SARA SHEPARD’s book Penny Draws A Secret Adventure is the third instalment in her ‘Penny Draws’ series and follows Penny Lowry as she navigates grade five!
Good Reading for Kids asked Sara about some of the challenges Penny will face and the lessons she will learn in this story.
We’re reunited with Penny again – what’s new for her in Penny Draws a Secret Adventure?
Photography credit: Danielle Shields 2022
This Penny book sends Penny and her friends on a treasure hunt! It has a lot of mystery and excitement built in, but of course there’s the same Penny Draws humour. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s a fun ride as Penny and her friends race around trying to solve clues.
What can you tell us about some of the challenges Penny faces in this story?
In the last book, Penny worried that her two friends, Maria and Chloe, wouldn’t get along, but in this one, she worries they get along too well and eventually won’t need her anymore – a lot like what happened between her, Violet, and Riley. Losing friends can be hard. It’s something that sticks with all of us. But Penny still struggles with losing Violet’s friendship, and that’s okay. She also struggles to find her worth within the group during their treasure hunting, which I think we all struggle with from time to time – am I doing enough? Am I contributing enough? Do I matter?
What was your favourite part of writing this book?
It was a lot of fun writing a mystery Penny, as I’ve written so many mysteries in the past. For this book, I got to plot the story like I plot a lot of my YA novels – figuring out the ending before I figure out the beginning, planting misleads and red herrings, and throwing breadcrumbs of clues. As always, the drawings are so much fun, and I think they add so much to the spirit of the story.
What are some of the most important lessons Penny learns in this book?
I think Penny learns that not all friendships are alike, and that she should trust the friends she’s with. I think she also learns to speak her mind more and ask some hard questions. I also think she ignored her hurt feelings about Violet for a while, but they’ve popped up more in that book, and now she has to deal with them. But it’s good for her to work through those feelings and really understand how they affected her and how she can learn from them.
Do you have a favourite character?
I would say Penny and her family. I relate to Penny so much. I also relate to her parents since I’m a mum. There’s a babysitter character who’s also pretty funny – she’s the first teenager in the books, and it was fun to write her from Penny’s point of view.
Describe this book in three words.
Exciting, funny, heartfelt!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sara Shepard is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the ‘Pretty Little Liars’ series, ‘The Lying Game’ series, The Heiresses, The Elizas, ‘The Perfectionists’ series, and Reputation. She is also the author of the ‘Penny Draws’ series for middle-grade readers.
0 Comments