After the Fortune Cookies

Set in the small-town warmth of Godolphinville, this middle-grade novel follows twelve-year-old Allison through a summer when the grown-ups in her family seem to be making all the wrong decisions. The real heart of the story is Grandfather and his personalized fortune-cookie wisdom — a genuinely original storytelling device that gives the book its charm. When pushy Aunt Bee schemes to move him into a retirement home, Allison and cousin Robby push back, only to learn that Grandfather is sharper than anyone gave him credit for. The honest caveat: the book has a thin critical footprint, so it's hard to know how deep the characterization runs beyond its wholesome premise. Still, for readers ages 8–12 looking for a cozy, intergenerational story with quiet courage at its center, this one delivers.