This book is sweet, heart warming and heart breaking. I loved the found family, the joy in Pride and the strong plotline. There were a few things that as an adult reader didn't really make sense, but for a child I think it is fantastic, and think this should be in all Primary Schools

I adored Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow, so I couldn't wait to get started on this one. It didn't disappoint. Filled with warmth and family and love and amazing feel good vibes. Loved the characters Bea and Riley.

Really sweet book about friendship, the importance of being yourself and celebrating Pride! Fabulous

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I found this book an enjoyable read. However, the first 2/3 of the book felt slow and whilst it was great to see the friendships and character growth, it didn’t;t really feel like the story got going until the final 100 pages. The grandmother and the drag queen characters were the most engaging, which in a children’s book you want to get from the child protagonist more than the adults. I did love the celebration of individuality, of courage and overall of love (and grief). A heart-warming read that has heartbreaking as well as laugh out loud moments.

This is a beautiful book full of hope and brimming with optimism. Following the death of their father, Bea can’t help but notice how sad her sister Riley is. So when they unexpectedly have to spend the summer at their Gran’s house, Bea sets her mind on cheering Riley up. Cue lots of laughter, brilliant friendships, loving family and a huge celebration of pride and acceptance. This is the kind of book that needs to be in schools and on children’s bookshelves everywhere.

Benjamin Dean is the ultimate author for getting middle grade queer books JUST right. In a similar plot line to me, my dad and the end of the rainbow the main theme of this one is pride and I really enjoyed it. Every library should have a copy of this one and every child and child at heart should read it.

Benjamin Dean has my whole heart, we certainly needed more LGBTQIA+ titles in our stores and this fit the bill spectacularly. I cannot wait to see what this author does next but everyone needs to read this book, alongside Me, My Dad and the end of the Rainbow. This book is full of heartwarming joy and life affirming hope.

Firstly, I need to say that Benjamin Dean can do no wrong in my eyes with his middle grade books. I know that he has a YA coming out this summer, but both The Secret Sunshine Project and Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow are phenomenal pieces of literature that any child could devour and learn something from.

Not only are they cultural and romantically diverse but TSSP is full of friendship, loyalty and love. It centers around family anda sisterhood that will make you jealous that Bea and Riley aren't your friends (or sisters). I grew up in a small village, and this book made me chuckle as I remembered where I grew up and the way everyone seems to know what is happening with everyone else.

100% everyone should read Benjamin Dean's books. ^_^ You're welcome!

I did also listen to the audiobook - and can also reccommend it if you like listening to them.

As soon as I found out that Benjamin Dean was releasing a second book, it was at the top of my to read pile! I absolutely loved his first book: Me, my dad and the end of the rainbow and this one was even better in my opinion! Full of family, love, friendship, sunshine and acceptance, this is a story for all ages and I would highly recommend this one! Also, you can get pretty rainbow edges if you order from waterstones and who doesn’t love fancy edges

Throughout June, GeekMom celebrates Pride Month with lots of LGBTQ content. Follow the Pride Month tag to find everything all in one space (including LGBTQ content from previous years) and keep checking back for more throughout the month. Today’s book review is The Secret Sunshine Project by Benjamin Dean.

Please note: This post contains affiliate links. Author/illustrator images are credited to themselves.

Trigger Warnings: death of a parent, grief

One of my favorite books of 2021 was Me, My Dad, and the End of the Rainbow by Benjamin Dean. While not a true sequel, The Secret Sunshine Project is set in the same universe almost exactly one year later and follows two sisters who attended the very same London pride featured in the first book.

Bea’s older sister Riley came out just over a year ago to much support from the whole family who quickly organized a trip to London Pride, an incredible family day out now tinged with sadness because only a few weeks later, the girls’ father died unexpectedly. Nearly a year later, the family’s finances have tightened enough that they are having to leave their family home in London behind and move in with their grandma for the summer in the small rural village of St Regent’s Vale. Riley is finding the move extremely difficult. She is feeling isolated and cut off, worse, she’s going to have to miss Pride – the one place she truly felt that she belonged. The St Regent’s Vale summer fete, run by the cruel and ruthless Rita Ruckus, is no substitute.

After meeting some local kids around her age, Bea comes up with a plan. If Riley can’t go to Pride this summer, then Bea will bring Pride to Riley, by organizing the very first St Regent’s Vale Pride celebration. However, actually pulling it off will be a challenge with Rita determined not to let anything overshadow her precious village fete and all but one of the local residents afraid to speak up. But Bea is more like her outspoken grandmother than she thinks and she is determined to bring the sunshine back to her sister’s life – even if it means taking on Rita head to head.

The Secret Sunshine Project is another almost aggressively uplifting book from Benjamin Dean and you will struggle not to smile while reading it. Bea is a vibrant main character who was a joy to read and her relationships with her family all felt believable and joyful. I identified strongly with her sister Riley who is clearly struggling with sadness bordering on depression, but my favorite character was probably Bea’s gran who is exactly the kind of belligerent old lady I one day aspire to become myself! The fact that the book is centered so strongly around a lost parent is worthy of a hefty trigger warning, but it never feels downbeat. Instead, we see a family growing back together after going through the worst thing they could imagine and see the ways that loss has strengthened them, even if they are struggling to see it themselves.

My one criticism, if you can call it that, of The Secret Sunshine Project is that I was expecting a dramatic final act that never seemed to emerge – something my husband also commented on. The story just somewhat petered out by the end. However, in many ways, this was actually a pleasant change from what I was expecting. I was also pleasantly surprised by the lack of homophobia in this book. Given the very traditional nature of St Regent’s Vale and its generally older residents, I had expected the kids to come up against some old-fashioned attitudes but was pleased to see this wasn’t the case, even if it was perhaps a tad unrealistic. Bea (and Riley too) forming strong friendships and becoming a part of their Gran’s village in just a few weeks is all a little bit too picture-perfect, but sometimes you need a story that is just boldly positive, and that’s exactly what The Secret Sunshine Project provides.

The Secret Sunshine Project might be a middle-grade book, but if you’re looking for something to bring a smile to your face, especially if you too are struggling to piece yourself back together after a trauma of some kind, then I would recommend it to you no matter your age.

GeekMom received a copy of this title for review purposes.

This is just an absolute joy to read!
From the loss of a parent to the discovery of a new town and a plan to change it for the better. There is heart, joy and love mingled on each and every page. You can’t help but laugh and cry, smile and smirk as you meet the characters, bond with them and urge them to get involved with the Pride celebrations!
It is also about grief and learning to cope with the recent loss of a parent.

Benjamin Dean writes with such heart and joy. I will always read what he writes!

I really enjoyed Me, my dad and the end of the rainbow so I was looking forward to reading the second book by Benjamin Dean - it did not disappoint. Riley and Bea are missing their Dad after he passed away - the last time Bea had seen her sister, Riley, truly happy was when they were altogether at Pride London last summer. Now, due to money issues, Mum is making them go and stay with their Gran for the whole summer in some sleepy village - Bea has never seen Riley look so distraught . Not only is she moving away from her friends (and possible girlfriend) but she will miss out on Pride - her happy place, Bea is really upset about not seeing her friend Lucas for the summer too but she's more worried about Riley. She has to do something.

It was such a good book - exploring themes of grief, coming out, being different and friendship in child-friendly ways. I would definitely it to my class.

Beautiful, joyous, what Benjamin Dean does best <3 While this story is a bit sad at times, it's also extremely wholesome and joyful.

Sweet, joyous and heartfelt story of friendship and family.

This novel focuses on Bea, who lost her father and had to move to the countryside with her family. To cheer everyone up, Bea and her new friends start The Secret Sunshine Project, which aims to bring Pride to the countryside, despite the mayor's objections.

It was a beautiful story of finding joy when it's most needed. Bea's relationship with the women in her family was heartwarming and the characters in this novel were diverse and interesting. Bea herself is strong, altruistic and determined, a lovely heroine to follow! There were also many powerful subjects included in the story, which will surely empower kids dealing with difficult situations like death and embracing your identity.
It was a wonderful story and I recommend it to Y6+

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an e-arc of this book. I absolutely loved Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow so when this came available to request i had to ask, and it did not disappoint. The plot was fantastic, the characters i adore. It was everything i needed in a book. I will continue to read everything the Benjamin Dean publishes.

Thank you or letting me be a part of this book tour for the wonderful new novel ‘The Secret Sunshine Project.’

Follow the death of her father, Bea, her big sister Riley and their mother have decided to leave their home in London and move in with their Gran for the Summer. When Riley couldn’t visit London Pride, Bea would do anything to cheer her up. With the help of her new friends, The Secret Sunshine Project was formed and Bea’s plans of bringing Pride to the countryside began!
It was such a wonderful, heart warming book about family and friendship! Bea is such a lovely character; All she wants to do is help her sister and create new memories on such a heartbreaking day, I wish I had a sister like her! She is a strong young woman who will stop at nothing.
There are so many powerful subject matters are included within the book, I think something like this will help lots of children to come deal with some hard topics including death and who you are (LGBTQ+ community) .
As soon as I had finished reading I just wanted to go to my sister’s house and spend some time with her as a family. It really does drive home how families need each other and are there for each other no matter what.

I requested this book from Netgalley for its LGBTQ+ content, This carefully crafted novel covers many other topics with empathy. Bea, older sister Riley and their mum are forced to leave their home in London and move in with their Gran in the country for the summer. They have financial difficulties following the death of Bea's dad and can no longer make ends meet. For Bea, this means losing the summer she had planned with her best friend: for Riley, it means not attending Pride and being isolated. However, both girls find more in their Gran's quiet village than they expected, and Bea in particular goes above and beyond to make her sister's life more bearable. A great choice for upper key stage 2/lower key stage 3, and for any school library. Thanks to Netgalley for my ARC.

I loved this book.
A real feel good read about families, those you’re born in to and those friends you make family.
Riley’s summer looks to be filled with grief for the people and things she’s missing spending the holidays at her Gran’s until her sister Bea plans to put a smile back on Riley’s face in a big glittering rainbow way!

Sisters Bea and Riley are part of a close knit family with supportive Mum and Dad, especially after Riley reveals she is gay. As a family they all visit London Pride to show support to Riley. But shortly after Dad dies leaving three desperately sad people behind. He also leaves behind a Mum worrying about making ends meet on very little income.
The following year as the school Summer holidays start Mum announces they can no longer afford to live in London and will stay with Gran in the country all Summer, leaving behind the only home they have known.
So all the Summer plans of both girls get thrown out of the window as they travel a few hundred miles to St Regent’s Vale where Riley becomes more withdrawn remembering better days.
Bea, with her new friends decides on a plan to cheer up her sister, but can she pull it off?
With some wonderful characters this story of grief demonstrates the founding principles of Pride – love and acceptance for all.

Bea, Riley and their Mum and Dad live in London. One day Riley walks in and just informs them that she likes girls. Her parents are amazing, they make it clear she is their daughter and they love her whatever. Then they suggest going to Pride London. The day becomes the most important day because just a few weeks later, Dad dies.
While the girls are trying to sort things out in their own heads Mum is struggling to keep their family afloat, but she can't and they have to leave the home that they've always rented. Riley doesn't hide her feelings, she's angry and withdrawn. Bea tries to hide hers and keep her sister happy.
They are going to spend the summer holidays in St Regents Vale with Gran - but Bea and Riley really don't want to and they are frightened that the house holds all of their memories of Dad.
When they get to Gran's house it really isn't what they expect. Gran has a lifelong feud with the lady of the Manor, Rita. And Rita is terrifying - she and her husband pretty much own the town and nobody does anything she doesn't want them too. Bea meets some new friends and Riley meets a new friend
The Fete is being organised and nothing is supposed to happen any time before. But Bea wants to organise something to make Riley happy. Then another visitor to St Regents Vale seems to be able to make that dream easier.
Can Bea and her friends make their surprise happen?

I read Me, My Dad and The End of The Rainbow and it was amazing. This book is the perfect follow up. Bea is amazingly strong young girl, and she seems to take after her Gran! But the whole book brings home the need for friends and family to pull together to help and support each other.
Read it....you won't be disappointed.