Shawn Amos

“Middle school is not for the weak,” and don’t you know it! Delightful follow-up to last year’s COOKIES & MILK!

Ellis Johnson Might Be Famous, the much-anticipated follow-up to Shawn Amos’s debut novel, Cookies & Milk, is finally here and does not disappoint. Ellis Johnson and his friends return, this time in the middle of their first semester of middle school, and they have already noticed a change in the climate from the earlier grades. Everyone had to do some quick growing up, especially Ellis, who is encountering change at home and Sunset Cookies.

Ellis is such a likable kid, full of self-confidence and plans for the future, constantly daydreaming about how he’s going to make things happen. He loves his dad, whom he helped build his cookie store into a success, and dreams and schemes about improving business while maintaining the status quo in his family. The new woman in his dad’s life really throws him for a loop. Young readers especially will relate to Ellis’s feelings toward Sam but will easily pick out that he doesn’t treat her well or handle the situation right. All readers can probably relate to Ellis’s trepidation about returning to school after the fiasco at the parade over the Thanksgiving holiday. As the man says, “Middle school is not for the weak.” Ellis goes through so much during this short time frame but grows from the experience in positive ways.

I love the mid-1970s Hollywood setting and enjoyed the musical trip down memory lane with Uncle Wishbone. But we all know he was correct, right?

With its fast-paced, lively plot and its cast of engaging characters, I recommend ELLIS JOHNSON MIGHT BE FAMOUS to middle-grade readers and fans of the previous book.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through TBR and Beyond Book Tours.… (more)

A unique story of growing up in the mid-70s that is still relatable today – to both the young and the young at heart.

In Cookies and Milk, Shawn Amos relates the feel of the middle school years during the mid-1970s perfectly. His main character, Ellis Johnson, is looking forward to a great summer and turning 12, spending time with his best friend, Alex, listening to their favorite music, and just being kids. Didn’t we all, and wouldn’t we still? You can feel his disappointment and restlessness when things don’t go as planned.

I love how he was able to adapt and “get it together,” wanting to make his father’s dream come true but still being a little grumpy about the whole thing. His introduction to Wishbone was a great plotline, and I never expected where this eventually led, but it was an extremely satisfying surprise. I loved Grandma with her fearsome cane and intriguing slips of paper with the secret acronyms for Ellis and his father to puzzle out. And I so wanted everything to go right for his father from the very start. I enjoyed the supporting characters that arose out of the Sunset Boulevard neighborhoods. They were a great mix of people in various circumstances, and I loved that they formed a sort of “found” family.

My favorite part of the story was Ellis’s increased exposure to his family’s culture, something he really missed out on growing up in a primarily white neighborhood and school. He was at the perfect age to learn and soak up the views and lifestyles different from his small family. The author wonderfully conveyed Ellis’s excitement and the wonder he felt.

With its blend of historical fiction, life in the 70s, and family mystery, I recommend COOKIES AND MILK to middle-grade readers and those with an interest in music (contemporary of the time and the blues from even earlier decades), and since it is semi-autobiographical, to those who enjoy some excellent chocolate chip cookies.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the publisher through TBR and Beyond Tours.… (more)