Cookie (and the Most Annoying Boy in the World)

Cookie wants a lot of things: a pet, to get onto the TV show Brainbusters and for her best friend Keziah not to move to Solihull. But what she actually gets is a new next-door neighbour who is the most annoying boy in the world.

First, he buys the kitten she has been wanting for ages, then he sits in Keziah’s seat next to her, and finally he steals Cookie’s thunder on Brainbusters! Will Cookie be able to get over her resentment of him and make friends?

Funny, loud, opinionated and sometimes thoughtless, Cookie is a relatable character, who is a refreshingly realistic change to the often-stereotypical portrayals of Bangladeshi girls in fiction. She gets up to plenty of silly, funny stunts at school, which are often inspired by science, and the book includes a number of experiments children can try at home. This is a book that lets Asian girls – and readers – be proudly themselves: flawed, funny, ambitious and capable of anything they want to do.

Cookie would be a great read for girls who enjoy the Wimpy Kid books, as it has illustrations in a similar style.