seemed to explain children emotions very well, but do not think it is an important book for a classroom. ( )