The Hidden Message

As Kate plunged through the opening in the ice, she heard Lutfisk bark. Then she slipped beneath the surface of the lake. Gasping, she choked on a mouthful of water. The cold seized her body, sending pain through her stomach and chest.

Book: The Hidden Message (Adventures of the Northwoods, Book 2) by Lois Walfrid Johnson, Bethany House Publishers, 1990

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 11-15

Subjects: Family Relationships, Friendship, Forgiveness, Fear, Truth, Obedience

Summary: In the Northwoods, the food stocked up for winter is what a family plans to survive on, what it supposed to keep them alive until spring. So when already poor families begin to lose food from their storehouses, fear starts to spread through the community. Worse still is the fact that some of the men, including Kate and Ander’s Papa are away at a logging camp trying to make some extra money to get their family through the difficult times. It’s really up to these young teenagers to find out what is going on and get the stolen food back before it’s too late. But that will require working together and with Kate putting her trust in the new boy in school that Anders and Eric say is bad news, that could be a challenge.

Notes: The Hidden Message is the second in the Adventures In The Northwoods series. The series focuses on a young girl right at the beginning of her teen years as she adjusts to life in a very different kind of home and to a new family. The story covers about a year and a half of her life. The main character, Kate has a strong sense of curiosity and stubbornness so whenever she finds something odd she determines to find out what is going on. Sometimes the mysteries find her, sometimes she seeks them out. Through the series she transitions from someone who has only heard but not accepted a relationship with God to a girl learning to put her trust in God and look to Him for wisdom and direction.

In this second book, Kate is a little more adjusted to life in the Northwoods and has learned that it’s good to put her trust in God, but fear is still strong in her. So is stubbornness. So when she’s told by her brother and friend to avoid Stretch she ignores them and finds herself in a dangerous situation. Then she hides the truth from her mama, and when finally reveals that, refuses to accept her punishment and sneaks out until she finally sees how her actions are hurting her younger sister. A message from a torn piece of paper in the old organ she bought finally shows her that God is always with her and will help her.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Psalm 118:6 - The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?