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Swirl
Peppermint Cocoa Crushes: A Swirl Novel
Friends, cocoa, crushes... catastrophe!
Sasha is so excited. 'Tis the season for snow, gifts, peppermint cocoa, and the Holidaze Spectacular -- the school's variety show competition with an amazing grand prize! She and her best friends, twins Karly and Kevin, are working on a dance routine for it, and Sasha is sure they'll win. She's also sure that her crush -- Kevin -- likes her back. She just needs to find a way to tell him.
But then nothing goes as planned. Karly disappears into quiz bowl, things with Kevin are going nowhere, and Sasha's head is spinning between rehearsals, homework, and volunteer commitments. Everything is falling apart! Can Sasha repair a friendship, figure out her crush, and still make the most of her moment in the spotlight?
Sasha is so excited. 'Tis the season for snow, gifts, peppermint cocoa, and the Holidaze Spectacular -- the school's variety show competition with an amazing grand prize! She and her best friends, twins Karly and Kevin, are working on a dance routine for it, and Sasha is sure they'll win. She's also sure that her crush -- Kevin -- likes her back. She just needs to find a way to tell him.
But then nothing goes as planned. Karly disappears into quiz bowl, things with Kevin are going nowhere, and Sasha's head is spinning between rehearsals, homework, and volunteer commitments. Everything is falling apart! Can Sasha repair a friendship, figure out her crush, and still make the most of her moment in the spotlight?
256 pages, Paperback
First published October 24, 2017
26 people are currently reading
415 people want to read
About the author
Laney Nielson
2 books11 followersLaney Nielson is a writer of middle grade stories and lots of to-do lists. She is a former classroom teacher with her masters in education. As a teacher, Laney loved teaching reading and writing (surprise, surprise) and nothing makes her happier than a student falling in love with a book or finding their voice. Laney grew up moving every three or four years. Among the places she has called home are New Jersey, Virginia, Vermont, Hong Kong, New York City, London, Washington, D.C., Boston and now Plano, Texas where she lives with her family. Laney is happy to say, most days writing is on the top of her to-do list.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 2, 2023
great book! I found it very interesting and exciting that i couldn't stop reading!
I'm giving this book a solide three stars.
I'm giving this book a solide three stars.
February 4, 2018
Interest Level: 3-6; Reading Level: 4.3
@kidlitexchange #partner Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.
Do you remember your middle school crush? Just stop for a minute and think about it. Have you even experienced middle school yet? If not, just wait, it's coming. When you are in middle school it just seems to be the thing that you have to have a crush on someone. That is exactly how it is for Sasha! All of her friends have "boyfriends" or "almost boyfriends" and Sasha thinks she is supposed to have one also. Sasha is the girl in school who does everything, she is a definite leader. But when the Holidaze Spectacular is approaching Sasha and her best friends, Karly and Kevin, have a chance to win a dance scholarship to the best high school performing arts school in the city. Sasha wants this more than anything because she knows her divorced mom cannot afford for her to go. Sasha takes it under her wings to try to do everything - choreograph their routine, organize the bake sale, be in charge of the advertising- not to mention her can goods drive and her mitten drive and keeping up her grades. Sasha is a stretched a little thin so she doesn't understand when her best friends start having other interest. How can they abandon her when this dance can change her life? Also, she feels like she has to have a crush so she naturally chooses her best friend, Kevin. When she finds a checklist online to confirm if someone has a crush on you, Kevin fits all the criteria, but does he really feel the same way? Read this awesome book to see if Sasha gets her wishes come true!
This is such a cute store and it really took me back to middle school. I think it is a rite of passage to have your first crush in middle school. Plus, there are so many emotions going on that it is hard to keep up with all of it. Laney Nielson does a fantastic job of portraying all that goes on with middle school friends and everything that goes on with their lives. This is a must read (plus it just makes you want to go get a hot chocolate from Pete :)
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@kidlitexchange #partner Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.
Do you remember your middle school crush? Just stop for a minute and think about it. Have you even experienced middle school yet? If not, just wait, it's coming. When you are in middle school it just seems to be the thing that you have to have a crush on someone. That is exactly how it is for Sasha! All of her friends have "boyfriends" or "almost boyfriends" and Sasha thinks she is supposed to have one also. Sasha is the girl in school who does everything, she is a definite leader. But when the Holidaze Spectacular is approaching Sasha and her best friends, Karly and Kevin, have a chance to win a dance scholarship to the best high school performing arts school in the city. Sasha wants this more than anything because she knows her divorced mom cannot afford for her to go. Sasha takes it under her wings to try to do everything - choreograph their routine, organize the bake sale, be in charge of the advertising- not to mention her can goods drive and her mitten drive and keeping up her grades. Sasha is a stretched a little thin so she doesn't understand when her best friends start having other interest. How can they abandon her when this dance can change her life? Also, she feels like she has to have a crush so she naturally chooses her best friend, Kevin. When she finds a checklist online to confirm if someone has a crush on you, Kevin fits all the criteria, but does he really feel the same way? Read this awesome book to see if Sasha gets her wishes come true!
This is such a cute store and it really took me back to middle school. I think it is a rite of passage to have your first crush in middle school. Plus, there are so many emotions going on that it is hard to keep up with all of it. Laney Nielson does a fantastic job of portraying all that goes on with middle school friends and everything that goes on with their lives. This is a must read (plus it just makes you want to go get a hot chocolate from Pete :)
Follow me:
Facebook - Laurie’s Library Place - https://www.facebook.com/LauriesLibra...
Instagram - laurieslibrary - https://www.instagram.com/laurieslibr...
Twitter - https://twitter.com/lauriepurser27
Goodreads - Laurie Purser - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
Blog - Blazer Tales - https://blazertales.weebly.com/
February 18, 2018
@kidlitexchange #partner —— All opinions are my own.
This was an incredibly sweet book. Was it predictable? Yes, as an adult reader, it was quite obvious what was happening. However, that didn’t stop me from enjoying this quick story. Anyone can relate to those new feelings as you discover your very first crush. It’s confusing and exciting all at the same time. I truly adored Sasha. She was innocent and naive and completely believable as she sorted through her thoughts and feelings. I loved that she used google to get advice about crushes!! She was a great main character, but I loved how the supporting cast really came together to provide even deeper topics. Divorce, split families, friends branching out to try new interests, parents pushing their children in certain educational directions and even a loveable character who comes out as being gay are all included and handled very age appropriately.
Laney Nielson did a great job of capturing this age group. As a mom to a young daughter who will eventually go through middle grade, I appreciate stories like this. They remind me of all of the new experiences that she will soon face. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the Swirl series. I know this one left me smiling and craving peppermint cocoa numerous times.
This was an incredibly sweet book. Was it predictable? Yes, as an adult reader, it was quite obvious what was happening. However, that didn’t stop me from enjoying this quick story. Anyone can relate to those new feelings as you discover your very first crush. It’s confusing and exciting all at the same time. I truly adored Sasha. She was innocent and naive and completely believable as she sorted through her thoughts and feelings. I loved that she used google to get advice about crushes!! She was a great main character, but I loved how the supporting cast really came together to provide even deeper topics. Divorce, split families, friends branching out to try new interests, parents pushing their children in certain educational directions and even a loveable character who comes out as being gay are all included and handled very age appropriately.
Laney Nielson did a great job of capturing this age group. As a mom to a young daughter who will eventually go through middle grade, I appreciate stories like this. They remind me of all of the new experiences that she will soon face. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the Swirl series. I know this one left me smiling and craving peppermint cocoa numerous times.
October 25, 2017
This is such a fun read full of delightful surprises. Sasha is such a likable character who faces some very relatable middle school problems. Her BFF Karly has a crush and Sasha, of course, feels like she needs one too, so she picks Kevin, Karly's twin brother, as well as a long time friend. To complicate things, Karly is not putting time into their dance routines of the Holiday Spectacular because she's wrapped up in the quiz bowl team. The Spectacular means everything to Sasha because she's hoping to win a scholarship to the Summer Academy, an arts school, while her mother, still recovering from her recent divorce, is all about Sasha doing something STEM related. Nielson understands tween friendships and crushes, as well as the struggles of learning to be your own person, despite family pressures. I don't want to spoil anything but there are some delightful plot twists in this story and some very real situations that will have you cheering.
December 18, 2020
The main character seemed a little too “type A” for a middle schooler.
December 30, 2017
I enjoyed this charming story of an overachieving dancer in middle school. Determined to win her school's holiday talent show (and a scholarship to a summer Arts Camp) Sasha also has to cope with friendship crises, her parents' recent divorce and her first crush. In her debut novel Nielson demonstrates that she understands this age well. Her dialogue is convincing, and Sasha's band of friends are all interesting, well-defined characters. Peppermint Cocoa Crushes is a fun read for middle school girls.
September 5, 2019
The author of peppermint cocoa crushes Jackie Nastier Berdennerper writes amazing books. For instance some of her novels. Some of my favorite books by her are the swirl novels. I love them because they are very dramatic and something that could happen in our school. Which is why I love it because it is super fun and exciting and you just want to keep reading! For instance I read a 229 page book in less than a week! It was so exciting and I absolutely loved it. The swirl novels really make you bite your nails and want to know what happens next in the story. I would really recommend there books if you are interested in drama or just not knowing what’s happening next in a book.
My book was, peppermint coca crushes. It was a very good book and I absolutely loved it! It was one of the best books I have ever read in whole life. There was lots of drama and even a little friendships breaking. I believe that this book was awesome and can even teach you some very valuable lessons in life. Like to treat your friends and family super nicely or something bad could happen. You family could get mad and your friends may not be your friends anymore. Though that is exactly what happened in the book! Let me tell you about it...
In the first few chapters you should learn the basics of who people are and exactly why they are in the book. You know there story line. Eventually you learn that Sasha (the main character) wa to to start an Etsy business with her best friend. They make clothes, purses, headbands and more. So they thought it would be a great idea to just make a business about it. They seemed very intrigued in the subject of making things so they thought it would be a great idea!
Until one odd day it wasn’t, Sasha and karly her best friends got in a huge fight! They argued because Sasha hear one her so called “friends” talking behind her back. I’m not going to tell you what they said or if they made up, but boy that was very interesting. Her only friends left was Kevin. Who she a huge crush on! What is she going to do?
Dance. Dance was one of Sasha’s favorite things to do. She absolutely loved it. She had been doing it for a very long time to! She was fully committed and even wanted to go to a dance school! But could end parents afford it? No… So what would they have to do? Have a yard sale. Sell some things, have a bake sale? But no they couldn’t. So she only had one thing to do. Tryout and try to get a scholarship to a school of dance. Only she had to go up against the whole school. Will she make it? Will she and her best friend karly think of a routine to blow the judges away? Will her routine be so good that her karly and keep in win and go to the school of dance that have been dreaming about since they were little?
April 3, 2018
A Book As Sweet As It Sounds!
Sasha has a plan for everything; grades, future, and a crush. She gets an amazing opportunity for the chance to win the Holidaze Spectacular (a competition variety show). The grand prize for the winner is a place at Sasha’s dream school. She sets a plan into motion to get her, and her friends, into the academy. Unfortunately, Sasha’s has numerous commitments. Her friendships are going through rough times. And her crush is very unaware. On top of it all, her sister has moved away. Things quickly spiral into chaos. Can a little bit of peppermint cocoa and encouragement help Sasha power through? Find out more by indulging in Peppermint Cocoa Crushes.
Peppermint Cocoa Crushes is an entertaining book that is perfect for the yuletide season. The writing brings humorous and joyful characters to life. The author illustrates a beautiful winter wonderland as the background of the story. The main character, Sasha, is an inspiring and relatable character that everyone is bound to love. As you get closer to the Holidaze Spectacular every moment is action packed. I would recommend this book to ages nine plus because of the easy to follow fascinating storyline. Peppermint Cocoa Crushes will leave you elated and warm-hearted when you finish. It is well worthy of 5 stars.
Tessa H, 12, Oklahoma Central Mensa
Sasha has a plan for everything; grades, future, and a crush. She gets an amazing opportunity for the chance to win the Holidaze Spectacular (a competition variety show). The grand prize for the winner is a place at Sasha’s dream school. She sets a plan into motion to get her, and her friends, into the academy. Unfortunately, Sasha’s has numerous commitments. Her friendships are going through rough times. And her crush is very unaware. On top of it all, her sister has moved away. Things quickly spiral into chaos. Can a little bit of peppermint cocoa and encouragement help Sasha power through? Find out more by indulging in Peppermint Cocoa Crushes.
Peppermint Cocoa Crushes is an entertaining book that is perfect for the yuletide season. The writing brings humorous and joyful characters to life. The author illustrates a beautiful winter wonderland as the background of the story. The main character, Sasha, is an inspiring and relatable character that everyone is bound to love. As you get closer to the Holidaze Spectacular every moment is action packed. I would recommend this book to ages nine plus because of the easy to follow fascinating storyline. Peppermint Cocoa Crushes will leave you elated and warm-hearted when you finish. It is well worthy of 5 stars.
Tessa H, 12, Oklahoma Central Mensa
April 24, 2018
@kidlitexchange #partner
Thank you to the #KidLitExchange network for the review copy of Peppermint Cocoa Crushes. All opinions are my own.
Sasha was born to be a dancer. So when it's time for the Holidaze Spectacular, she can't wait to win the grand prize with her best friends Karla and Kevin by her side!
Soon, things start going differently than planned. Karla is about to be at the national Quiz Bowl competition and needs to spend all her time studying for that. Which leaves her with Kevin, who she *thinks* she might have a crush on. But she can't find a way to tell him! It feels to Sasha that she's losing both of her best friends. Can she figure out how to keep things together to win the Holidaze Spectacular?
This book was a great middle age read! I feel like many girls in that age could relate to Sasha. How do I know if a boy likes me? What if my best friend doesn't want to be friends anymore? How do I juggle homework AND dance AND volunteering? It's a balance that a lot of kids that age are struggling to figure out (and let's be honest...my age too!!)
This book comes from a series, but was very easily read as a stand alone.
#books #bookstagram #reviewer
Thank you to the #KidLitExchange network for the review copy of Peppermint Cocoa Crushes. All opinions are my own.
Sasha was born to be a dancer. So when it's time for the Holidaze Spectacular, she can't wait to win the grand prize with her best friends Karla and Kevin by her side!
Soon, things start going differently than planned. Karla is about to be at the national Quiz Bowl competition and needs to spend all her time studying for that. Which leaves her with Kevin, who she *thinks* she might have a crush on. But she can't find a way to tell him! It feels to Sasha that she's losing both of her best friends. Can she figure out how to keep things together to win the Holidaze Spectacular?
This book was a great middle age read! I feel like many girls in that age could relate to Sasha. How do I know if a boy likes me? What if my best friend doesn't want to be friends anymore? How do I juggle homework AND dance AND volunteering? It's a balance that a lot of kids that age are struggling to figure out (and let's be honest...my age too!!)
This book comes from a series, but was very easily read as a stand alone.
#books #bookstagram #reviewer
November 19, 2021
This was a sweet and lighthearted read. I basked in the cozy Christmas vibes as I navigated various places in Sasha's neighborhood, with my favorite being Sugarman's Market (would definitely pop by just to taste the candy cane cocoa). The moment that stood out to me the most was one of Sasha's friends coming out as gay. Such themes need to be discussed more in middle grade fiction and I'm glad the author chose to incorporate it. Unfortunately, I found it hard to like Sasha. I understood her desire for everything to go smoothly but she comes across as controlling and selfish at times. It also seems like the author was trying to pack too many elements into a story, such that some parts were not as well-written (e.g. the relationship between Sasha and her sister). Despite that, the interaction between Sasha and her crush was really cute. I might just give another book in the Swirl series a go!
December 19, 2017
Thank you to the author for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
A delightfully wonderful holiday read for tweens that hits the middle school voice right on the head.
As a mom whose daughter has just gone through this stage, what I loved best about this book is how accurately it captures those emotions of first crushes, and feeling the pressure to like someone, even if you don’t. The naïveté is refreshing, and Sasha’s emotional development is written in such a way that readers will be able to clearly relate. I especially liked that Sasha’s best friend, Kevin, is revealed to be gay, and we also see the feelings surrounding a first crush from his perspective.
I will absolutely add this whole series my middle grade collection.
A delightfully wonderful holiday read for tweens that hits the middle school voice right on the head.
As a mom whose daughter has just gone through this stage, what I loved best about this book is how accurately it captures those emotions of first crushes, and feeling the pressure to like someone, even if you don’t. The naïveté is refreshing, and Sasha’s emotional development is written in such a way that readers will be able to clearly relate. I especially liked that Sasha’s best friend, Kevin, is revealed to be gay, and we also see the feelings surrounding a first crush from his perspective.
I will absolutely add this whole series my middle grade collection.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2018
This is one of the sweetest books I’ve read in a long time. Overachiever Sasha is adorkable (to borrow a word from the book) in her single-mindedness to crush her first crush the same way she crushes her dancing and grades at school. I also loved the different kinds of friendships and budding relationships the book portrays.
Into this innocent world of changing friendships and first crushes, the author effortlessly weaves in a poignant point: the pressures—created both by the children themselves and those because of expectations placed on them—faced by children at this age are real.
I read the book in one sitting and then ran to the kitchen to make myself a piping mug of hot cocoa (too bad I didn’t have candy canes handy 😊).
Into this innocent world of changing friendships and first crushes, the author effortlessly weaves in a poignant point: the pressures—created both by the children themselves and those because of expectations placed on them—faced by children at this age are real.
I read the book in one sitting and then ran to the kitchen to make myself a piping mug of hot cocoa (too bad I didn’t have candy canes handy 😊).
January 5, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed this sweet, and timely, book! Peppermint Cocoa Crushes is the story of Sasha, a middle school dancer who wants nothing more than to win her school talent show and the camp scholarship that comes with first prize. Yet as Sasha prepares for the show, she must navigate difficulties surrounding friendship, school, and crushes, all while trying to remain true to herself. This story does a great job of approaching big topics in a fun and very relatable way, and leaves us rooting for Sasha (and her friends!) every step of the way. Would definitely recommend to any middle schooler looking for a fun read that really "gets" today's tweens.
December 14, 2017
This Swirl Novel by Laney Nielson will be a story that is well-received by many middle school girls and boys alike. In Peppermint Cocoa Crushes, Nielson follows the story of Sasha and her friends as they come to the age of crushes and middle school struggles. Sasha is a girl who does everything she does with nothing but the best, always giving it her all. Figuring out her crush will be no different. But as it turns out, she isn't quite as good at that as she is dancing and organizing events. The story was a quick read that would relate to a lot of young girls. I know quite a few children I can refer this and the entire Swirl Novel series to.
July 15, 2022
I thought this book was good, but not as good as the other swirl novels. I totally reccomend this if you are looking for a short, quick, coming of age (with a little bit of romance) middle grade novel. 4/5 stars because while it was good, it wasn't great. After reading my personal favorite two swirl novels (cotton candy wishes, pumpkin spice secrets) this one didn't fill up my expectations like the other two did. However, it was still a good, fun middle grade!
January 10, 2018
This is such a sweet book that navigates some of the challenges of middle school beautifully: balancing school work with extracurricular activities, changing friendships and first crushes. This would be an especially good recommendation for the reluctant reader.
March 22, 2018
Copied received from #kidlitexchange #partner. All views are my own.
Was hoping I'd like this more. I'm always looking for sweet middle school romances. Just didn't love the main character much. Might be better in upper elementary? Not sure my middle school students would jump at this one.
Was hoping I'd like this more. I'm always looking for sweet middle school romances. Just didn't love the main character much. Might be better in upper elementary? Not sure my middle school students would jump at this one.
October 25, 2018
Five stars for cuteness, ease of reading, and content being age appropriate. Minus one star because of predictability. I won this in giveaways and will be keeping it for my daughter when she is old enough.
November 15, 2020
Such a cute Christmas-y book mixed with a coming of age that reminded me how awkward and confusing my preteen years were!...a palate cleanser I chose in between longer more intense books ive been reading!..it was a nice change of pace!
April 12, 2022
I wish it was Christmas. I'd love to experience a white Christmas, snow and all, for the first time, laugh in the snow, drink hot cocoa, and enjoy some Christmas cookies. UGH, it just makes my heart happy thinking about it.
December 25, 2017
This was such a cute story with loveable, relatable characters. Nicely captures the rollercoaster of emotions young teens face. Nice twist at the end.
May 28, 2018
Great book for middle grades age readers. Cute story and quick read for more advanced readers! I would highly recommend to everyone.
November 14, 2018
Cute and very middle grade.
November 28, 2021
Super adorable first crush Christmas story.
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March 1, 2023 it was sssssooooooooooooooooooo goood
June 17, 2024
A very cute friendship book about discovering your talents and listening to the needs of your friends and yourself to make all relationships valuable. Working together - everything is possible.
January 8, 2025
Cute book. Perfect for 7th graders. LGTBQ theme included.
December 28, 2017
I received this book from #kidlitexchange to read in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Peppermint Cocoa Crushes by Laney Nielson creates a perfectly complex reality every tween experiences about crushes. Sasha is so excited about the upcoming Holidaze Spectacular competition to be judged by the director of The Summer Academy (High School of Performing Arts). Then Karly tells Sasha she has a crush on an 8th grader named Ahmed and of course as her best friend Sasha must have a crush too. So Sasha decides Kevin is her crush only Kevin is Karly's twin brother and they have all been best friends forever. As Sasha's friends begin to leave hints that Peter has a crush on her Sasha is too overwhelmed with a recent family divorce, school, and holidays, she misses all the clues trying to force things with Kevin. In the end Sasha discovers friends will be there exactly when you need them to be and crushes can't be forced they just happen sometimes it's something simple like hot cocoa and cookies that makes things just feel right. Review also posted on Instagram @jasonnstacie, Library Thing, Go Read, Amazon, and my blog at readsbystacie.com
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