Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie War

Cookie Chronicles #6

by Matthew Swanson, Robbi Behr (illustrator)

Two best friends are pushed to the breaking point when a class election gets out of hand! Rivalry and ridiculousness abound in this delicious adventure for those who love Wimpy Kid and Dog Man.

It's the start of a new school year at Honeycutt Elementary and that means one student council elections! Best friends, Ben and Janet are determined not to let mean girl Amy Lou Bonnerman win for the fourth year in a row, but when they both decide to run against her, they become rivals!

At first, it's all funny posters, free candy, and pie-in-the-sky ideas for how to make the school a better place. But before long, the campaign turns sour—with mean rumors, dirty tricks, hurt feelings, and even sabotage! Ben and Janet’s legendary friendship is put to the test. To make things right, they must expose a conspiracy, swallow hard truths, and remember what’s most important—their friendship.

From the husband-and-wife, author-and-illustrator duo that brought you Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Doom comes a tale about keeping your friends close—even when they start to look like enemies.

320 pages, Hardcover

Published August 6, 2024

About the author

Matthew 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.

Reviews

[Jessie]

Oh, I have such a fun book to recommend today! Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie War, written by Matthew Swanson and illustrated by Robbi Behr, is a GEM. It is funny, clever, and timely with the big ideas we need right now: kindness, civility, listening, elections, different viewpoints, and the ways we grow and learn.

Here's my absolutely HILARIOUS interview with the creators: https://www.wanderingeducators.com/bo...

[Wina]

Book 6 did not disappoint! Hilarious graphic novel/chapter book hybrid for ages 8-12; I loved this book. It is so funny, creative, fast-paced, full of heart, and has THE BEST SYNONYMS! This one is equally heartwarming and sweet. I love Ben, his parents, his best friend, and of course, the new 4th grade teacher. There is a fantastical and funny author's/illustrator's "note" at the end, too. Don't skip it. I can't wait to read the next one. But I will have to.

[Lisa]

Kids will love this book. It is a wonderful mix of goofy plans that may or may not work out. Plus, a few comments on politics, candidates, and elections that kids will find VERY enlightening. Add a befuddled new teacher and a very cool prinicipal and ENJOY!!

[Diana]

All is fair in love and war!

We love listening to this series as a family. The books are fun, give lots of things for kids to think about and overall they have a good message.

We can’t wait for the next one!

[Jacqueline]

This book is perfect to read to children to show the ins and outs of outs of political campaigning. It’s kid-friendly and hits the right chords emotionally. I love this series.

[Katie]

Love the Ben Yokoyama series and this is another good installment