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Cookie Chronicles #7
Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Destiny
320 pages, Hardcover
Published August 19, 2025
2 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Swanson
51 books83 followersMatthew Swanson (and his wife Robbi Behr) are author and illustrator of the critically acclaimed Cookie Chronicles series, The Real McCoys trilogy, and the picture books Sunrise Summer, Babies Ruin Everything, and Everywhere, Wonder. When not advocating for local schools, giving talks on creative entrepreneurship, or running a summer salmon fishing operation on the Alaskan tundra, we live in an old barn on the Eastern Shore of Maryland—making books and raising our four kids.
Matthew and Robbi will spend the 2022-2023 school year crisscrossing the United States in a school bus/tiny home with our four kids, visiting underserved elementary schools in all 50 states (plus DC), and giving away 25,000 free hardcover books to students and teachers from low-income communities. To learn more about the Busload of Books tour, go to: www.busloadofbooks.com.
Matthew and Robbi will spend the 2022-2023 school year crisscrossing the United States in a school bus/tiny home with our four kids, visiting underserved elementary schools in all 50 states (plus DC), and giving away 25,000 free hardcover books to students and teachers from low-income communities. To learn more about the Busload of Books tour, go to: www.busloadofbooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 31, 2025
E ARC provided by the publisher
After five books of funny adventures, Ben is faced with his worst dilemma yet: his parents are moving him to California. He's clearly not happy about this, and will miss his friends Walter and Darby, but especially Janet. As the family is getting the rental travel trailer ready to pull out, Aunt Nora decides that she will go with them and get a job in California, but Janet is not around to say goodbye. The mother has a very strict schedule of activities and miles to be logged, so isn't thrilled with the addition of Aunt Nora, but eventually, they get on the road. The father has a promise of a better (i.e. more remunerative) job, but Ben doesn't care. He's surly, and having a broken bathroom, and having tasty leftovers disappear from the fridge don't help. Eventually, he finds that Janet has stowed away and has been hiding in the bathroom, wearing a helmet since the toilet doesn't have a seat belt. Aunt Nora knows about her, but thinks it's best to wait until they are a little farther from home so they don't turn around to return her. Janet and Ben try to come up with a plan to insure that Ben doesn't have to move; Janet has a list of ideas that includes becoming a rock star, winning the lottery, finding a rare coin, etc. The group doesn't make good enough time to see the Crater of Diamonds, disappointing Ben's mom, as well as Janet, who hoped to find a diamond. The trailer has all kinds of problems, and when a tire goes flat, it's discovered that the father didn't pay extra to have a spare. After trying to sing for donations in Nashville (Arkansas!), hoping to be discovered, Janet is found out by Ben's parents. They call her folks, and arrange to put her on a plane when they get to California. Ben and Janet buy a lottery ticket that doesn't pay off, think the parents are speaking in flower code, and talk about building a time machine. The father ends up driving the wrong way when the mother is napping, and the trailer leaks horribly in the rain, leading the group to stay in a hotel. Ben and Janet find a dog, Goji, while taking coins from a fountain, and Ben is allowed to keep the puppy. At a restaurant, the ever impulsive Nora meets a waitress with a similar tattoo to her own, and decides to take a job and stay there. It's almost time for Janet's flight, but the group still isn't in California. The parents finally tell Ben more of the reasons that they need to move to California, but when the father gets a communication about his job, it seems like Ben and Janet might not have to be separated after all.
Strengths: The authors loaded their own four children up and went on a nationwide school book tour in a travel trailer, so they bring a lot of first hand experience to this humorous adventure. There are lots of fun sights and activities along the way. Younger readers will appreciate the schemes that Ben and Janet have to convince Ben's parents that he shouldn't move. There are lots of themes from other books in the seriesthat show up here, although not quite as many cookies. As always, the mix of illustrations and text is quite well done, so we get vivid pictures of how Ben's family is living. The text is large, so this isn't quite as long as most books of 320 pages are.
Weaknesses: I bought the first two books in this series for my 6-8 middle school library, but they haven't circulated particularly well, despite the brilliant formatting. I found it a bit hard to believe that the father was so incompetent... the trailer was a wreck, and he has no back up plan for when things fall through. How are they going home? Didn't they sell their house? If you were able to believe that The Vanderbeekers had no back up plan when their lease was up, this won't bother you. Aunt Nora also seemed like she might need some assistance.
What I really think: This could be the last book in the series, but we could also see more of Ben's adventures back home. Third and fourth grade readers who like notebook novels and are not daunted by the length (320 pages) of this book are the sweet sport for the goofy humor and somewhat magical thinking in which Ben and Janet engage. I would definitely buy this series for an elementary library.
After five books of funny adventures, Ben is faced with his worst dilemma yet: his parents are moving him to California. He's clearly not happy about this, and will miss his friends Walter and Darby, but especially Janet. As the family is getting the rental travel trailer ready to pull out, Aunt Nora decides that she will go with them and get a job in California, but Janet is not around to say goodbye. The mother has a very strict schedule of activities and miles to be logged, so isn't thrilled with the addition of Aunt Nora, but eventually, they get on the road. The father has a promise of a better (i.e. more remunerative) job, but Ben doesn't care. He's surly, and having a broken bathroom, and having tasty leftovers disappear from the fridge don't help. Eventually, he finds that Janet has stowed away and has been hiding in the bathroom, wearing a helmet since the toilet doesn't have a seat belt. Aunt Nora knows about her, but thinks it's best to wait until they are a little farther from home so they don't turn around to return her. Janet and Ben try to come up with a plan to insure that Ben doesn't have to move; Janet has a list of ideas that includes becoming a rock star, winning the lottery, finding a rare coin, etc. The group doesn't make good enough time to see the Crater of Diamonds, disappointing Ben's mom, as well as Janet, who hoped to find a diamond. The trailer has all kinds of problems, and when a tire goes flat, it's discovered that the father didn't pay extra to have a spare. After trying to sing for donations in Nashville (Arkansas!), hoping to be discovered, Janet is found out by Ben's parents. They call her folks, and arrange to put her on a plane when they get to California. Ben and Janet buy a lottery ticket that doesn't pay off, think the parents are speaking in flower code, and talk about building a time machine. The father ends up driving the wrong way when the mother is napping, and the trailer leaks horribly in the rain, leading the group to stay in a hotel. Ben and Janet find a dog, Goji, while taking coins from a fountain, and Ben is allowed to keep the puppy. At a restaurant, the ever impulsive Nora meets a waitress with a similar tattoo to her own, and decides to take a job and stay there. It's almost time for Janet's flight, but the group still isn't in California. The parents finally tell Ben more of the reasons that they need to move to California, but when the father gets a communication about his job, it seems like Ben and Janet might not have to be separated after all.
Strengths: The authors loaded their own four children up and went on a nationwide school book tour in a travel trailer, so they bring a lot of first hand experience to this humorous adventure. There are lots of fun sights and activities along the way. Younger readers will appreciate the schemes that Ben and Janet have to convince Ben's parents that he shouldn't move. There are lots of themes from other books in the seriesthat show up here, although not quite as many cookies. As always, the mix of illustrations and text is quite well done, so we get vivid pictures of how Ben's family is living. The text is large, so this isn't quite as long as most books of 320 pages are.
Weaknesses: I bought the first two books in this series for my 6-8 middle school library, but they haven't circulated particularly well, despite the brilliant formatting. I found it a bit hard to believe that the father was so incompetent... the trailer was a wreck, and he has no back up plan for when things fall through. How are they going home? Didn't they sell their house? If you were able to believe that The Vanderbeekers had no back up plan when their lease was up, this won't bother you. Aunt Nora also seemed like she might need some assistance.
What I really think: This could be the last book in the series, but we could also see more of Ben's adventures back home. Third and fourth grade readers who like notebook novels and are not daunted by the length (320 pages) of this book are the sweet sport for the goofy humor and somewhat magical thinking in which Ben and Janet engage. I would definitely buy this series for an elementary library.
August 26, 2025
3.75⭐️
My 10 year old loved it so much that it’s a 5 star read for her.
I wish I had loved it as much as her and even though it wasn’t a road trip disaster like The Vanderbeekers one, it is still my least favorite book of the series.
I felt the Fortune Cookie theme wasn’t as big as with the other books, but I did like the ending and Ben’s thoughts on the subject of cookie advice.
Maybe I just missed it on the other books but Ben’s Dad felt so comically untrustworthy, like it was a different person all together.
Overall, I would still recommend the entire series but don’t expect much from the journey of the last book, at least not until the wisdom at the end.
My 10 year old loved it so much that it’s a 5 star read for her.
I wish I had loved it as much as her and even though it wasn’t a road trip disaster like The Vanderbeekers one, it is still my least favorite book of the series.
I felt the Fortune Cookie theme wasn’t as big as with the other books, but I did like the ending and Ben’s thoughts on the subject of cookie advice.
Maybe I just missed it on the other books but Ben’s Dad felt so comically untrustworthy, like it was a different person all together.
Overall, I would still recommend the entire series but don’t expect much from the journey of the last book, at least not until the wisdom at the end.
September 2, 2025
Not as good as the others but still okay. The fortune cookie theme didn't play a big part. It seemed more based off the actual roadtrip the author and his family took, which is pretty neat.I was thrown when first read about Ben and his family moving to California, thought I missed something but it all comes together. A little hard to believe that Janet spent all that time hiding (stowing away) in the broken bathroom of the camper. I did enjoy this book , several funny adventures , just sad to say it's the last.
October 20, 2025
I love these books fiercely and this one was great too although it's more metaphysical and apparently concludes the series. :(
Just a tidbit--these books are bound so tightly and have so many illustrations (requiring lots of manipulations of my book weight to turn pages and see what's on each page) that reading it was causing my hands to flare again so I set it aside. It made me so sad that eventually Alex figured out how to hold it for me--while he was holding the book he was reading at the same time, so I finished it that way. Isn't he amazing??
Just a tidbit--these books are bound so tightly and have so many illustrations (requiring lots of manipulations of my book weight to turn pages and see what's on each page) that reading it was causing my hands to flare again so I set it aside. It made me so sad that eventually Alex figured out how to hold it for me--while he was holding the book he was reading at the same time, so I finished it that way. Isn't he amazing??
September 18, 2025
4.5 stars
This might be my favorite of the series.
This might be my favorite of the series.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews