The Secret of Honeycake {Review}

 

Set during the Great Depression, this is the story of 12-year-old Hurricane who is trying to find her voice. Since her mother's death, Hurricane has counted on sister Bronte to speak up for her.  But when Bronte becomes sick and has to go away for treatment, Hurricane is sent to live with her Aunt Claire, an outspoken, opinionated force to be reckoned with.   While living in the city, our heroine meets a host of friends who help her find her voice and ultimately, her home.

We loved this middle-grade historical fiction book.  Often, these middle-grade books feel like they were written to an older crowd.  Not so with this one.  The tone and approach are very age-appropriate, a tricky feat in this genre.  Hurricane and Aunt Claire's characters are incredibly relatable, and it's beautiful to observe their growth throughout the book.  I loved that Fusco wrote this one as historical fiction.  With such a well-written story, it was nice to have some historical context as well.  

In addition to Hurricane and Aunt Claire, several side characters are given a great deal of development.  The reader is introduced to Aunt Claire's housekeeper, the fish boy, a mangy cat, and a beloved beast of a dog... all of whom add to the book's richness and color.

All in all, we really enjoyed this title and give it a hearty 5 stars.  This is a great find for readers ages 10 years through adult.  We know you'll love it as much as we did.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

Winter Reading List ll 2025

 

The Secret of Honeycake by Kimberly Newton Fusco

Snow White and the Dragon (or Slipping Beauty and the Seven Dwarfs)

by Kim Bussing

Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman

One Wrong Step by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Confronting the Theif by Jane Hamon

Should Christians Support Israel? by Jeff Myers

Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington

Christian Heroes: Paul Brand

by Janet and Geoff Benge

Christian Heroes: Betty Greene

by Janet and Geoff Benge

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

We Are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad

Escape to Liechtenstein by Ed Dunlop

What Are You Reading This Winter?

Homeschool Resolutions ll 2025

Ahhh... a new year. A fresh start. And with that, a time to refresh and refocus in our homeschools. After 13+ years of homeschooling, life and education flow closely together. There's rarely a day that I can distinguish one from another. So some of these resolutions might appear more parenting-based, and some might appear more educational.  That's just what works best for our homeschool.  So as we launch into 2025, these are our homeschool resolutions:

1. Teaching  SOAK method-- I can't believe I've waited so long to do this.  But as the mother of two teens, this is a skill I want to see them develop before they launch into the world.  And it's a tool that I'd like to better incorporate into my quiet time as well.

2. Incorporate more science labs--Yes, I've slacked on those ever-important science experiments for too many years.  It became much more noticeable when my daughter started Physics in the fall.  However, finding time for these experiments is a challenge as well.  I'm hoping to institute a weekly experiment "block" for this purpose.

3. Plan Josiah's 8th-grade graduation ... and start looking toward freshman year-- I can hardly believe my "baby" is graduating 8th grade.  It's time to start planning for a special party to celebrate him.  And time to think of how we're approaching his freshman year for his specific personality and goals.

4. Plan 6+ homeschool field trips-- I'm a firm believer in the value of field trips, even well into the high school years.  But I also want to be respectful of the fact that these kids have their own obligations as well. So I'm paring down my expectations to a field trip every two months.  I have a few ideas in mind and plan to hit some experiences that we've missed out on in the past.

5. Plan a Living History Project at the high school level-- This is an assignment that we've tackled in the past at the elementary level.  Now I want to kick it up a notch and continue it into high school.  The goal is to pick a person from history in a field of interest and present them as if they were that person.  This requires more preparation than one would realize and forces the kids to really know their living history person.

6. Institute a family game night-- Ok, so this is really a goal I have every year.  Some years we're more successful than others.  But having that extra time for family togetherness is definitely one of the perks of homeschooling.

7. Have Lydia complete a SAT prep course and take the SAT-- I don't know how we have another child taking the SAT this year.  But I'm hoping to better prepare her for the mental gymnastics that come with taking such a test.  So I'll have her work through a couple of online courses to help get her ready.

What about you?

Are you making any resolutions for yourself or your homeschool this year?

Let us know in the comments below.

2025 Read Aloud List

This year I'm picking read-alouds to share with my 8th/9th grader.  We'll be finishing up Story of the World Vol. 4 and possibly starting BJU's Human Geography in the fall so a lot of our read-alouds go with the modern age.  But I'd like to break up the historical fiction with some fun fantasy reads as well.  So if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments below. 

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

We Are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad

Escape to Liechtenstein by Ed Dunlop

The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig

Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston

and James D. Houston

A Night Divided by Jenifer A. Nielson

A Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi

Children of the Storm by Natasha Vins

Walls by L.M. Elliott

Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman

Bruchko by Bruce Olson

The Cricket War by Tho Pham and Sandra McTavish

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

What are you reading in your homeschool this year?

What We Read and Our Homeschool Read Alouds ll December 2024

The Storyteller's Tale by Judith Bouilloc

See my full review here.

Cinderella and the Beast by Kim Bussing

See my full review here.

Mama's Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes

Our Homeschool Read Alouds:

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

This has been our Christmas read-aloud for 3-4 Decembers.  I really struggled through the first several chapters the first time we read it, but I'm so glad I stuck with it.  This is a great message about why we celebrate Christmas and how to display kindness and grace to others.

Christian Heroes: Dietrich Bonhoeffer

by Janet and Geoff Benge

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is such a rich character and example in church history.  I was excited to see that his biography was next in our reading. Living in Germany at the time of Hitler's rise, Bonhoeffer had a unique insight into his reign of terror and as part of several assassination attempts on Hitler's life.  This biography was a unique mix of Bonhoeffer's political and religious views and how the two came together at a unique period in history.  I'm especially excited as this book is coming at the point in our history curriculum where we're just starting to explore the ideas that led to WWII.

What are YOU reading?