What do you think?
Rate this book
The Secret Cookie Club #1
The Secret Cookie Club
Friends make everything better—and so do cookies!—in this warm-hearted novel in the tradition of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants , with a middle grade dash of sugar and spice.
Recipe for mix four very different girls, one boy, and a camp counselor. Add cookies.
When her four campers don’t get along, counselor Hannah has an idea. They gather in the kitchen at the Moonlight Ranch Summer Camp. There, they measure, mix, stir, and bake. As they bite into their warm sugar cookies, they finally seem to be friends.
But summer doesn’t last forever. And if the bond is going to survive the long school year, these kids will need a plan, a plan that just might require cookies.
Complete with recipes, this book will satisfy every reader’s craving for something sweet—just like a homemade sugar cookie.
Recipe for mix four very different girls, one boy, and a camp counselor. Add cookies.
When her four campers don’t get along, counselor Hannah has an idea. They gather in the kitchen at the Moonlight Ranch Summer Camp. There, they measure, mix, stir, and bake. As they bite into their warm sugar cookies, they finally seem to be friends.
But summer doesn’t last forever. And if the bond is going to survive the long school year, these kids will need a plan, a plan that just might require cookies.
Complete with recipes, this book will satisfy every reader’s craving for something sweet—just like a homemade sugar cookie.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2015
24 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
Martha Freeman
54 books66 followersMartha Freeman was born in Southern California in 1956. It is not actually true that pterodactyls ruled the skies then, but her three children believe this.
Martha graduated from Glenoaks Elementary, Woodrow Wilson Junior High, and Glendale High School. Until Martha came along, Glendale High's most famous graduate was a fellow named Marion Michael Morrison. He later went into the film game and changed his name to John Wayne, which you might very well do, too, if you were a boy named Marion in unenlightened times. In 1978, Martha graduated from Stanford University with a degree in history. She remains Stanford's most illustrious graduate if not its most wealthy.
Stink Bomb Mom
Martha's First Book.
Martha worked as a newspaper reporter, copy editor, substitute teacher, college lecturer, advertising copywriter, and freelance magazine writer before she found her true calling as a writer of children's books in 1994. Her first book was "Stink Bomb Mom," now, tragically, out of print. She has since published 14 more books for children and as you read this, she is probably working on another one. Besides writing and visiting schools to talk to students, Martha teaches occasional classes at Penn State University, volunteers as an emergency medical technician, and works for a wonderful little company called Wall Street Communications. She is a very busy person.
Martha graduated from Glenoaks Elementary, Woodrow Wilson Junior High, and Glendale High School. Until Martha came along, Glendale High's most famous graduate was a fellow named Marion Michael Morrison. He later went into the film game and changed his name to John Wayne, which you might very well do, too, if you were a boy named Marion in unenlightened times. In 1978, Martha graduated from Stanford University with a degree in history. She remains Stanford's most illustrious graduate if not its most wealthy.
Stink Bomb Mom
Martha's First Book.
Martha worked as a newspaper reporter, copy editor, substitute teacher, college lecturer, advertising copywriter, and freelance magazine writer before she found her true calling as a writer of children's books in 1994. Her first book was "Stink Bomb Mom," now, tragically, out of print. She has since published 14 more books for children and as you read this, she is probably working on another one. Besides writing and visiting schools to talk to students, Martha teaches occasional classes at Penn State University, volunteers as an emergency medical technician, and works for a wonderful little company called Wall Street Communications. She is a very busy person.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 30, 2017
One of the best books I've read this year. Working on a longer review
October 13, 2015
The book The Secret Cookie Club by Martha Freeman, was a very interesting book that I really enjoyed reading. A book about the adventures of four girls at "Moonlight Ranch" summer camp. One of the girls, Grace, comes up with the idea to send each other cookies in order to stay in touch. Will Grace's plan work or will the girls relationship crumble? If you enjoy books about baking, bonding and a group of girls journey that gets rough until they are able to reunite once again, than this book is for you! I would recommend this book to Middle School aged girls who enjoy a summer romance and kitchen chaos!
February 19, 2018
This is a sweet story of real girls building a real friendship... slowly at first but cemented by cookies. I appreciated that this story felt just right for my 4th grade daughter. It tackled real friendship issues, and issues real girls and their friends have at home with their families, too.
I heartily recommend this for fourth graders. I loved that it was able to reflect that stage of friendship my girl is at: slightly complicated but not without the extra complications middle schoolers are dealing with (or books seem to think they are) but my daughter isn't facing yet. These forks aren't perfect but thanks to that, the book is pretty close!
I heartily recommend this for fourth graders. I loved that it was able to reflect that stage of friendship my girl is at: slightly complicated but not without the extra complications middle schoolers are dealing with (or books seem to think they are) but my daughter isn't facing yet. These forks aren't perfect but thanks to that, the book is pretty close!
September 13, 2025
When counselor Hannah discovers that her four campers, Grace, Olivia, Emma, and Lucy, aren't getting along well, she momes up with an idea, an idea that involves baking cookies! It's a hit with the girls (and Vivek, who shows up to bake with them), and they decide to keep in touch by sending each other cookies during the rest of the year! When Hannah introduced the idea she told them about how her granda said that cookies have special "flour power." And before long, Grace, Emma, Olivia, and Lucy will learn that she was right!
Overall, I thought this was a very sweet story. I love that the characters are likeable but also have realistic flaws. This truly does feel like The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants for middle grade! I also love that the recipes are included. While the writing felt a bit too simplistic at times, I still really enjoyed the story and would recommend it for those who want a sweet summer camp story with a strong friendship at its core. Also, just gotta say, Moonlight Ranch sounds awesome; I want to go there now.
Overall, I thought this was a very sweet story. I love that the characters are likeable but also have realistic flaws. This truly does feel like The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants for middle grade! I also love that the recipes are included. While the writing felt a bit too simplistic at times, I still really enjoyed the story and would recommend it for those who want a sweet summer camp story with a strong friendship at its core. Also, just gotta say, Moonlight Ranch sounds awesome; I want to go there now.
January 29, 2020
In this book, four girls meet at summer camp but don't get along at first, however in the style of Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants, Grace, Emma, Olivia and Lucy, decide to keep in touch with each other by sending a letter and cookies to each other in turn.
The girls face issues surrounding death, money, siblings and school in this first book starting a great new series I enjoyed the friendship that developed between the girls despite each girls situation and lifestyle at home they all kept up staying in touch and I really can't wait for more!
The girls face issues surrounding death, money, siblings and school in this first book starting a great new series I enjoyed the friendship that developed between the girls despite each girls situation and lifestyle at home they all kept up staying in touch and I really can't wait for more!
October 19, 2021
Great Book! I loved this book because it incorporated one of my favorite things
(baking) with a realistic fiction story. Realistic fiction is one of my favorite book genres because I personally feel I can relate to the characters best when they do things that I can say "Oh. I've done that." One of my favorite parts of this book was that there was different characters point of views which was pretty cool! All in all I think this is a great book for Middle age readers that love baking!
(baking) with a realistic fiction story. Realistic fiction is one of my favorite book genres because I personally feel I can relate to the characters best when they do things that I can say "Oh. I've done that." One of my favorite parts of this book was that there was different characters point of views which was pretty cool! All in all I think this is a great book for Middle age readers that love baking!
January 29, 2018
5th to 6th grade reading level
This is a book about friendship. It shows the differences between the girls and yet they all make their best efforts to keep their friendship going. They keep in touch and more importantly, they bake cookies and send them to each other. The cookies help each girl through their difficulties and problems.
This is a book about friendship. It shows the differences between the girls and yet they all make their best efforts to keep their friendship going. They keep in touch and more importantly, they bake cookies and send them to each other. The cookies help each girl through their difficulties and problems.
July 17, 2017
Amazing, pure amazing! I was interacted the whole time I was reading. I felt like I was inside the book with the characters and involved with them! P.S. Its hard to convince me to like a book! So good job Martha Freeman!
February 15, 2017
This book was adorable! I hope there's more
Read
February 7, 2021This is my book for 2021 about; a book from your TBR list chosen at random
March 29, 2021
For some reason, this book reminds me of the parent swap. Really good!
February 22, 2022
this was a good book.
June 21, 2022
Such a cute and fun story about how "flour" power brings together a cabin of 4 very different girls at summer camp. Through cookies, these girls create bonding friendships.
March 31, 2024
This was a very enjoyable story from all four of the girls' point of view. My favorite one to read was Emma since she was the one I felt like I could relate the most to
October 18, 2024
An amazing start to the secret cookie club series
January 7, 2022
This is the best fucking book ever.
March 23, 2017
Can't wait to read #2!
December 16, 2020
It was a quick fun read. Really enjoyed the main theme if this book. Was nice to follow the girls on their journey of friendship and baking.
May 16, 2015
The Secret Cookie Club was a pretty boring and bland read and I can't imagine that it would be enjoyed by kids past third, maybe fourth grade. The challenges that the girls face are rote and uninspired and their voices have no distinction to them. I disliked that the Black boy who Grace tutored was motivated by dancing and of course Grace had no rhythm. I would skip this one.
As a side note, I do not understand the practice of authors rating their own book. I have seen this twice and I am not sure why. It might be more common then I know but it seems that this is not really the role of an author.
As a side note, I do not understand the practice of authors rating their own book. I have seen this twice and I am not sure why. It might be more common then I know but it seems that this is not really the role of an author.
March 16, 2015
As I was choosing shelves for this title I realized how ironic it is to call this realistic fiction. Because in the real world it is extremely unlikely this story would ever happen. So yes, the solutions come too easy but for third graders this book is perfect. I think it might make kids in an affluent community realize that everyone needs to make an effort to understand others regardless of what might have happened in their life. In a way it reminds me of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants for a younger crowd.
July 10, 2016
Four campers (plus a boy from another cabin) bond at summer camp over cookie baking and continue their friendships through the school year with correspondence and cookies. A daisy chain of homemade cookies (similar to the jeans in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) arrive for the girls just when each one needs a friendship boost. This is a satisfying middle grade friendship story with engaging characters and positive conflict resolutions.
June 21, 2016
I was SO sad when I finished this book. I wanted it to keep going! Luckily, there's a sequel. In the book,4 girls are put into the same cabin for summer camp. They're nothing alike. But their counselor, Hannah, finds an activity they all like. On the last night of camp, the girls make a plan to keep in touch. Over the summer, they became great friends. Why lose each other?
November 29, 2015
nice friendship story revolving around the characters' and the cookies that help them out of their school year woes. Does the cover art make the girls, age 10, look more like teens? Recipes in the back - yum!
August 13, 2015
Best book evah! Read this book up at camp, and every day I would read a bit. It was an amazing book and I loved it!
May 10, 2016
This book is a very good is is one of the best books I ever read if you can you should get this book
November 28, 2016
It didn't have a good ending but I guess that's so the series can continue
Read
December 17, 2016A.R. Level: 4.9
A.R. Points: 6.0
Lexlie: 750
-TS
A.R. Points: 6.0
Lexlie: 750
-TS
January 13, 2017
This book was awesome ! A sweet, heartwarming story about how much friendship means to tween girls.
September 30, 2023
Great book
Read
January 8, 2019It was a good book. Would read again. Very interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat. each chapter changes point of view which keeps showing what everyone's life is like.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews