Flying Squirrels Al and Sal introduced in The Secret Drawer decide to return home with their friends to share their special news with Maddie and Kitty. Along the way Sal becomes dangerously trapped and determines that only Kitty can come to her rescue. Written in rhyme the story ends on a happy note when good news is announced.

"This is a gentle introduction to teamwork friendship and perseverance.

Themes of friendship and determination lead to a delightful surprise ending in The Secret Path Nancy Gee's sequel to her debut The Secret Drawer.

Al and Sal set off to share some special news with friends but the choice to veer onto a different path by herself leaves Sal in a situation where all her friends need to work together to help her. When Sal falls into a deep hole and gets stuck each friend takes turns in trying to help to no avail. They all quickly pull together some going for assistance while others stay to comfort Sal in her precarious position. The eventual rescue leads them to a reunion with old friends and gives them the opportunity to share their secret news.

The Secret Path is a charming picture book with unique main characters in Al and Sal who are flying squirrels. Their group of woodland friends-along with a human friend Maddie and her cat Kitty-includes a raccoon a rabbit and a turtle. Their devotion to the safety and well-being of their friend is complete and charmingly expressed. For instance while the turtle may not be able to fit into the hole to rescue Sal himself he settles over the opening to shield her from the rain with his shell while they wait for rescue.

Illustrations by Kathleen Newman are colorful and expressive conveying the animals' emotions without overwhelming young readers with the potentially scary situation in which Sal finds herself. The different animal footprints filling the front and back pages are a fun addition.

The story is simple but engaging written in a rhyme scheme that occasionally feels forced though the young target audience is not likely to notice. The author includes a list of flying squirrel facts at the end of the book also cleverly written in rhyme which children are sure to enjoy and learn from.

The Secret Path is a gentle introduction to teamwork friendship and perseverance written in a style likely to appeal to even the youngest children. This beautifully bound book filled with thick brightly illustrated pages is sure to be a keeper." -- Jeannine Chartier Hanscom Foreward Reviews https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/the-secret-path/

"Flying squirrels Al and Sal who were first introduced in Nancy Gee's charming tale The Secret Drawer have now decided to return home with their friends to share their special news with Maddie and Kitty. Along the way Sal becomes dangerously trapped and determines that only Kitty can come to her rescue. Written in rhyme the story ends on a happy note when good news is announced. Very highly recommended for family school and community library children's books collections The Secret Path is another wonderfully entertaining story for young readers from the pen of Nancy Gee." --Children's Bookwatch Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/apr_16.htm#Picturebook

"The sequel to The Secret Drawer The Secret Path is a rhyming picture book that continues the adventures of flying squirrels Al and Sal. (Al is male and Sal is female). In The Secret Path Al and Sal decide to pay a return visit to the friends they met before. But when an accident puts Sal in danger can any of the forest animals help her before it's too late - or will rescue come from someone else? Playful charming and enriched with gentle color illustrations The Secret Path is an excellent choice for storytime. Also highly recommended is the award-winning first picture book in the series The Secret Drawer --Andrea's Bookshelf - Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/apr_16.htm#andrea

"Flying squirrels Al and Sal introduced in The Secret Drawer decide to return home with their friends to share their special news with Maddie and Kitty. Along the way Sal becomes dangerously trapped and determines that only Kitty can come to her rescue. Written in rhyme the story ends on a happy note when good news is announced.

The Secret Drawer has won the coveted Gold from Mom's Choice Awards.

Why We LOVE This Book

• Al and Sal are adorable and we are glad they are back
• The illustrations are fun and whimsical
• Fun characters outside of Al and Sal
• Delivers a great message about teamwork
• Great book for one-on-one reading or in a group"

--Angela Addington &ndashMom-Spot.com http://mom-spot.com/the-secret-path/

Reviews by students:

"The Secret Path is a children's book with a lot of characters who have their own role. When we read this book at our Book Club the kids loved it! It is amazing that authors can take an extraordinary moment in their lives and translate it into a story that everyone will love!" ~ Benjamine (Age 10) Montessori School of Lemont

"I really liked how all of the other animal friends got together to help. Great story!" Violet (Age 8) Saint Michael's School Orland Park Illinois