The Secret of Honeycake by Kimberly Newton Fusco

How I Came Across It... *Knopf/Random House Children's Books sent me an ARC of this upcoming middle-grade novel. The book will drop in January 2025. I so enjoyed Chasing Augustus by Fusco so I was excited to dig in and see what she had in store for the reader this time around. What It's About - Five Things You Need to Know... *Hurricane first lost her mother, and now her older sister has to go away to take care of her tuberculosis.

*She finds herself living with her aunt who she has never met before.

*When Hurricane first arrives, she is as quiet as ever, but gradually finds her voice.

*With the help of a former soldier, a reclusive cat, and a boy who smells like fish, Hurricane learns how to use her voice to stand up for herself.

*Her goal is to get home to her older sister and her beloved dog, but it may not be as easy as she thought.

What I Thought of It - Five Observations/Reflections... *This was an enjoyable and pleasant historical fiction middle-grade story.

*Hurricane was an authentic, thoughtful, and spunky young girl who was enjoyable to read about.

*The supporting cast of characters rounded out the story because they brought such life to the pages.

*As with most young readers, I enjoyed the short chapters which made the 352 pages go by quickly.

*Even though there wasn't a whole lot of "action", the plot moved quickly and kept my interest. Who Should Read It... *I would recommend the novel to readers in grades four, five, and six. The story would also be ideal for students in middle-school. I also think the story would make for a strong class read aloud because there would be so much to discuss. Happy Reading!

Rating...

4 out of 5 stars