"Cookie Monsters" is Kendrick's Letter for Children Who Experience Grief

Grief is such a hard feeling. Losing something—someone—you love will leave a hole in your heart. Imagine this happens to a 12-year-old child. How does it feel for them?

Author's picture for "Cookie Monster" by Erika J. Kendrick

Cookie Monsters is a story about Brooklyn who has struggled to put her life back together after she loses her mother. The story starts one year after her mother’s death and it coincides with her annual school event which was her mother’s favorite, cookie-selling rally. It used to be their thing. Her mother always helped her to get customers. She would call their family members, neighbors, and friends to buy the cookies. She knew what to do. It felt easier when she was around. Life was easier. But, not now. Brooklyn is not alone, of course, she still has her father and grandmother, and also her friends who always support her no matter what. But, it is not the same. They are not "Mom".

"Why did God take my mom away?"

From the cover and the synopsis you might think that this book was a fun read, but it was not, and that surprised me. This book talks about grief in children, and how hard it is for them to lose a loved one—especially a parent—at such a young age. In the Author’s Note section, Kendrick wrote a "letter" for kids who might experience similar things to Brooklyn. She encourages them to keep strong in life.

"You were enough yesterday, you’re enough today, and, that’s right, you’ll be enough tomorrow—even if it doesn’t always feel like it."

This book doesn’t only talk about grief, but there are also topics about psychological issues—such as anxiety—that are represented by Brooklyn’s friends.

“Well, I’d tell Stella Rose that those are some pretty real symptoms and that a lot of kids her age go through that. I’d also tell her that it’s perfectly okay to not be okay.”

I must say that this book is for every child out there who feels alone. Who think of themselves as weirdos because they feel things. Well, you are not alone kids, and remember, your feelings matter!

About the Book

My rating: ★★★★

Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary

Publishing date: January 27th, 2023

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Synopsis:

A fun, fast-paced novel about friendship, family, fighting for what’s right, and standing out from the crowd while standing up for yourself. 

Twelve-year-old Brooklyn Ace is ready to take the Valentine World Scouts by storm and build her own cookie empire. She nearly won the top cookie selling spot last year and is determined to make her mom—who recently passed away—proud by coming in first this time around. With her fabulous best friends by her side, Brooklyn knows she’ll become Santa Monica’s District Cookie Queen. The crown is practically in the bag. 

Then Piper Parker arrives. 

Piper has a rich dad, a fancy hotel, and a drive to steal the cookie crown right off Brooklyn’s head. Before long, most of the seventh grade is under Piper’s spell. But Brooklyn is in it to win the biggest cookie war the school has ever seen. With the help of her cookie squad, her rockstar grandmother, her super cool therapist, and a lot of self-love and inner growth, maybe—just maybe—Brooklyn can end up a winner after all.

About the Author

Erika J. Kendrick is an acclaimed writer, a national speaker, and a mental fitness expert. She earned a psychology degree from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Erika was an NBA cheerleader for the Chicago Bulls before writing her novels, Confessions of a Rookie Cheerleader (Random House) and Appetite (Random House). She is currently touring her debut middle grade novel, Squad Goals, with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. The spinoff, Cookie Monsters, is set for a summer 2022 release.

After battling her brain pain, Erika founded Mental Fitness For Life where she launched her latest Mental Fitness book tour, “Who Moved My Happy?” While talking to audiences of all backgrounds and ages, Erika shares her story of brain pain and inspires hope by creating safe spaces for life-saving conversations. She has presented and guest lectured at colleges and universities as well as the US Army and US Air Force, national sororities and fraternities, middle and high schools, conferences, retreats, and national organizations, large and small. Erika has toured with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and is a speaker with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) where she has been inducted into their Hall of Fame.

Erika is a recipient of several “Who’s Who” honors, a Rising Icon honor, and several Awards of Excellence. Erika has taken the stage for TEDx, appeared on Good Morning America – The Third Hour (GMA3), NBC News, CBS News, The Wendy Williams Experience, national television and radio segments, and a host of other media outlets. She has been featured in several publications, including Page Six of The New York Post, The Huffington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and various other magazines and digital media.

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This book review is part of Online Book Tour organized by TBR and Beyond Tour. You can check the tour schedule here:  Tour Schedule.

*This article is also published on liathought.medium.com under Illumination publication.