TEMPEST'S SECRET

After their secret stray kitten goes missing, a young girl and her brother set out on a city-wide quest to find their beloved friend in Chapelle's middle-grade novel.

Eleven-year-old Tempest and her younger brother, Wallace, desperately want a pet but are repeatedly told“no” by their Mum and Dad. One day, the siblings find a young kitten stuck in a tree. After rescuing him and naming him Pompon, they hide the kitten in Tempest’s room for a few days to prove to their parents that they’re responsible. Pompon soon goes missing, however, and Tempest sets off to find out what happened. As she frantically searches the city, she crosses paths with some suspicious characters—including a “mysterious old man with steely blue eyes” named Eddie Quinn (who Tempest nicknames “Steely Blue”) and “Lady Lavender,” an elderly neighbor. Even Tempest’s own grandmother, Manie, finds herself on the suspect list. Tempest must navigate her wild imagination while attempting to keep her search a secret from her parents if she is to find Pompon. When she eventually does, Tempest learns a valuable lesson about truth, responsibility, and love. Yao’s cartoon-like illustrations consist of simple black-and-white line drawings and are scattered throughout. Chapelle expertly captures the precocious mind of a preteen in the charming Tempest, whose busy brain often carries her away (like when she convinces herself that kindly old Lady Lavender is a killer: “WHACK! That noise again! She’s not a sweet grandmother; she’s a murderer in disguise, and this was a trap. She’ll kill me”). One chapter toward the end of the book is written from Pompon’s perspective and feels awkwardly inserted, but this is a rare misstep. Overall, Chapelle manages to seamlessly blend together humorous moments (Wallace mixing up the word “conspirators” with “constipators”) and truly heartfelt ones (Tempest realizing she must—at least temporarily—give up Pompon, who is too young to be away from his mother) to craft a feel-good mystery.

This quasi-detective story for kids lets its quirky protagonist shine in a simply-plotted story full of good-hearted mayhem.