Praise for Secrets at Sparhawk Point
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Surprising twists abound… A sweet Homefront mystery set against the backdrop of World War II.
—Kirby Larson, Newbery Honoree and NYT Bestselling Author
Omniscient third-person narration fluidly shifts among the four protagonists, granting insight into their individual challenges and shared bonds. . . . Details about the youths’ cultural backgrounds, and their eagerness to share them with one another, add texture to a thoughtful story of community care.
—Publishers Weekly
Ingrid’s dream of becoming a newspaperwoman like her Aunt Ebba adds warmth, while details of daily life . . . keep the wartime stakes grounded. . . . A wholesome, warmhearted, faith-inflected adventure.
—Kirkus Reviews
Every time I read a new Anna Rose Johnson novel I think, this is it. This is her best yet. I’d visit Sparhawk Point in a heartbeat with its picnics and sunsets and mysterious lake monster. What a delight it was to join Beatrice, Ingrid, Alex, and Jack in this tender, funny, and hopeful adventure.
—Caroline Starr Rose, author of May B.
Anna Rose Johnson has created another heart-warming, family-centered story in Secrets of Sparhawk Point. A North American Loch Ness legend, a WWII home front setting, and young characters with big dreams come together in this story where the small actions of four children ripple through their community.
—Carolyn Leiloglou, award-winning author of The Restorationists
—School Library Journal
Johnson’s middle-grade historical fiction novel offers a “you meddling kids” vibe with a 1940s linguistic twist, while drawing inspiration from the lore surrounding Lake Superior and its protection during WWII. Era-specific details such as Radio Flyer wagons and DuraGloss nail polish add a nifty touch, while the Ojibwe legend of the Mishi-Biizhiw and its protection of the lake’s copper creatively fuels the rumors the children spread about the monster.
—The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books
SECRETS AT SPARHAWK POINT
(Holiday House, August 25, 2026)
Sparhawk Point, Michigan may be a small town in 1943, but it’s home. For the Swedish Ahlstrom girls, it’s the only place they’ve ever known—a place they may have to leave if their father’s church can’t find more parishioners. The Ojibwe Robicheaux boys are struggling, too: their mother has had to take a job packing fish to make ends meet, and the family’s two little rental cottages sit empty. If things don’t change, the Ahlstroms and the Robicheauxes both will have to leave. They can’t bear the thought of leaving… so they’ll have to make new residents come to them, and fast.
Drawing on inspiration from Ojibwe stories of the mysterious sea monster Mishi-Biizhiw—the stormbringer of Lake Superior—the children spread stories of their very own “American Loch Ness monster” to bring curious visitors to their shores. But telling lies always has unforeseen consequences. And soon enough, their monster has taken on a life of its own …
Secrets at Sparhawk Point is a timeless spring adventure from acclaimed Ojibwe voice Anna Rose Johnson: glowing, insightful, sensitive, and written in the mode of classic girls’ fiction like Anne of Green Gables. Warm and richly evocative, it has a hint of magical realism and a wholesome, heartfelt message.
Cover art by Stephanie Son