My daughter loved this one. to have the perspective of a blended family that is different than our own but finding similarities the the struggles and triumphs in all experience was a joy for her to read.

I find Lucy Knisley's books so enjoyable. I love how much she writes about food and I love her relatable tween characters. A solid choice for middle grade realistic fiction readers.

Although it took me a bit longer than usual to get into this book, I am glad I saw it through to the end. It has great representation of blended families and the complications that brings to family dynamics. I think this book will do really well in rural farming communities, and with kids who enjoy books about animals or farm life.

I love this latest installment of the Peapod Farm series. In this we see Jen learning to accept her family as they are. Jen is very much a kid still but you can see in her dialogue that she is growing up also. There is nothing but love for this series. It is a great story with memorable characters. I love the information that Lucy provides at the back of the book.

Lucy Knisley is my favorite graphic novelist for a reason! Sugar Shack is an absolutely wonderful installment in her middle grade Peapod Farm series. I love the way that Knisley develops the characters and plays out plot lines that have carried over from the previous books. Her readers will enjoy every page of Sugar Shack!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Graphic for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 ⭐️ rounded up. Such a cute and fun graphic novel and a nice conclusion to the series! I especially loved the little author’s Q&A at the end. Seeing what was based on real life and more fictional is so much fun! It also offered some great insight on her portrayal of the characters and really made me respect her as a writer. I love Lucy Knisley’s books and I will look forward to more in the future now that this series has finished!

Sugar Shack beautifully captures the challenges and joys of navigating a blended family while adjusting to a new environment. I particularly appreciate how this book authentically reflects the experiences of many children, allowing them to see themselves in the characters and their relatable struggles.

The inclusion of scenes where Andy applies math in everyday situations is a valuable addition, making learning more tangible and engaging. I also applaud the incorporation of fun facts about farming, which will undoubtedly pique students' interest and introduce them to new concepts. The inclusion of recipes encourages hands-on learning and provides a delightful way to connect with the story at home.

The colorful and vibrant illustrations are a visual delight, further enhancing the reading experience. Moreover, the book thoughtfully represents both Christian and Jewish faiths, fostering inclusivity and broadening perspectives.

I wholeheartedly recommend Sugar Shack and eagerly anticipate adding it to my school library upon its publication.

Sad that this is the final volume of the Peapod Farm series! Really enjoyed seeing the characters continue to grow and come together as a family. I love the style of drawings, and enjoyed the end notes about how real life experiences informed the story line. I hope there will be another middle grade graphic novel by Lucy Knisley in the future.

Sugar Shack is a fun and sweet middle grade graphic novel about kids who are helping on their family farm. The kids help stack and gather wood, tap trees for maple syrup, and do chores while navigating their relationships with one another. One of the kids is getting ready for her Bat Mitzvah while another starts in a 4H group. Middle grade kids will love the beautiful illustrations and they'll be inspired by the doodle journal kept by one of the girls. I'll definitely be adding this to my third grade classroom library, and I'll be checking out other books by Lucy! A great read!

In the third volume of Lucy Knisley's delightful middle-grade graphic novel series, it's winter now at Peapod Farm, and Jen is hauling wood. And hauling wood. And hauling wood. (Winter doesn't mean less chores when you're a farm kid.) She's also playing in the snow, saving a rabbit, trying to figure out who she wants to be when she grows up (a question everyone else seems to have a definite answer for), and continuing to negotiate the complexity of her blended family. I love Jen as a narrator--she's a keen observer who's learning to give other people space, but doesn't have an abundance of answers. I would have loved her just as much when I was the age the book is aimed at.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my free earc in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are all my own.

The most recent edition to the Peapod Farm series is, like the rest of the series, sweet, light, and not particularly deep. Good for upper elementary students, but probably not enough plot for older readers unless they are generally fans of Lucy Knisley (and there are a lot of those!)

I love the notebook inclusions in the book. It definitely makes you better connect to the character. The story is a good representation of that siblings/not siblings back and forth that so many kids in blended families go through.

It is a delightful graphic novel, based loosely on the author’s life. She says she used parts of herself in the three sisters.

Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for the eARC!

3.75 Stars. This was a wonderful finale to the Peapod Farm series! I like how it emphasized the bonds of sisterhood between the three girls, and also taught kids that it's okay if you don't know what you want to be when you grow up right away. As always, the art style is lovely and engaging, and I absolutely adored that it showcased more of my favorite character, Reese! She really was able to shine in this novel, Readers who loved the first two novels won't be disappointed by this one!

This is book 3 in the Peapod farm series. Winter has set in there’s snow, firewood to collect, and farm chores to do. If you’ve read the other two books in this series, there is nothing new but a deeper appreciation of Lucy and her family. I like the points where you can see the real artist’s real hands as they draw the panel that you’re seeing and how it’s incorporated into the story. I also like how the author answers questions about the end about characters that are considered not nice, or what it was like having sisters, etc. In a way it feels like an ending to the series but also not an ending, so we’ll see where the author goes from here. I will say, I like her young readers graphic novels better than her adult stuff so I hope she continues to write for this group.

Lucy Knisley writes such great comics. If her name is attached to it, I will read it. This is the 3rd book in this series and it is such a great book. She also has a Q&A in the back and it really adds to the story. I can't wait to read what she comes out with next!

After Jen's experience in moving to Peapod Farm with her mother and step father in Stepping Stones, and continuing to make peace with her situation in Apple Crush, she is back in a fairly good place. Somewhat pushy stepsister Andy is busy preparing for her bat mitzvah, and Jen has learned to give her her own way in situations where Jen doesn't particularly care. Young Reese's exuberance is easier to tolerate, and Jen is starting to feel like an older sister. Even Walter has calmed down a bit, and thinks before he speaks. Since Andy has to go to town on the weekends to prepare for her bat mitzvah, Jen's mother suggests that she attend the local 4H group, where she find some people that she likes, and others, like a boy who unnecessarily talks a lot about "culling" rabbits after a petting zoo fundraiser, who are harder to take. The family has decided to tap the maple trees on their property and host a small festival with the maple syrup they make. We follow the family through the winter, with some epic snow days, one of which almost ends disastrously, and Andy's bat mitzvah celebration. By the time the syrup is made, Jen has a few more friends, and feels more a part of her family. Ms. Knisley has extensive notes and sketches at the end of the book, explaining how her own life story parallels but isn't exactly like Jen's.
Strengths: Like all of Knisley's work, there is something utterly compelling about Jen's story, and it was a relief that it was also primarily a pleasant story. It was fascinating to read her note about readers' reactions to Walter, and her decision to include him; I had also felt that it was valuable to see flawed characters and learn how to deal with them without changing them. I loved that the girls had a lot of chores. The wintery setting, complete with sugaring off in a tiny cabin and mugs of warm maple juice... this just speaks to me in the same way that the 1970s family room in Holm's Sunny books does. It doesn't hurt that the first two books really helped one of my students who was struggling with a difficult stepfather. Look at that cover! This is a cozy book about how family makes us feel loved and wanted even when the people in it are messy and difficult.
Weaknesses: I wanted to know more about how the farm was staying in business. It's a somewhat unusual setting, and while young readers won't really care about the economic value of maple syrup, I was really curious, especially after reading in the afterword that Knisley's mother and step father divorced when she was in her teens and she left the farm.
What I really think: Now I want to go back and read Sorenson's 1957 Miracles on Maple Hill again, complete with Joe and Beth Krush illustrations. There are a lot of similarities, tapping maple trees, and another cozy house. I'll definitely purchase this for my school library, since the first two books have been very popular.

This was a wonderful addition to this series by Lucy Knisley. I've enjoyed them all but this was my favorite so far! Wonderful conclusions to the step siblings in this book and I really enjoyed the maple syrup harvesting aspect. Fred the bunny was a highlight as well. I'd read about 100 more books with these characters. Such a blast and I loved the additional material at the end where Lucy shared what she has in common with the characters and the inspiration for the series.

Another cute book in this series about 12 year old Jen and her adapting to her new life living with her mom and her boyfriend on a farm. I think these books show great and realistic depictions of life with a blended family. I especially liked how this one touched on different religious traditions at the holidays. These are always cute books that I know my tween will love to read! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I picked this because my middle schoolers have asked for books that talk about sugaring since it is something they do in the spring. It’s really about moving to the country and settling in with a newly blended family. I think my students will connect to it in multiple ways.