This Cookie Will Change Your Life

by Ann Dee Ellis

Do you love cookies? Have you ever felt alone in a room full of people? This novel is for you.

It’s the summer after sixth grade when a group of classmates turn up at the library at the same time. They know each other, but they’re not friends. The truth is, they each spend a lot of time alone. Which is why it’s so unexpected when Tilly, Jada, Eleanor, and Mateo create a cookie baking business together. It just kind of happens.

The problem is their plans keep falling apart. But each failure only makes them more determined to make something—anything—work. Because what they need more than anything is an escape from the loneliness and anxiety that comes with middle school. They want to be a part of something. And in the end, the one thing that goes right is their decision to count on each other.

Genres: Middle Grade, Grief, Friendship, Mental Health

352 pages, Hardcover

Published May 13, 2025

About the author

Ann Dee (pronounced "Andy") Ellis received an MA from Brigham Young University, where she now works as an instructor for creative writing for children and young adults. She lives in Utah with her husband and two young sons.

Reviews

[Janssen]

This was a fun read aloud although my kids were unsatisfied with the ending

[Raaven💖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this isn’t my usual type of book but it was so sweet! Thank you to Peach Tree for sending it to me.

I love stories about ragtag groups of misfits. I also love how the library was able to bring everyone together! They all had their own issues but were still able to work together on a dream. This was a super cute book and I appreciated the representation of different family dynamics and lifestyles! Also it felt like actual children were telling the story.

[Joelle Cullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you @peachtreepublishing for this adorable MG book.

This Cookie Will Change Your Life by Ann Dee Ellis reminds me of a middle grade Breakfast Club. My daughter gives it 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My 11 year old's thoughts: I loved the book and I liked how the author showed different characters' perspectives of the plot. I would recommend this to others!!!

[Cami Petty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was full of fun, intrigue, and hope! I was absolutely impressed with how this book which is tailored for kids was so fun to read and applicable for adults. I was often laughing or stopped in shocked with this book. The premise overall is simple, but the book was well paced with lots of twists and turns that kept me hooked!

The book is multi-POV written in 3rd person, but it almost feels like 1st person each time because of how well fleshed out the characters thoughts/ feelings/ little quirks were. I absolutely love each character. Their thinking is all so different, but each are charming in their own way.

The book takes place in Provo, Utah, which is very fun if you’ve ever lived in the area because it makes the feeling more immersive as you travel through town as it mentions real places and popular brand names. Though it’s definitely not a necessity to understand the setting/ plot of the book.

As an adult, I really enjoy middle-grade books because sometimes I just want something a little lighter and easier to digest. I’ve read a lot of middle-grade books and sometimes they just don’t hit quite right. This book cannot be amongst those! It is probably one of the best examples I know of middle grade reading that is enjoyable for youth and was enjoyable for me as an adult! On par with Harry Potter level on enjoyment.

I am going to be looking into Ann Dee Ellis’ other books very soon, and I would read this again if I need an uplifting laugh.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this cookie might not change anyone's life, this book [3.5 for me!] about cookies and five loners just might. Led by Eloise, who loves to organize things, they band together to bake and sell cookies at a large open-air market in order to raise money for a trip to California. Since the story is narrated by each of the five rising seventh graders might seem to have nothing in common, but somehow, they come together and are there for each other despite several disappointments and setbacks. As usual with this author, there's so much more to each of these characters and their stories than readers can see and all of them are dealing with complex situations and emotions. And how cleverly the author manages to leave readers feeling hopeful despite how everything turns out! It sort of reminds me of the classic film, The Breakfast Club.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

This was a cute story about friendship and the importance of having a group of people who will support you through hard times, but I'm not really quite sure what the point was. The plot never really went much of anywhere, and while I liked the characters and the alternating points of view, I was left feeling like there wasn't a whole lot of point. I can see the appeal for young readers as far as the characters are concerned, but there wasn't a lot about the story that ever really developed or wrapped up. Overall, I thought the book fell a bit flat.

[CONSTANCE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both a heartwarming and heart wrenching story of five kids during the summer after 6th grade and the plan they come up with to make enough money to go to California. Tilly, Jada, Eloise, Mateo, and Herschel aren’t friends although at one time Tilly and Mateo were and Eloise and Herschel were, but times have changed that. Now they are all loners until they start working on a plan to sell cookies at the fair. Jada researches cookies in Ina Garten cookbooks while Mateo makes the ones his grandmother taught him to make. And by the end of the book, you will be craving cookies and rooting for these kids.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of a group of kids who are new friends and trying to sell cookies to go to California. I didn’t like all the specific references to Provo. I think it was distracting and unnecessary. It might make it less appealing for those unfamiliar with Provo. I liked the characters but it seemed like each one had really big home life problems which then culminated in the stepdad’s heart attack. I would have DNF except it was for Book Club.

Update- after Book Club and talking to my friends about why they liked it, I realized there were some things I did like. I did like the characters and it made me think about how I treat my kids friends and how I want to be the kind, loving, and welcoming place to land for anyone.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Ellis! She makes me laugh out loud and her characters are always so quirky and real. They also have real challenges, and she brings you into the thoughts of kids trying to sort through really hard realities. I wanted to be around this group of kids and see what’s next for them. A testament to the power of seeing and loving each other for exactly who we are.

[Jill Miskin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live in Utah County and all the places in this book were familiar and charming. I loved the group of kids that had really big plans and big ideas and used whatever resources they could to make a go of those plans.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun book by a local author set in Provo! Characters are complex and interesting and the dream of selling enough cookies to take a trip to California seems almost attainable! Super fun middle grade book.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun read abt a grp of kids who don’t really know each other well and deciding to make cookies to earn $ for their own reasons. Can they do it? #friendship

[Susan]

Rating/review withheld until after Whitney Awards judging is complete.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

well now I want a cookie

[Meghan Costigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute YA book about the power of coming together & working toward a common goal regardless of your differences

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, this book involves friendship and baking, but it is not the cozy and cute book I thought it would be (it's a lot more than that). It pulls no punches, and takes a deep dive into some heavy but realistic issues. This is not even a complete list, but the characters deal with loneliness, depression, death of a parent (in the past), bullying by an older sibling, emotionally unavailable parents, a grandparent with dementia, and more. The book is written in an incredibly engaging way, and with such loveable and realistic characters. There is a lot of humor and so much heart throughout the book, particularly in the way the characters meet and form their own found family. It would have been a 5 star read had the ending been not so abrupt.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Odd chains of events bring together four deeply unhappy children in a study room in the public library. Tilly is determined to run away from her home, since her father and older brother are always angry and abusive. Mateo's grandmother has dementia and has moved in with the family. Jada's father is gone, and her mother has moved them from California so that she can work at the public library; Jada is angry and dresses in a lot of black. Eloise's father died, and her mother has remarried Barry. Eloise has decided that she wants to go to California, and plans on earning the money to do this by selling her gourmet cookies that she thinks are better than Crumbl's. She floats this business idea to the three others, and since they all would like to escape their lives and go to California, they all agree. In order to set up at the local farmers' market in three days, they need to develop and taste test cookies, bake them, and pay $575 to the market for stall space. Luckily, Tilly has a food handler's permit. Eloise's former friend Herschel is the only one whom seems to actually know how to bake, but Eloise is fighting with him and doesn't want his cookies. All of the kids make unsuccessful attempts at baking; in Tilly's case, her father and brother eat the cookies, and an argument ensues. When a tragedy occurs in Eloise's family, the group still thinks they can run a stall. While they manage to set up, but no one brings any cookies. Jada's mother often makes gourmet popcorn, so the group sells some of that. While their trip to California is unlikely, the serendipitous friendship helps all of the kids out.

This is a character driven novel that explores the back stories of a varied group of children who are all dealing with different kinds of personal drama. There are a lot of details about random things, like In a Garten, Crumbl and other gourmet cookies, and the interchanges that the characters have had with each other before the story starts, which gives this a contemplative, slow moving quality. This is a good choice for readers who are interested in back stories of the characters navigating trauma in books like Anderson's Ms. Bixby's Last Day or Korman's The Fort.

[Dara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mentioned in my favorites post that I read my first 5 star middle grade book of this year – well, I also read my second! This sweet book is about a group of middle schoolers who end up together coincidentally and decide to sell cookies to raise money to go to CA. Each of them has family issues and they bond with one another, forming wonderful friendships. I really enjoyed these kids and learning about their stories. The chapters were from each of their viewpoints and I was able to tell the difference between their individual voices, which is sometimes hard with multi viewpoint stories. I liked how they all ended up supporting each other!