Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Perfection is everything one could want in a middle-grade book: great characters, humor, and an excellent plot. The story begins as we meet Ben and his not-so-perfect parents. When Ben finds a new friend, perfection becomes very important to him. A little too important, and life begins to get complicated.   

Full of overly dramatic figurative language, author Matthew Swanson perfectly captures the brain of a tween. The witty humor will have you frequently laughing and is reminiscent of Liz Pichon’s Shoe Wars. The story is paired perfectly with the simple yet expressive illustrations of Robbi Behr. Readers will not only be entertained by this story but will learn some important lessons as the pages turn. Perfect for reluctant readers, book three of the Cookie Chronicles, Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Perfection is a quick read that will be loved by many.

Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy Provided by the publisher

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: None

Violence/Gore: Few (9) brief incidents including referencing trees getting set on fire by lightning; character imagining another getting hurt; character worrying about getting legs broken while riding a scooter; character getting so frustrated that he wanted to break light bulbs; character should stop before burning to a crisp; character feeling like he’d been punched; verbal threat; reference to a superhero destroying a house to save a city; young character crashing bike, getting injured.

Sex/Nudity: None

Mature Subjects:

None

Drug/Alcohol Use:

None