Little by little, Penny Lowry is making it through grade five—with a bit of help from her friends and her loveable dog, Cosmo. There’s a lot of change to deal with this year!
Penny’s newborn twin brother and sister have everyone in her family on their last nerve with their crying. Her friends, Maria and Chloe, are spending a lot of time together without inviting Penny along, making her worry they might be getting tired of her. And on top of everything, Penny and her friends discover a very old map in her attic that sends them on a wild scavenger hunt all over town in search of treasure! Can Penny get her worries about her friends and family under control, and lead her group of friends to find the hidden treasure?
Review
We first met the loveable Penny in the first two books, Penny Draws a Best Friend and Penny Draws a School Play. By book 3, Penny has a lot more people in her life: a quirky group of friends, and an expanded family. And there’s no shortage of life events, school projects, and social situations to worry about.
Penny’s anxiety felt like a main character in the first two books, and a catalyst of much of the story. But in book 3, it feels more like a side character – albeit an important one. Throughout book 3’s adventure, Penny struggles with feeling like a burden to her friends, managing her feelings of envy towards others, and separating her anxiety from herself. In one memorable illustration, Mrs Hines (the school’s ‘feelings teacher’) informs Penny, “You shouldn’t be ashamed about worrying.” Penny replies, “I know, but do you ever get TIRED of yourself?”
Throughout this series, I appreciate that the message isn’t simply ‘get help for your anxiety and it will go away’. We see such messaging all too often in both children’s and adult stories. Anyone who’s struggled with anxiety (myself included) will know that it’s not that straightforward. Instead, Penny Draws teaches readers that you can live with anxiety, that it will wax and wane, but there people in your life and strategies that can help. Even though anxiety may feel overwhelming, you are still a worthwhile person, and true friends will love you as you are. To quote one of my favourite clichés – which makes an appearance in this book – sometimes the real treasure is the friends we made (or the friendships we strengthen) along the way.
Overall, Penny Draws a Secret Adventure continues the legacy of the Penny Draws series, with all of its heart and humour.
Thank you to Text Publishing for providing us a copy of the book in exchange for a review.
P.S. Did you know that we interviewed author Sara Shepard on the podcast in 2023 about the Penny Draws series? Check it out!
Review by Elise
Novel Feelings 