Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake by Julie Sternberg

Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake by Julie Sternberg. Illustrated by Matthew Cordell. 183 p. Amulet Books, March 18, 2014. 9781419710339. (Review from finished copy courtesy of publicist.)

Eleanor, my favorite worrier, is back in a third volume and I couldn't be more delighted. If you haven't read Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie or Like Bug Juice on a Burger, don't worry. This can stand alone but I do recommend reading them or reading them aloud to a group of young children. Eleanor's worries and fears are every child's worries and fears. Children will feel comfortable discussing these at story-time.

In the first novel, Eleanor copes with the loss of her favorite babysitter and learns to trust and love a new one. In the second, she spends a few weeks at sleep-away camp and makes a new friend. In Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake, not only is Eleanor's best-friendship with Pearl threatened by a new girl, she finds her shy self cast as the lead in the class play! Not only does she have to sing for an audience, but she has to kiss Nicholas in it as well. Nicholas, who writes her sweet notes that she saves and kicks her chair, "not too hard." 

Eleanor is likable and relatable. The interactions between her and her friends, classmates, parents and teachers are authentic and familiar. The blank verse flows nicely. I love how the author perfectly distills everyday moments and interactions in a child's universe. The plentiful spot art adds to the story. Illustrator, Matthew Cordell conveys emotion with just a few strokes of the pen as well as plenty of humor. Both the author and illustrator nail the small moments - the friendships, the dialogues, the worries and skirmishes.

I hope there will be more Eleanor books in the future. What kind of juice can the next one be? 

Edited to add: Found this out on @SternbergJulie - a curriculum guide!
Author'S web page and illustrator's web page.