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Cookie Chronicles #2
Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Endless Waiting
Literal-minded Ben cracks open a fortune cookie and it tells him that he can have anything he wants, if only he's willing to wait...
Good things come to those who wait.
Ben does his best to heed his fortune cookie's advice, and as a result he is paired with Walter--the kid who's always picked last--for a school scavenger hunt. Working with Walter must be a good thing if the cookie said so, but so far all he does is talk too loud and recite obscure facts about feet. Meanwhile, Ben has an argument with his best friend Janet, and waiting for her to apologize first isn't going so well.... But eventually, Ben's patience starts paying if he and Walter are able to pull out a win in the scavenger hunt, they'll earn a half-day of recess for the whole school! Waiting may not always be a good thing, but taking the time to listen and consider all options isn't half bad.
Good things come to those who wait.
Ben does his best to heed his fortune cookie's advice, and as a result he is paired with Walter--the kid who's always picked last--for a school scavenger hunt. Working with Walter must be a good thing if the cookie said so, but so far all he does is talk too loud and recite obscure facts about feet. Meanwhile, Ben has an argument with his best friend Janet, and waiting for her to apologize first isn't going so well.... But eventually, Ben's patience starts paying if he and Walter are able to pull out a win in the scavenger hunt, they'll earn a half-day of recess for the whole school! Waiting may not always be a good thing, but taking the time to listen and consider all options isn't half bad.
304 pages, Paperback
Published June 28, 2022
16 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Swanson
54 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 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 3, 2021
ahh loved seeing ben in the sequel too!! review up on my blog
March 3, 2021
Alright so I will admit that I did like the first a lot better. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean I did not enjoy this book! The second one just wasn't as goofy and honestly sometimes got a little frustrating haha but more on that later! This book was also loads of fun and also really fast! I'm pretty sure I read it (in total) within a couple of hours. Again, the illustrations were amazing!!! I loved seeing them throughout the entire book, like the last one, pretty sure every page had an illustration.
This book touched more on friendship. It talks about how sometimes you just stop being friends with someone for no particular reason, or you just become better friends with someone else and didn't even realize you'd left that other friend behind. It was nice that it was brought up because it does happen, still does as an adult, sometimes there's just no preventing it, but that's honestly okay. I do like that it also showed that you can be friends with someone but not always agree on the same things. It was nice to see that bit of friendship dynamic.
Where it got frustrating for me was there was an obvious character flaw that didn't feel like it ever got really resolved? Like Ben just couldn't admit he was wrong about something, and then it was left to someone else to resolve the issue. So that was frustrating for me to read about and the lack of character development, but honestly other than that I still adored this book! Can't wait to see what the rest of the series has in store!
This book touched more on friendship. It talks about how sometimes you just stop being friends with someone for no particular reason, or you just become better friends with someone else and didn't even realize you'd left that other friend behind. It was nice that it was brought up because it does happen, still does as an adult, sometimes there's just no preventing it, but that's honestly okay. I do like that it also showed that you can be friends with someone but not always agree on the same things. It was nice to see that bit of friendship dynamic.
Where it got frustrating for me was there was an obvious character flaw that didn't feel like it ever got really resolved? Like Ben just couldn't admit he was wrong about something, and then it was left to someone else to resolve the issue. So that was frustrating for me to read about and the lack of character development, but honestly other than that I still adored this book! Can't wait to see what the rest of the series has in store!
March 7, 2025
Ben Yokoyama's aunt came over to babysit him again, so he has a new fortune cookie fortune. This one says "Good things come to those who wait." He's decided that means he has to be patient about everything. In the new scavenger hunt project in school, he decides to wait and let his partner pick him and he gets stuck with Walter, the other last person to be picked. Maybe this will be good? After all, he and Walter used to be best friends. He's also waiting for Janet to apologize to him for being late to the bus stop that morning...only that isn't working out so good, Janet is wanting him to apologize for something he did at the bus stop that got her sopping wet and now he's missing watching their favorite show with her. He's also waiting to write the limerick part of the scavenger hunt, waiting for the good thing to come to him. Is the fortune cookie wrong? Will the other good things he's been waiting for come his way, like flying, a baby brother, or growing a mustache if he waits patiently this week?
There's a fine line between being patient for things and being a lazy procrastinator, and Ben is discovering that difference through a comedy of errors over the week this book takes place. Ben is such a believable elementary kid. Through the course of this book Ben realizes some important things about friendship and how it takes effort to maintain, but that it is worth it. Walter is an even quirkier kid than Ben, but has a lot of stellar qualities too. His quirks alienate him from much of the class, but Ben starts to rediscover his finer points, and that is a heartwarming part of this story. There's a lot of good discussion starters mixed into this book about when it is important to wait patiently and when you need to take action. This wasn't as funny as the first book, but still entertaining.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: None really. There's an overzealous dodgeball incident that results in an injury, but all parties involved reconcile and the injured kid is ok pretty quickly.
Ethnic diversity: Ben is half Japanese American half white American. Kids in the class have a variety of skin tones in illustrations.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Ben takes waiting to extremes and not always in the right context. Some kids in the class are mean to Walter including Ben at one point, but Ben apologizes, and Ben and Janet decide to make sure they are good friends to Walter. Ben starts worrying about friendships going away like his friendship with Walter in the past. Janet helps him realize he just needs to be a good friend to keep a friend.
There's a fine line between being patient for things and being a lazy procrastinator, and Ben is discovering that difference through a comedy of errors over the week this book takes place. Ben is such a believable elementary kid. Through the course of this book Ben realizes some important things about friendship and how it takes effort to maintain, but that it is worth it. Walter is an even quirkier kid than Ben, but has a lot of stellar qualities too. His quirks alienate him from much of the class, but Ben starts to rediscover his finer points, and that is a heartwarming part of this story. There's a lot of good discussion starters mixed into this book about when it is important to wait patiently and when you need to take action. This wasn't as funny as the first book, but still entertaining.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: None really. There's an overzealous dodgeball incident that results in an injury, but all parties involved reconcile and the injured kid is ok pretty quickly.
Ethnic diversity: Ben is half Japanese American half white American. Kids in the class have a variety of skin tones in illustrations.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Ben takes waiting to extremes and not always in the right context. Some kids in the class are mean to Walter including Ben at one point, but Ben apologizes, and Ben and Janet decide to make sure they are good friends to Walter. Ben starts worrying about friendships going away like his friendship with Walter in the past. Janet helps him realize he just needs to be a good friend to keep a friend.
February 20, 2021
I loved reading all about Ben and his antics. He and his classmates are larger than life and I appreciate how this book tackled real issues of friendship that kiddos face amidst the jokes and humor. My favorite part of this series is probably the illustrations; they intermingle with the text in a wonderful and visually appealing way that's sure to get young readers excited about the story.
April 21, 2021
Another entertaining and funny installment in the Yokoyama series. These books are chock full of figurative language, adorable illustrations, and are perfect for young readers. I love that each book is centered around a fortune that Ben receives. In this story, Ben learns the importance of patience when a fortune tells him "good things come to those who wait". But he quickly discovers that maybe waiting for something isn't always the answer?
May 15, 2024
Pure magic. Six stars.
December 4, 2021
Another novel, another fortune. This one that golden nugget of traditional wisdom: Good things come to those who wait.
Well...do they?
Ben’s determined to find out. As with Cookie of Doom, his literal-minded approach to the whims of fate immediately transforms his life, and readers are all the better for it.
Here’s what Ben’s hoping will come his way if he’s patient:
-- A brother named Ajax
-- A scooter with light-up wheels
-- Eight inches of fluffy snow
-- A big, bushy mustache
-- The ability to fly
Not content to wait for just the items on his wish list, Ben decides he will wait for everything. He waits to choose a partner in class...and gets stuck with the kid no one ever wants to partner with. After arguing with Janet, he waits for her to apologize...making her furious in the process, as she is waiting for him to apologize first. He waits to write a limerick for a class project...and ends up with no limerick at all.
Playfully tightroping the line between patience and procrastination, Endless Waiting evolves as Ben learns when waiting is truly a virtue and when it is only a hindrance to success.
But the meat of the novel is an eloquent and touching examination of relationships: what it means to be a good friend, and how people can move into, out of, and back into your life.
Having waited to choose a partner, Ben gets stuck with Walter, the classic Kid Who Is Always Picked Last. Ben and Walter were close once, but they drifted apart years ago. Partnering with Walter reminds Ben of all the things he liked about his old friend, and all the things that made him aggravating and annoying.
Swanson and Behir truly shine when exploring character. Thanks in no small part to Behr’s wonderful illustrations, Walter is truly likeable, an endearing boy desperate to please but hopelessly clueless about how he affects others.
Ben’s admirable traits are on display, such as how he defends Walter during dodgeball and supports him in front of the whole school. But Swanson and Behr are brave enough to show us his less-than-admirable qualities too, like when he loses his cool and humiliates Walter in front of their classmates.
“As he led Walter to the door, Mr. P gave Ben a look that he would never forget. It was the look you give someone you always thought was one kind of person but then found out was something else entirely. Ben wanted to be the first kind of person.”
Many books sail into the tempestuous waters of friendship in search of answers. Few steer into the squall of elementary school relationships, and the ones that do rarely come out the other side with all their masts and rigging intact. Endless Waiting is one of the rare ones: an honest, penetrating look at how children make, break and reshape relationships.
And there are baby farts.
You can’t ask for much more than that.
Well...do they?
Ben’s determined to find out. As with Cookie of Doom, his literal-minded approach to the whims of fate immediately transforms his life, and readers are all the better for it.
Here’s what Ben’s hoping will come his way if he’s patient:
-- A brother named Ajax
-- A scooter with light-up wheels
-- Eight inches of fluffy snow
-- A big, bushy mustache
-- The ability to fly
Not content to wait for just the items on his wish list, Ben decides he will wait for everything. He waits to choose a partner in class...and gets stuck with the kid no one ever wants to partner with. After arguing with Janet, he waits for her to apologize...making her furious in the process, as she is waiting for him to apologize first. He waits to write a limerick for a class project...and ends up with no limerick at all.
Playfully tightroping the line between patience and procrastination, Endless Waiting evolves as Ben learns when waiting is truly a virtue and when it is only a hindrance to success.
But the meat of the novel is an eloquent and touching examination of relationships: what it means to be a good friend, and how people can move into, out of, and back into your life.
Having waited to choose a partner, Ben gets stuck with Walter, the classic Kid Who Is Always Picked Last. Ben and Walter were close once, but they drifted apart years ago. Partnering with Walter reminds Ben of all the things he liked about his old friend, and all the things that made him aggravating and annoying.
Swanson and Behir truly shine when exploring character. Thanks in no small part to Behr’s wonderful illustrations, Walter is truly likeable, an endearing boy desperate to please but hopelessly clueless about how he affects others.
Ben’s admirable traits are on display, such as how he defends Walter during dodgeball and supports him in front of the whole school. But Swanson and Behr are brave enough to show us his less-than-admirable qualities too, like when he loses his cool and humiliates Walter in front of their classmates.
“As he led Walter to the door, Mr. P gave Ben a look that he would never forget. It was the look you give someone you always thought was one kind of person but then found out was something else entirely. Ben wanted to be the first kind of person.”
Many books sail into the tempestuous waters of friendship in search of answers. Few steer into the squall of elementary school relationships, and the ones that do rarely come out the other side with all their masts and rigging intact. Endless Waiting is one of the rare ones: an honest, penetrating look at how children make, break and reshape relationships.
And there are baby farts.
You can’t ask for much more than that.
January 24, 2022
First sentence: It was definitely time to get ready for school, but Ben was still in bed. It was good to be in bed. I will stay in bed all day, thought Ben. I will live in this cozy, warm bed forever. Ben's stomach made a sound like a dying hyena. He remembered the problem with staying in bed. I want sausages, he though, and I want them right now. Ben jumped out of bed faster than a sneeze jumps out of a nose.
Premise/plot: Ben Yokoyama is starring in his SECOND adventure in Matthew Swanson's Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Endless Waiting. After a disappointing start to the day (involving sausages, or the lack of sausages), Ben is excited that his mom has packed a fortune cookie in his lunchbox. But Ben, well, he gets a little too excited about what this new fortune might be...and, well, he cheats. (It comes with a consequence, several consequences at least). His new fortune: GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT. When Ben starts applying this message to his life, well, things get complicated...
Because WAITING until the end to pick your partner for a class project, well, that doesn't seem like it could lead to a good thing. Waiting leads you getting paired up with the kid no one ever wants to pick. His name--Walter--and Ben has a connection to Walter. Long, long, long ago these two were friends... but that was then, not now. Can Ben and Walter make a good team for the class project--a scavenger hunt???
My thoughts: I loved, loved, LOVED this one. I would give it a hundred million stars if I could. (Instead, I'll give it five.) While the first book probably took place over a weekend, this one takes place over a week at school. I loved the world building, the characterization, and above all else the relationship-building. Also the narrative. I love, love, love that too. So descriptive. So relatable.
Quotes:
Asking Ben if he wanted sausages was like asking a coyote if he wanted to howl.
Ben looked at the sausages. The sausages looked at Ben. They loved each other so much.
I hope to reread the whole series again and again at some point.
Premise/plot: Ben Yokoyama is starring in his SECOND adventure in Matthew Swanson's Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Endless Waiting. After a disappointing start to the day (involving sausages, or the lack of sausages), Ben is excited that his mom has packed a fortune cookie in his lunchbox. But Ben, well, he gets a little too excited about what this new fortune might be...and, well, he cheats. (It comes with a consequence, several consequences at least). His new fortune: GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT. When Ben starts applying this message to his life, well, things get complicated...
Because WAITING until the end to pick your partner for a class project, well, that doesn't seem like it could lead to a good thing. Waiting leads you getting paired up with the kid no one ever wants to pick. His name--Walter--and Ben has a connection to Walter. Long, long, long ago these two were friends... but that was then, not now. Can Ben and Walter make a good team for the class project--a scavenger hunt???
My thoughts: I loved, loved, LOVED this one. I would give it a hundred million stars if I could. (Instead, I'll give it five.) While the first book probably took place over a weekend, this one takes place over a week at school. I loved the world building, the characterization, and above all else the relationship-building. Also the narrative. I love, love, love that too. So descriptive. So relatable.
Quotes:
Asking Ben if he wanted sausages was like asking a coyote if he wanted to howl.
Ben looked at the sausages. The sausages looked at Ben. They loved each other so much.
I hope to reread the whole series again and again at some point.
April 25, 2021
Third grader Ben Yokoyama continues to take the fortunes he finds in his fortune cookie quite literally, and when the cookie he opens suggests that "Good things come to those who wait" (p. 21), he decides to do just that. While some patience can be a very good thing, in Ben's case it causes all sorts of problems, including a misunderstanding with his best friend Janet because he waits for her on the porch instead of on the corner where they usually meet, and she ends up getting quite soaked because she was waiting for him. Both of them end up waiting for quite some time for the other party to make nice and apologize. Meanwhile, Ben's teacher, Mr. Piscarelli sets up a challenging scavenger hunt, and Ben is stuck being partners with Walter, who was once his best friend but due to some of his odd quirks and inability to self-monitor his volume and outbursts, has become something of an object of ridicule in the class. While Ben tries to be patient because he knows Walter is smart and they could win the contest, it's hard for him to stay quiet, especially when Walter blurts out the answer to one of the more challenging questions. Slowly, Ben realizes that while friendships change, some friends are worth keeping around, and there are times when waiting and being patient are necessary and others when waiting is foolish. As in the previous cookie-related title in this humorous series, the plot is relatable, and the graphics, created with Adobe Photoshop and hand-painted watercolor washes, are outstanding, lending excellent visual support to the storyline. The classroom scenes are particularly realistic, and readers will certainly relate to Ben's ambivalence about his relationship with Walter. As a side note, it's also worth pointing out that this book provides yet another example of why dodgeball isn't the ideal activity for a physical education class due to the potential for bullying. I can't wait for the next book in this series.
March 3, 2021
Thank you to netgalley for the early e-arc!
"Good things come to those who wait"
Ben Yokoyama adventures again with another fortune from his fortune cookie! He tries and tries to wait for many things, thinking that good things will happen to him. As he waits, his teacher assigns the class a scavenger hunt for words & Ben is partnered with Walter, a strange kid who he used to be friends with. I loved this book even more than Ben's first adventure; throughout this story, Ben tries to understand why friendships sometimes fall apart, as he wonders why he isn't really friends anymore with Walter. They work together to try and find the answers to the scavenger hunt & their time together is filled with both frustration and laughter. Overall, this is a lovely story to remind children to be kind to one another as you grow older, even in what sometimes feels like difficult social situations. The illustrations are fantastic and this is a great read for kids who enjoyed Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
"Good things come to those who wait"
Ben Yokoyama adventures again with another fortune from his fortune cookie! He tries and tries to wait for many things, thinking that good things will happen to him. As he waits, his teacher assigns the class a scavenger hunt for words & Ben is partnered with Walter, a strange kid who he used to be friends with. I loved this book even more than Ben's first adventure; throughout this story, Ben tries to understand why friendships sometimes fall apart, as he wonders why he isn't really friends anymore with Walter. They work together to try and find the answers to the scavenger hunt & their time together is filled with both frustration and laughter. Overall, this is a lovely story to remind children to be kind to one another as you grow older, even in what sometimes feels like difficult social situations. The illustrations are fantastic and this is a great read for kids who enjoyed Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
February 1, 2024
Why I chose this book: I chose this book for our library's Battle of the Books. I was looking for a book with representation and something that would be a fun and relatively easy read for 3rd graders.
Brief summary: Ben Yokoyama is an impatient boy who receives a fortune that says "Good things come to those who wait." The fortune guides him throughout this book as he navigates challenges with his friends and a classwide scavenger hunt. Will her learn to balance waiting and doing?
What I like about this book: The author uses a lot of figurative language, and I think this book could be used as a teaching tool on a unit about similes and metaphors because it is CHOCK-FULL of them. One of my favorites is: "He floated across the room like a soap bubble heading for a rosebush." The narrative walks readers through challenging life topics like patience and friendship in a way that is fun and natural to the story.
Brief summary: Ben Yokoyama is an impatient boy who receives a fortune that says "Good things come to those who wait." The fortune guides him throughout this book as he navigates challenges with his friends and a classwide scavenger hunt. Will her learn to balance waiting and doing?
What I like about this book: The author uses a lot of figurative language, and I think this book could be used as a teaching tool on a unit about similes and metaphors because it is CHOCK-FULL of them. One of my favorites is: "He floated across the room like a soap bubble heading for a rosebush." The narrative walks readers through challenging life topics like patience and friendship in a way that is fun and natural to the story.
April 14, 2024
I enjoyed the book. The drawings were creative and the descriptions were interesting. but beyond all those elements the best part of the book was its theme. Its theme was that sometimes friends drift away, but it's not your fault or their fault if they do which applies to people of all ages . I also enjoyed the other theme in the storie which states that you can never promise someone that you can be friends with them forever, but you can always promise to be kind to them forever. However, I thought that the plot did not fit with the last books flows as the fortune cookie that Ben read had very little importance to the plot. I also thought that Ben did not contribute much to the scavenger hunt as Walter was the one who found most of the clues, which was a little disappointing for me. In conclusion this book was great and I would recommend it to middle grade readers, but it can be enjoyed by all ages.
March 13, 2021
After reading the first book and really enjoying that book I could not wait to read this next book. These books are so fun to read. They are like an adventure. You will go on an reading adventure when you pick up these books.
In the first book, readers learn of Ben's great love for fortune cookies. They are both delicious and hold words of wisdom. This time the fortune tells Ben "Good things come to those who wait". So, Ben learns the lesson of patience as well as rekindles a lost friendship.
In the prior novel, I got to meet Janet, who is Ben's friend. In this book, I got to meet a bunch of Ben's classmates including Walter. I like Ben at first was annoyed by Walter but the more I got to know about him; he grew on me. So glad that Ben and Walter reconnected. I hope to read more adventures of Ben and his fortune cookies.
In the first book, readers learn of Ben's great love for fortune cookies. They are both delicious and hold words of wisdom. This time the fortune tells Ben "Good things come to those who wait". So, Ben learns the lesson of patience as well as rekindles a lost friendship.
In the prior novel, I got to meet Janet, who is Ben's friend. In this book, I got to meet a bunch of Ben's classmates including Walter. I like Ben at first was annoyed by Walter but the more I got to know about him; he grew on me. So glad that Ben and Walter reconnected. I hope to read more adventures of Ben and his fortune cookies.
May 6, 2025
I am LOVING this series!! It is so good and very sweet without being saccharine. It’s an excellent story on how to be friends with different kinds of people (it doesn’t say it in so many words but you get the idea that Walter is on the spectrum). I love how the author captures how it feels when you are deceptive as a kid and how we lash out at others when really the problem is ourselves.
There were a few things that no eight year old would say but the sentiment is true (Ben wants Janet to promise they will be best friends forever and she refuses because a promise like that means nothing. Instead, she says they must promise to always be kind to each other and the rest will work itself out). But honestly, it is such a great book and perfect for kids who need a book similar to a graphic novel.
There were a few things that no eight year old would say but the sentiment is true (Ben wants Janet to promise they will be best friends forever and she refuses because a promise like that means nothing. Instead, she says they must promise to always be kind to each other and the rest will work itself out). But honestly, it is such a great book and perfect for kids who need a book similar to a graphic novel.
February 23, 2021
[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
3.5 stars = Good+
This is the first book I have read from this series. I got a kick out of Ben and the influence of the fortune from the cookie on his life. The illustrations are great, and the scavenger hunt is something I think readers will enjoy.
At its core, this is a friendship story, and it's a good one. I appreciated the way Ben works through various friendship issues along the way.
The characters in this are young for middle grade books - 8 going on 9. Because of that and with some of the silliness in the story, I think this would also work for kids reading early chapter books who are ready for something longer and a little more nuanced.
3.5 stars = Good+
This is the first book I have read from this series. I got a kick out of Ben and the influence of the fortune from the cookie on his life. The illustrations are great, and the scavenger hunt is something I think readers will enjoy.
At its core, this is a friendship story, and it's a good one. I appreciated the way Ben works through various friendship issues along the way.
The characters in this are young for middle grade books - 8 going on 9. Because of that and with some of the silliness in the story, I think this would also work for kids reading early chapter books who are ready for something longer and a little more nuanced.
June 22, 2021
Me and my youngest son read this together over the course of a few nights "mind-reading" it. While this book would have been more fun to read aloud, I wanted to read it faster, so we agreed to read silently for most of it, but were able to share laughs and heartfelt moments together anyway. I didn't read the first book first, but I didn't need to as this was a full story of the character and his strict adherence to the wisdom of the fortune cookie. It was so much fun, and these authors always have life lessons along the way about friendship and fairness.
January 2, 2022
Book 2 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 even more heartwarming and sweet. And the scavenger hunt was so exciting I couldn't stop reading! I love Ben, his parents, his best friend, and his teacher/principal/classroom dynamics, and of course, Walter. 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.
February 21, 2024
Ben Yokoyama is an amazing kid who takes the fortune cookies too seriously, it is HILARIOUS AND I LOVE IT. So when he gets a fortune that says, " good things come to those who wait, he thinks he can get very lucky, just by waiting long enough! It was great, as he sees his old friend Walter from a long time ago, and they team up t0 do a school test. They learn things that are very cool, and I like the test's questions, like: "what is never in the past, not here in the present, and disappears the moment it arrives!"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2024
Ben Yokoyama and all of his crazy ideas and humor is one of my favorite things about this series. This is the second book in a five part series and it is so fun to see and read. Matthew Swanson includes so figurative language so naturally and easily within all of his writing and it makes the books highly entertaining. I also love how he uses his words and stories to teach many wonderful life lessons for kids. The overarching theme of good things come to those who wait is an important lesson for kids to learn but also the theme of friendships and working together is so well taught in this one. As always the illustrations are probably one of my favorite parts and how seamless they flow with the words, story, and characters. This one is great for readers of all ages.
August 18, 2021
A fun second book in the series, this time a new cookie and a new fortune. Friendships are tested and old friendships are rebuild (though I did think Walter was just a tad too much, come on boy). I loved the scavenger hunt, that is so creative and it teaches the kids in a fun way about words and puzzles. I loved the price! The art was fabulous and I love how it blends with the story making it 100% part of it.
Review to come when I get home/when I feel up to it.
Review to come when I get home/when I feel up to it.
November 2, 2021
Ben Yokoyama is back and once again his adventures start after receiving a fortune from a cookie. This time he grapples with “Good things come to those who wait.” This immediately lands him in a dispute with his best friend Janet because he decides to wait to apologize after leaving her waiting for him in a rainstorm. He waits to choose a partner in class and ends up with a student he wouldn’t have chosen. This book turns into a great story about friendship.
December 14, 2020
A wonderful story about friendship and growing up. I had a blast reading this and enjoyed all the artwork and food mentions in this book! Definitely a great book to get kids to read longer books without losing any enjoyment. The story was engaging and the artwork was fantastic!
*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
June 9, 2021
While this has 3rd graders as main characters, the friendship lessons can't be confined to just that grade. Ben's new fortune cookie tells him that good things come to those that wait, but does that include his awkward old friend Walter? Funny, but full of wisdom when it comes to dealing with people we find fun but weird.
March 26, 2023
This book is a fun story about what it means to be a friend, to be yourself, to trust, and to wait. It's about patience and of honor.
There were a couple of times where it seemed the characters had the thoughts of older kids - just slightly more aware and mature and outside thinking, but it doesn't take away from the story.
There were a couple of times where it seemed the characters had the thoughts of older kids - just slightly more aware and mature and outside thinking, but it doesn't take away from the story.
August 9, 2023
Ben opens a fortune cookie that says the best comes to those who wait. He spends the rest of the book waiting and some good things come his way.
At school he waits and gets partnered up with Walter for a word challenge scavenger hunt which he isn't happy about. He learns a lot about himself and Walter. This partnership can rekindle a friendship
At school he waits and gets partnered up with Walter for a word challenge scavenger hunt which he isn't happy about. He learns a lot about himself and Walter. This partnership can rekindle a friendship
September 27, 2023
I didn’t read this one. The boy did and I’m tracking his reading under my account. He read this follow-up to The Fortune Cookie of Doom in a few days. He loved it and would come into my office to read me various passages, especially about the scavenger hunt challenges. Good stuff and recommend to parents.
September 30, 2023
Book two of the Cookie Chronicles has Ben, who loves sweets, learning that not everything comes to those who wait, or does it? The class is split up into two pairs to work on a scavenger hunt and he is paired up with his old friend. In the process he learns sometimes it’s good to keep our old friends even when make new friends.
November 7, 2024
A relevant book to find and read in the pediatric ward of a hospital after waiting four hours in one ER and four hours in another one. Read aloud to my child post-appendix surgery, but she complained at one point that she didn't like it since it made her want to laugh, and laughing hurt the incisions.
June 3, 2025
I love this series - It's straightforward, genuine, and it concerns itself with things kids wonder about. It's also hilarious. This one is a lot of pondering about friendship and interesting words and thought puzzles. The illustrations are amazing. The characters are just the sort of people I like to spend time with. Delightful.
May 15, 2021
Second Book of the Cookie Chronicles, and I am still in love with this fun adventure. Loved the illustrations (amazing job as always) and the stories were really funny. This is a must-read for young readers and kids will love it.
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