Pure sunshine - a hug in book form. It's heartfelt but with a beautiful, healing quality and so full of hope and joy. Another triumph from a brilliant writer.

Man, this was beautiful. I cried at least 3 times. From crying at the first chapter, to being shocked at reveals and chuckling away, this had me from the get go. A gorgeous story filled with pride, family, friendship and a message of acceptance. This is so full of colour and joy. Bea is the bravest and kindest main character and the world needs more of her.

Not many books make me want to weep tears of pure joy, but Benjamin Dean's always do. Just like Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow (which I have now forcibly made sure is in the school library where I work), The Secret Sunshine Project is a story of finding joy when it's needed most, and introducing people to the glittering, rainbow-covered happiness of Pride. As I fully expected I would, I loved this book!

This book hit me hard, although I am not a member of the LGBTQ+ community I know about the loss of a parent and having to navigate your life after something life altering happens. I loved the family in this book trying to do things again that they used to and still come together, there was moments where I was fully crying.

There is a lot of rep in this book and Benjamin Dean weaves it beautifully. He is fast becoming a one click author to me, this story is so important especially in the times we are in we need more middle grade queer literature to allow people to navigate their own identity in this world and this is what the secret sunshine project does. Keep writing Benjamin because these are stories that I wish people of my generation [a woman in her 30’s] was able to hear when we were younger.

The Secret Sunshine Project
By Benjamin Dean
Published by Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

From the author of “Me, My dad and the end of the rainbow,” comes another adorable story from beginning to end. Told through the eyes of little sister Bea, is the heart breaking story of how grief can affect the whole family as a unit and as individuals. Bea’s strength, passion and determination is to not only heal her family’s grief but to face her biggest rival - the mean and fearsome mayor.

But it is the new found friendships and love in all its forms, that flows throughout the story that is both beautiful and heartfelt, enabling loneliness, isolation and the fear of rejection to be conquered.

The Secret Sunshine Project is a must read for everyone. To celebrate PRIDE is to be accepting of love, family and friendship in all its forms. In the words of Norman: “Celebrating those who came beforehand and those who fight on in their honour. It’s about finding ourselves, finding our chosen families, and about finding that feeling of togetherness, that reminds us that we are not alone. That we have each other.”

Joanne Bardgett - Year 3 teacher of littlies, lover of books
#Netgallery
#Simon_kidsUK

I may be older than the intended audience for this book, but I still loved it! It’s great to see LGBTQ+ representation in children’s books, because that wasn’t really a thing when I was little! Bea’s older sister Riley is gay, and one summer the whole family go to London Pride together to show their support for Riley. Not long after, their dad dies, and the two sisters and their mum are forced to move out of London, and in with their grandma in the countryside. Riley is highly upset at missing Pride, and becomes depressed and withdrawn. So, Bea hatches a genius plan to bring Pride to the little country village! Will she pull it off, with the help of her new friends, or will the mean-spirited Rita Ruckus ruin her plans? This is a lovely, inclusive book that deals with sensitive topics like death and depression in a great way. It has Black main characters, plus queer representation, and I think that readers of all ages will adore this book.

I read #TheSecretSunshineProject by @NotAgainBen on #NetGalley. I adored his 1st book & this has an equally brilliant family, this time dealing with grief & upheaval. It is coming up to #Pride, but also the 1st anniversary of Dad's death...Fab ill.s by Sandhya Prabhat #LGBTQ https://t.co/h5KS1ivgIj

As is often the case with second books, I was nervous that The Secret Sunshine Project wouldn't live up to how much I loved Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow but I am so happy to say that I was completely wrong, in fact, I think I loved it even more! The characters were fun and relatable and the story was absolutely fantastically told. I smiled my way through this book, it was phenomenal!

Sometimes a book comes along at just the right moment and lifts you up when you didn't realise you needed lifting. The Secret Sunshine Project is one of those books. Filled with love, joy, pride acceptance and togetherness, this story of Bea not giving up in helping her beloved sister find a trace of happiness once felt before really is an explosion of what the power of love can do. It really reinforces the message that love will always find a way over evil and family is broader than blood-ties. There's a moment when someone makes an entrance (I won't say more as I don't want to spoil it) and you just punch the air and shout 'yes!'. I'll definitely be recommending this book to others. A gorgeous story that will be sure to inspire many, many readers.

This book was brilliantly diverse and full of hope! Bea was a quirky and fun character and her determination was very inspiring. Her love for her sister, Riley, was very wholesome and heartwarming to read about. The plot itself was amazing and it was so fun to read about how they organised their own PRIDE! The representation and diversity in this book were absolutely fantastic and made it more relatable. Overall, this was a fun quick read that I really enjoyed and I would definitely recommend you read it! I cant wait to read more books by this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-arc!

What a wonderful book! An inspiring exploration of childhood grief and the impact on a family suffering a loss. A resilient and aspirational protagonist who is just trying to help her mum and her big sister. A perfect read for KS3 students.
Another cracker from Benjamin Dean - a perfect addition to any school library.

Reading this was a joy from start to finish, I absolutely loved it and believe that it will not only entertain readers but also offer them comfort and assurance. What a true talent Benjamin Dean is!

We featured this book on Caboodle, the rewards programme from National Book Tokens, in our article "22 children's books to look out for in 2022".

"A grey cloud is following Bea's family around. Dad has passed away, and they have no choice but to move to the countryside to live with Gran. With Bea’s big sister, Riley, taking the news hard, Bea will do anything to cheer her up. So with the help of new friends, The Secret Sunshine Project is formed – Bea's plan to bring Pride to the countryside and a smile back to Riley’s face. A stunning story, from the author of the gorgeous Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow, about kindness, courage, and love in all its forms."

A joyful celebration of life in all its' beauty and tragedy. I really thought that Me, My Dad and the end of the Rainbow was the most wonderful explosion of love and acceptance... I was incorrect. The Secret Sunshine Project takes it all up a notch. I adored the characters, and the heart of this tale. One of this years must read middle grades. A copy to all schools please! LOVED IT!

The Secret Sunshine Project is a glorious uplifting powerful story of love and acceptance and looking out for others, Heartfelt and passionate about its subject matter, I couldnt read it quickly enough
The story starts when Bea and Riley's family go to London Pride, following Riley's announcement that she thinks she may be gay. The family are full of love and support, and all decide to go to :Pride together. They love the festival atmosphere and it's one of the happiest most colourful days of Bea and Riley's lives. Shortly after Pride, a lifechanging event means that the family have to leave London, moving to a small village. Riley becomes withdrawn and depressed at the move, and Bea soon realises that the best way to help her sister is to try and create their own Pride. But will the resident village bully let them get away with it?
Beautifully written, this is an important tale about being who you are, not letting prejudice or bullies stand in your way, and the power of sibling love.

Gorgeous diversity positive book for younger readers! This book is suitable for those gaining confidence in their reading, and it’s an uplifting read with a strong message of tolerance and celebrating our differences. Five stars!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

An absolutely delightful book. Refreshing, heartwarming, and full of joy. I loved our heroine, Bea, and her relationships with the wonderful women of her family. I loved that the villain was a proper villain - love to hate her.

Diverse, inclusive - a veritable rainbow of characters but none seemed tokenistic or forced.

I would recommend this to Y6 and it would be delightful as a transition read into Y7. Especially over the summer, given the book's timeline and setting!

I'll definitely be getting a copy for the school library.

This is a beautiful children's story, with lovely representation (which is so important and needed in children's fiction right now). I loved the focus on family, bravery and pride.

Following the death of their father, Bea, her sister Riley and their mum move to the countryside to stay with their gran for the summer. The last event they attended as a family was London Pride and the family are disappointed to not be able to attend this year.

As the girls try to settle into village life, they get to know the locals. Whilst most are friendly and welcoming, there is one - Rita Ruckus - who controls the village and everything that happens there and does not take kindly to new ideas.

In order to cheer up Riley and bring some life to the village, Bea comes up with an idea that may just ruffle a few feathers....

Having loved Benjamin Dean's first book, I was really looking forward to this and was not disappointed. This is a heartwarming tale of family and friendship and for standing up for what you believe in. The LGBTQ+ representation is so important in children's books and this story gives children the opportunity to maybe see themselves in some of the characters.

Highly recommended for year 6.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book.

We join Bea and her sister Riley as they move to the country after a loss in the family. It's a lovely story of a strong family connection and friendships. I love how Pride is covered in this book and I feel the author does discuss the true meaning of Pride in an age-appropriate way. Would highly recommend.