The Secret of Haven Point

Product Information

LF: I love the illustrations in The Secret of Haven Point! Tell us about working with three illustrators and the different elements they brought to the book. Haven Point by Virginia Hume, is an enjoyable, and interesting multi-generational family saga, starting in Washington DC, at the start of World War II. This is a story of love, family, secrets, and perceptions that will endear you to the characters as the book brings you into their lives. This story is original, imaginative and not one, but all the main characters have a disability. Illustrations throughout the book and on chapter headings help portray the action and characters and Haven Point itself. LA: I think it’s in my blood. My family are all based by the sea and always have been. My mum and dad moved to Darlington and I became a river lass. Next to water is where I feel most at peace. It’s silly, but I don’t think I realised that connection! It just is . The second book is river based, so it’s obviously a thing whether I like it or not…

I feel the need to mention that the ending feels like it’s for an older demographic than the rest of the book. As an adult reader I wasn’t bothered by the content but I think for the younger readers there needs to be a warning that there will be guns, violence and death.

About Lisette Auton

The story moves at a languid, thoughtful pace that seems just perfect for lazy summer days by the sea. The characters were interesting and nuanced. I loved Maren’s mother-in-law. She was a hoot! This is a 17-session Literary Leaf for The Secret of Haven Point by Lisette Auton which covers all aspect of the Upper Key Stage 2 content domain. Throughout the series of lessons, children will engage in plenty of discussion around points arising in the text and use their conversations to gather evidence before recording their personal responses in Reading Response books. Children will analyse the behaviours and motivations of the main characters, as well as how they change as the story develops. They will also analyse the author's vocabulary choices, in particular relating to personification and their use of devices to create tension. The Leaf will finish with children discussing the themes the story covers and the lessons they have learnt through reading this gripping story. Synopsis of Text: LF: At the start of the book there is note on language in which you write about the responsibility you feel writing about disabled characters, to get everything ‘right’, because there are so few children’s books centring disabled characters and written by disabled people. What does it mean to be creating the kind of book you wish there were more of in the world? I hope as well as the feeling of responsibility you mention in the introduction, it also makes you feel very proud. I would have preferred if the experience of one or two or three disabilities had been treated more in depth rather than many just being mentioned - just as the wedding was for a lesbian couple we barely got to know. Lastly, people that are supposed to be likable or at least sympathetic are so thoughtless and outright nasty at times that I really don't see how they can forgive each other. Flawed characters are necessary but I thought this overstepped the line, especially what Alpha did with the torch.

The Secret of Haven Point is the perfect addition to the well-being section of any bookshelf. I could not put it down. Unveiling disability; putting it in the spotlight, where it belongs, out in the open for all to admire its hidden beauty. It reminds me of Wonder and a quote springs to mind: 'Why blend in when you were born to stand out?' Emma Jones, commissioning editor at Penguin Random House Children’s Books, acquired world rights to two books from Molly Ker Hawn at the Bent Agency.Dapo Adeola, Tracy Darnton, Joseph Coelho and Chitra Soundar are among the 19 authors and illustrators longlisted for the Inclusive Books for Child... As the nation grapples with the ongoing conflict in Vietnam, Oliver and Maren are grappling with their fiercely independent seventeen-year-old daughter, Annie, who has fallen for a young man they don’t approve of. Before the summer is over a terrible tragedy will strike the Demarests––and in the aftermath, Annie vows never to return to Haven Point.

LA: Working with Emma Jones as my mentor on the WriteNow programme was absolutely nothing short of life changing. What I learned in such a short space of time about the technicalities of writing, editing, line editing, structure, character and pace was incredible, like a one-to-one masterclass. But it wasn’t just that, it was the confidence she instilled in me through her faith in my story and my writing. I finally believed it was possible. My story is incredibly northern with a cast of disabled characters, it’s not necessarily the most commercial sell going! But it was my heart song and Emma never asked me to water that down, but to dig deep and go for it even more. It wouldn’t exist the way it does now without her skill and kindness. When Puffin acquired The Secret of Haven Point I was so proud that she became my editor. A relationship I relish, and she’s still challenging me now – you should see the notes on my latest edit for book two! This book delves into friendship, belonging, trust and inclusion. A must-have story for all bookshelves. A book for children to see themselves represented, find solace and understanding. For others, it will help build empathy and acceptance in a world that is full of magic, confusion and twists. I won’t go on and on about all that I loved about this book, but I will say the writing is lovely, the descriptions are beautiful, the storyline is flawless and the characters are perfect. I felt as if I was a vacationer for three months out of the year going to Haven Point with the Demarest family, sitting alongside them in the weekly sing along. Maren was my favorite and a close second was Pauline, I was so belly laughing when Georgie and Maren had her in the wheel barrel and there was once I had tears running down my face. I cannot explain how this author pulled out so many emotions. The novel centers around Maren, a farm girl from Minnesota who ends up working as a nurse at Walter Reed Medical Center during World War II. While there, she meets her future husband who is from a Boston family who spends their summers vacationing in the small coastal community of Haven Point.Maren, as an outsider, takes years to feel like she belongs, but as the years go by she realizes she underestimated the people in Haven Point. When a tragedy occurs that involves her children, Maren’s daughter Annie vows to leave and never return to Haven Point. I could mention several other excellent characters, but I do not want to spoil the fun for other readers. Just look out for the mermaids, not your cute Disney ones, so beware. Alpha as the main protagonist was everything you want in a lead character. I loved my time with her and her friends, and the ending is set up nicely to allow for a sequel (fingers crossed). If I haven’t already sold the book to you, what you probably need to know, what you really, really need to know, is that there is a character who walks around with a tiny cat living in his beard!! The Secret of Haven Point is a classic children’s book in the making, and I am reasonably sure that children will love it from the beginning to the end.