Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy
Kris • February 18, 2025
Sometimes a second chance comes in the most unexpected way....
In her first two weeks at Westminster Crescent, Helen encounters a small mouse who at first appears to be a nuisance but later becomes a fast friend. This is a story of two lonely beings who need one another. Each gives the other a reason to live. Their blossoming friendship radiates outward to enfold others, as well.
Kris' Take: I loved this book! The novel is a sweet, thoughtful read about a lonely widow, Helen Cartwright, who formerly lived abroad with her husband and son for sixty years. When her husband passes away and her son is killed, she goes home to her small English town to die, hopefully soon and without too much fuss. "Sipsworth" is at once a story of sadness, loss, and loneliness; however; the book also imparts a hopeful message of connection, love and second chances at life. I highly recommend it!
Nina doesn’t quite fit in – at home, at school, or anywhere else, it seems. So she doesn’t expect much when she goes to spend some time at her aunt’s summer camp. But when she discovers a nest built by a mating pair of whooping cranes, she also learns that maybe all it takes to fit in is to discover who you really are. Lauri’s Take: This is a beautiful middle grade book about friendship, learning to navigate emotions, and finding where you belong. It’s also an excellent homage to whooping cranes and is a great story for birders. Readers familiar with Texas will appreciate the Buc-ee’s nod, as well!
Wren is a finder of lost things, but no matter how hard she tries, she can’t find her mother, who has been missing for five years. Although she is one of hundreds Native Americans considered missing or murdered in Oklahoma, Wren’s mother is more than a statistic, and Wren is determined to bring her home. To do so, however, she must hone her detective skills, which she does by helping others find lost pets. Wren thinks she may be in for more than she bargained for when she recovers one of the missing pets after he’s been badly hurt, followed soon by others. Determined to discover who could possibly do such a horrible thing, Wren seeks justice for the abused animals while finding healing for the hurt of not knowing her mother’s fate. Lauri’s Take: This book very tastefully weaves together the topics of animal abuse, middle-school bullying, child abuse, and the crisis of missing indigenous women and girls. I recommend it for the older readers in this age bracket, but I TOTALLY recommend it. Although touching on a lot of hard life issues, the author never forgets that she’s telling a story, which she does in such a masterful way that the issues which are important to Wren become important to readers, as well.
In this sequel to The Winterton Deception: Final Word , Hope Smith and her brother Gordon are just about to celebrate their first holiday with their new-found extended family when a kidnapping reveals a secret she’s been hiding. Problem is, when Hope reveals her secret to the family, she’s met with disbelieve and thinly-veiled hostility. Hope is ready to give up, until another secret reveals the identity of her long-estranged grandfather and convinces her that she must seek out the truth even if no one believes her. Lauri’s Take: What a fun middle-grade mystery! Blending a kidnapping with a clue hunt, this story is just the right combination of adventure quest and real-life consequences. The author does a great job of balancing the fun of a quest, the tension of danger, and the responsibility of trying to solo a task that is way too big for you. Readers who enjoyed The Inheritance Games will adore this story.
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