The girls from Flowerpot Cabin learn that there are two things they can count on in life—friendship and cookies—in Martha Freeman’s third novel in the Secret Cookie Club series, which was called “a younger version of Ann Brashares’s The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants ” by School Library Journal . It’s not all sugar and spice for the girls of Flowerpot Cabin after they leave summer camp. Grace learns she isn’t good at everything when she gets volunteered to dogsit, Emma’s mom has a hard time when her beloved grandmother dies, Olivia’s brother makes a big announcement that starts a family feud, and Lucy isn’t sure how she feels when her dad pops back into her life. Meanwhile, beloved counselor Hannah continues to deal with the fallout from a summer romance. But no matter what tough stuff comes their way, there are two things the members of the Secret Cookie Club can count on: friendship and cookies. Gr 3–6—Four girls and their counselor become friends at the Moonlight Ranch Summer Camp in Arizona. Wishing to continue their friendship, they form the Secret Cookie Club and agree to send letters and cookies to one another whenever one needs a friendship boost (much like in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" series). Romance anxiety prompts Hannah, the Flowerpot counselor, to bake cookies in hopes of soothing her broken heart. She mails a box to Grace, who desperately needs some kind words in the wake of a disastrous dogsitting experience. This leads to a whirlwind of cookie boxes and letter writing. Whether it's strawberry cookies for Emma, who's dealing with the loss of her beloved great-grandmother, or lemon cookies for Olivia, who is trying to leverage her social media profile, the treats come at just the right time. And even though Lucy's cinnamon cookies arrive underbaked, they are perfect for when her estranged father reappears. Freeman addresses issues such as honesty, depression, grief, and the pressures of the digital age with tact. Separate sections allow each girl to tell her story, though the characters' voices are similar. The girls come from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds (Hannah and Lucy are white, Grace is Chinese American, Emma is Jewish, and Olivia is African American), and almost all come from privileged, upper—middle class homes. Lucy, though also a resident of posh Beverly Hills, CA, is described as less fortunate (unlike her peers, who have live-in help and attend private schools, Lucy and her family shop at thrift stores and she pays her own way through summer camp). Cookie recipes are included in the back of the book. VERDICT A solid option for middle graders who enjoy Ann Brashares and lighthearted realism.—Paula Huddy, The Blake School-Highcroft Campus, Wayzata, MN Now back at home, the girls of Flowerpot cabin find themselves yearning for the sweet friendships of Moonlight Ranch summer camp to help them through some rough patches. . . . Freeman tackles issues such as honesty, depression, grief, and the pressures of the digital age with finesse. And while sugary treats are nice, friendship is the real salve. . . . Even away from camp, the Flowerpot campers blossom. -- Kirkus Reviews Freeman addresses issues such as honesty, depression, grief, and the pressures of the digital age with tact. . . . The girls come from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. . . . A solid option for middle graders who enjoy Ann Brashares and lighthearted realism. -- School Library Journal Martha Freeman worked as a reporter and teacher before becoming a full-time writer of books for young readers, including the Edgar Award–nominated Zap! , Born Curious , The Secret Cookie Club series, Who Stole Halloween? , and Effie Starr Zook Has One More Question , which School Library Journal called “accessible and exciting” in a starred review. She also collaborated with NASA astronaut Mark Kelly on the Astrotwins books. Martha lives in Oregon. Learn more at MarthaFreeman.com. P.S. Send More Cookies CHAPTER ONE Jack broke Hannah’s heart on a Friday afternoon, which pretty much guaranteed Hannah a rotten weekend. She knew what all the bloggers she followed would say: Go out! See your besties! Indulge in a little retail therapy! Do not, do not stay in, wallowing in self-pity! What did she do? Stayed in, wallowing in self-pity. Also, homework. Hannah was a sophomore in college. She had decided to study art history because ever since she first saw them as a little kid she had thought Impressionist paintings were the prettiest things in the world. But now, after a year of classes, she was learning to like the sculptures the Greeks had carved out of marble. Some of them were more than two thousand years old. Over the centuries, they had lost legs and arms and chunks of their faces, but you could still see classical perfection shining through. Not like Jack, Hannah thought. He was overweight. He was loud. He wore this weird old-man-style hat all the time. So why was she lying on her