{"id":2661,"date":"2026-08-18T16:19:37","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T23:19:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/?p=2661"},"modified":"2026-08-21T16:30:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T23:30:04","slug":"cookie-queens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/2026\/cookie-queens\/","title":{"rendered":"Cookie Queens * A Heartfelt Look At Growing Up In Girl Scouting Shown From The Stories Of Four Girl Scouts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-2662\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cookie_Queens_poster-203x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"85\" height=\"126\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cookie_Queens_poster-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cookie_Queens_poster.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 85px) 100vw, 85px\" \/>A celebration of girlhood and the complexities that come with it, Cookie Queens is a coming-of-age story about the joys, pressures, and tensions woven into one of America\u2019s most cherished rituals: Girl Scout Cookie season.<\/p>\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Miral G. comments, \u201cI love the film <em>Cookie Queens <\/em>because it tells the stories of four Girl Scouts and the ups and downs of running their cookie businesses. I like how it shows everything through their eyes as they grow throughout the process.\u201d See her full review below.<\/p>\n<p>Cookie Queens<br \/>\nBy Miral G., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 12<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Sweetest Show Ever Made! Cookie Queens Review by Miral G.\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/smMYS9YJO94?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2665 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.nikki_-300x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"238\" height=\"119\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.nikki_-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.nikki_-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.nikki_-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.nikki_.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 238px) 100vw, 238px\" \/>I love the film <em>Cookie Queens <\/em>because it tells the stories of four Girl Scouts and the ups and downs of running their cookie businesses. I like how it shows everything through their eyes as they grow throughout the process.<\/p>\n<p>This documentary follows Ara, Olive, Nikki, and Shannon Elizabeth during an entire \u201ccookie season\u201d as they set goals, sell cookies, and learn more about themselves. These girls differ in age, cultural backgrounds, and locations, but they all share one common goal: fulfilling their dreams through selling Girl Scout cookies.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-2668\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.Olive-and-Celia-1-300x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"252\" height=\"126\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.Olive-and-Celia-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.Olive-and-Celia-1-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.Olive-and-Celia-1-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.Olive-and-Celia-1.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\" \/>Olive, a Cadette from Charlotte, North Carolina, hopes to remain the top seller in her council. Nikki, a Brownie from Chino, California, dreams of following in her older sisters\u2019 footsteps, earning a cookie trophy, and traveling to Europe with her troop. Shannon Elizabeth, a Brownie from El Paso, Texas, wants to sell enough cookies to attend Girl Scout camp for the first time. And Ara, a Daisy from San Diego, California, aims to sell 55 boxes of cookies during her first cookie season.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2666 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cookie-Queens.a-300x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"236\" height=\"118\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cookie-Queens.a-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cookie-Queens.a-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cookie-Queens.a-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cookie-Queens.a.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 236px) 100vw, 236px\" \/>I like everything about this film, but my favorite thing is the performances of the four girls, especially Ara. She stands out and she stole my heart with her innocence and authenticity. Her reactions feel so genuine that I sometimes forgot she was performing at all. While selling cookies in her neighborhood, she meets someone with diabetes, just like her, who tells her that he can\u2019t eat them. After cookie season ends, she sets out on a mission to create a sugar\u2011free cookie, and she succeeds. Her sense of humor, her determination to pull her wagon, and her creative ways of attracting customers are both admirable and adorable. I also enjoyed the film\u2019s cinematography, especially the outdoor shots that show different settings and highlight the diversity of cities across the United States.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.Shannon-Elizabeth-1-300x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"246\" height=\"123\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.Shannon-Elizabeth-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.Shannon-Elizabeth-1-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.Shannon-Elizabeth-1-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CookieQueens.Shannon-Elizabeth-1.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 246px) 100vw, 246px\" \/>This documentary moved me deeply. As a Girl Scout myself, I relate to these girls and the struggles and joys they share. It presents a realistic and human side of Girl Scouts today and shows that Girl Scouting is more than selling cookies, it\u2019s about discovering who you are and your place in the world.<\/p>\n<p>The film\u2019s message is about perseverance, because all the girls face challenges and big obstacles, yet they push through and reach their goals.<\/p>\n<p>I give <em>Cookie Queens <\/em>4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. It releases in theaters on August 7, 2026.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cookie Queens | Official Trailer | In Theaters August 7\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nnSQS43Eil8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A celebration of girlhood and the complexities that come with it, Cookie Queens is a coming-of-age story about the joys, pressures, and tensions woven into one of America\u2019s most cherished rituals: Girl Scout Cookie season.<br \/>\nKIDS FIRST! Film Critics Miral G. comments, \u201cI love the film Cookie Queens because it tells the stories of four Girl Scouts and the ups and downs of running their cookie businesses. I like how it shows everything through their eyes as they grow throughout the process.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[3062,3046,3048,3053,3043,3044,2976,3057,2968,3047,3058,3049,3045,3060,3063,244,3061,3051,3055,3050,3054,3059,3052,3056],"class_list":["post-2661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-film-critics-blog","tag-10-out-of-10","tag-alysa-nahmias","tag-archewell-productions","tag-coming-of-age","tag-cookie-queens","tag-cookie-queens-documentary","tag-documentary-review","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-film-review","tag-girl-scout-cookies","tag-girlhood","tag-meghan-markle","tag-miral-g","tag-movie-breakdown","tag-movie-recommendation","tag-movie-review","tag-must-watch-doc","tag-positive-review","tag-samoas","tag-sundance-2026","tag-thin-mints","tag-viral-review","tag-wholesome-documentary","tag-youth-ambition"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2661"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2671,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661\/revisions\/2671"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}