Cookies & Milk
by Shawn Amos
His father has an idea for summer. He did not think that making a cookie store something they should he do. It was difficult to stop being oppressed by his environment, he did not know how to dream because of all the failure he sees around him.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this mid-grade book.

Ellis is a twelve year old boy who is not happy about spending the summer with his Dad while his Mom finds herself after their divorce. He's less happy when he's shown a dirty building and told he and his Dad will clean it up and be selling chocolate chip cookies there in 6 weeks. But despite many setbacks, family drama, and the mischief Ellis and his friend get into, the store opens on time and is successful.

This book is written by Shawn Amos, the son of Famous Amos. There are lots of 1970's references, and it brought me back to that time. While there could be some better editing (too many statements about how life is complicated), I found it very enjoyable and think mid grade children would as well.

If you start reading this, and say, hmm, this reminds me of another cookie store, on Sunset Blvd, and Formosa Ave, that was also founded in the 1970s, then you are right. The author is the son of Wally Amos, otherwise known as Famous Amos.

The author said that a lot of the things that happened to Ellis Johnson, in this story, also happened to him.

The basic story follows the creation of Sunset Cookies, and how much work there was going into the making of it. Ellis helps his father, but at the same time he wishes he was doing something fun, so tends to get into a lot of mischief, such as breaking bags of chocolate chips at the super market, and climbing up piles of sugar and breaking the bags.

It is a cute story. And it is fun going back to the 1970s, and remembering what it was like then. Ellis is the narrator, and has a good sense of humor, and really does try hard to talk up his dad's store.

And one of the things that some Black kids can relate to, he is the only Black child in his neighborhood, as well as his class at school.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>