Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book! My kids, especially my fourth grader really liked this book. Well done!

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Ben goes out to dinner with his aunt while his parents are paying the bills. He's a big fan of noodles, and although he has never been to a Chinese restaurant before, he has a good dinner. At the end, there is a fortune cookie for him that says "Live each day as if it were your last". Sure that he will die soon, he makes a list of activities he wants to accomplish. These include things such as finishing his model of the Taj Mahal... at 1:30 in the morning! He has to get the glue for it out of his parents' closet, waking them up, and his father comes up with his own list of things he wants to do, which includes asking Ben's mother to marry him again. The next morning, Ben's mother has her own plans, so she sends Ben's father off on a six hour round trip to get ice cream so that she can bake a cake. Meanwhile, Ben consults his friend Janet, who has her own list of things to accomplish, including getting a magic apple off of Mrs. Ezra's tree, and giving herself a hair cut. All along, everyone is surprisingly supportive of Ben's plans, although they also say that it seems unlikely that it really is his last day.
Strengths: Notebook novels are always super popular in my library, even when the characters are younger than middle school age (Ben is 8). The pages of this were particularly well formatted; usually, notebook novels just have page decorations, but this had pages where the whole page was a black and white picture with the text on top of it. Very nice, and rather unusual. Interspersed are pages with more traditional text, so there is still plenty of reading to do. This reminded me a lot of Parisi's Marty Pants, where Marty has all kinds of misconceptions that young readers probably find hysterically funny. I also love that the illustrator and Ben are part Japanese. I have had several students who would see themselves in this book.
Weaknesses: A tiny bit young, and really, who drives six hours for ice cream? (Not a serious complaint. Insert joking emoji.)
What I really think: My graphic and notebook novels took a big hit during the pandemic, and I'm afraid I might not be able to replace some of them. (Yes, Timmy Failure #3 might just not be in the library.) I was really impressed by the layouts and artwork in this, and the story was humorous enough that I think 6th graders will enjoy it.

I will start by saying, I am not the target audience for this book. The publisher's description says, "Perfect for fans of DIARY OF A WIMPY KID or THE TERRIBLE TWO." I enjoyed The Terrible Two, but am not a huge fan of Dairy of a Wimpy Kid. (My students love it and I get it for them. I am not the one who needs to enjoy reading them.)

I would say this book falls in the middle of those two series for me. Ben Yokoyama is concerned about a fortune from his first fortune cookie that makes him worry about if today could be his last. In trying to make a list of things he wants to do before he dies, he gets into a lot of trouble. The style of humor is not one that appeals to me, but I think it will appeal to my students.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an absolutely delightful book to read. Ben goes out to dinner with his aunt and opens a fortune cookie that read "Live each day as if it were your last." He takes this literally, and goes through the next day trying to do all the things he has been wanting to do. Along the way, he convinces his parents and his friend Janet to do the same.
The book is funny, as they eat junk food and attempt crazy stunts. It also has a deeper side, as Ben and the reader consider what is truly important and memorable.
The format of this book is enthralling, adding to the whimsical nature, and capturing the reader's attention.
I shared a couple of pages of this ARC with my students, reading the words and showing the pictures. They are begging to buy it when it is published. I can't wait to have this book (and the coming series) in my class.

Billed as a Wimpy read-alike, but more cleverly written. Ben is a high anxiety kid who starts working through his personal bucket list after a fortune cookie tells him this might be his last day on earth. His fears lead to both adventures and new friends, showing that things that frighten us can have positive consequences.

This was a really cute story and we all enjoyed reading it! My boys keep asking to read it again and again!

This was a really fun read! I loved that he tried to do all the things he’d want to do as if it was his last day. There were so many characters in this that you recognize from your neighborhood. The grouchy neighbor who is way too involved in his garden, the over protective mother, and the “witch” who lives next door. There was a lot going on, but the story all came together in the end. It made me laugh out loud and I can’t wait to read the next one!

I also enjoyed the author and illustrator’s conversation in the back. Too funny!

Ben Yokohama and the Cookie of Doom is a funny, quirky yet heartfelt book that I totally enjoyed reading. After Ben opens a fortune cookie with the saying "Live each day as if it were your last", he embarks on a mission to do just that. Starting with eating a piece of cake in the freezer his dad had been saving for a special occasion, Ben makes his way through his list, often getting side tracked along the way but discovering new things about life.

This was such a delight to read! Full of both heart and humor, there were times when I felt my eyes begin to well up. You'll laugh at Ben's capers with his best friend Janet, as he attempts to bake a cake with his mom, and when he accidentally befriends the neighborhood witch. The illustrations are wonderful and truly add to the story.