Big Little Secrets (Feathers, Treasures & Sandy Paws Book 2)

5 Star Review

Click HERE to Purchase Your Copy Today!

Editorial Book Review:

By William Reimers

Some middle grade books keep things light to the point where nothing really sticks. Big Little Secrets (Feathers, Treasures & Sandy Paws Book 2) doesn’t go that route. It still has the fun, the mystery, the sense of adventure, but there’s this quiet pressure underneath it all that makes it feel closer to real life than you expect going in.

Reading it feels easy at first, almost like you could move through it without thinking too much. But then certain moments slow you down. Jack’s situation, especially with his family, adds a kind of weight that keeps showing up between the lighter scenes. I found myself more invested in his decisions than the mystery itself at times. It’s not dramatic, it’s more subtle, but it builds.

The story leans into trust, responsibility, and the idea of doing the right thing when it’s not obvious what that is. The “secrets” feel less like plot twists and more like something people carry around quietly. That part made it feel relatable in a way that goes beyond the target age group. It’s about growing up and realizing things aren’t as simple as they looked before.

Shirley Lee Baldwin writes in a straightforward way that fits the tone, but there are moments where she lets scenes breathe just enough for the emotional side to come through. The mix of everyday life with a bit of mystery and light fantasy gives it a slightly offbeat feel without losing its grounding. It doesn’t try to do too much, which actually works in its favor.

By the end, it leaves a softer kind of impression. Not something loud or dramatic, but something that lingers a bit. It’s worth reading if you want a story that feels approachable but still has something real sitting underneath it.

About the Author

Shirley Lee Baldwin

Shirley Lee Baldwin is a native Virginian and alumnus of the University of Virginia. She has written plays, poems, and short stories for fun since the fourth grade as encouraged by a kind and supportive teacher, Mrs. Scott.

Inspired by her small-town, multi-generational upbringing and world travels, she is excited to share her new middle-grade series Feathers, Treasures & Sandy Paws—stories for the young and young at heart.

If you’ve ever wondered what your pet was thinking; or had such a strange experience you weren't sure if it was a dream; or discovered something with the help of your best friends; or love a quiet afternoon exploring the back corner of an old bookstore, then her latest book series is for you. Readers are promised a little magic, a little mystery, and hints and glints of life's true treasures. 

Do you like secrets? See how many you can count in “Big Little Secrets”—Book Two in the series.

After living overseas for twenty years, Shirley left the foothills of the young and mystical Himalayas and returned to the foothills of the ancient and mystical Blue Ridge Mountains. Why? Because there’s no place like home after a good adventure or two . . . or twenty!