Sugar Shack (Peapod Farm #3)

Knisley, Lucy. Sugar Shack (Peapod Farm #3)
August 5, 2025 by Random House Graphic

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

After Jen's experience in moving to Peapod Farm with her mother and step father in Stepping Stones, and continuing to make peace with her situation in Apple Crush, she is back in a fairly good place. Somewhat pushy stepsister Andy is busy preparing for her bat mitzvah, and Jen has learned to give her her own way in situations where Jen doesn't particularly care. Young Reese's exuberance is easier to tolerate, and Jen is starting to feel like an older sister. Even Walter has calmed down a bit, and thinks before he speaks. Since Andy has to go to town on the weekends to prepare for her bat mitzvah, Jen's mother suggests that she attend the local 4H group, where she find some people that she likes, and others, like a boy who unnecessarily talks a lot about "culling" rabbits after a petting zoo fundraiser, who are harder to take. The family has decided to tap the maple trees on their property and host a small festival with the maple syrup they make. We follow the family through the winter, with some epic snow days, one of which almost ends disastrously, and Andy's bat mitzvah celebration. By the time the syrup is made, Jen has a few more friends, and feels more a part of her family. Ms. Knisley has extensive notes and sketches at the end of the book, explaining how her own life story parallels but isn't exactly like Jen's. 

Strengths: Like all of Knisley's work, there is something utterly compelling about Jen's story, and it was a relief that it was also primarily a pleasant story. It was fascinating to read her note about readers' reactions to Walter, and her decision to include him; I had also felt that it was valuable to see flawed characters and learn how to deal with them without changing them. I loved that the girls had a lot of chores. The wintery setting, complete with sugaring off in a tiny cabin and mugs of warm maple juice... this just speaks to me in the same way that the 1970s family room in Holm's Sunny books does. It doesn't hurt that the first two books really helped one of my students who was struggling with a difficult stepfather. Look at that cover! This is a cozy book about how family makes us feel loved and wanted even when the people in it are messy and difficult. 
Weaknesses: I wanted to know more about how the farm was staying in business. It's a somewhat unusual setting, and while young readers won't really care about the economic value of maple syrup, I was really curious, especially after reading in the afterword that Knisley's mother and step father divorced when she was in her teens and she left the farm. 
What I really think: Now I want to go back and read Sorenson's 1957 Miracles on Maple Hill again, complete with Joe and Beth Krush illustrations. There are a lot of similarities, tapping maple trees, and another cozy house. I'll definitely purchase this for my school library, since the first two books have been very popular.