Kid Review – The Secret Sauce – children’s fiction
Guide to categories: Kid Review – review of books for elementary-aged and younger children
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About the Book
Book: The Secret Sauce: A Story of Apples, Robots, and a Grateful Heart (Rena Whittaker Book 2)
Author: Fay A. Klingler
Genre: Children Ages 6-11
Release Date: June 26, 2026
The recipe for joy? A grateful heart and helping hands!
When Rena Whittaker’s neighbor, Eithan, falls from a ladder and injures his ankle, Rena and her best friend Harper jump into action to help save his apple harvest. What begins as hard work soon turns into a day filled with laughter, teamwork, and an unexpected surprise that changes everything. In this engaging adventure, Rena discovers a powerful truth—happiness has a secret ingredient.
This tender, faith-filled story gently weaves together gratitude, service, and friendship. A beautiful choice for Christian families, thoughtful gifting, and parents and grandparents who want to share stories that nurture both faith and character.
Click here to get your copy!
My Kid Review
Klingler, Fay A. The Secret Sauce: A Story of Apples, Robots, and a Grateful Heart. Illustrated by Sakharam Unrika. Draper, UT: Nutrire Fiducia Productions, 2026.
Rena Whittaker Book 2
At the start, Rena seems like a selfish little girl. As the story progresses, she learns gratitude and the benefits of helping others. Klingler captures the heart of young children, one minute selfish and demanding, the next graciously helping others.
When her neighbor falls and injures himself, Rena, her mom, and her friend Harper step in to help. They help by calling his daughter and later by picking apples and making juice and applesauce. I realize it was probably done to make the story more concise, but the timing seems very unrealistic – the neighbor starting on picking apples, then falling and getting hurt, his daughter coming from a half hour away, going to the doctor for treatment, returning, picking all the apples, making apple juice and applesauce – that sounds more like multiple days of activity, not just one day.
Umrika’s illustrations complement the text well and help children visualize the story.
The Secret Sauce would be a good addition to a K-12 Christian school library. It is appropriate for grades 1-3 as a read-aloud.
I received a complimentary copy of The Secret Sauce. This is my honest review.
About the Author – Fay A. Klingler
Fay A. Klingler is an accomplished author and illustrator known for award-winning creative and technical writing. Her literary contributions span a wide range of subjects, with a particular focus on empowering women, promoting effective grandparenting, and guiding individuals through betrayal recovery. In addition to her inspirational works for adults, Fay is also recognized for her captivating children’s books, weaving together heartwarming stories that spark imagination and impart valuable life lessons. Her insights and expertise have made her a sought-after motivational speaker.
More from Fay Klingler
Ever made apple juice by pressing apples through an old wooden apple press? One of my favorite scenes in The Secret Sauce came about because it happened to me in real life—swallowing a fly! I was just a young teenager helping a neighbor press apples for juice. I opened my mouth, and a fly flew in. Like Harper in the story, I coughed and coughed to expel the insect, but I swallowed it instead! I’m the one taking this picture at my neighbor’s home.
Blog Stops
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 16
Simple Harvest Reads, October 17 (Author Interview)
The Vine and The Branch, October 17
Texas Book-aholic, October 18
Artistic Nobody, October 19 (Author Interview)
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 20
Guild Master, October 21 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, October 22
Fiction Book Lover, October 23 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, October 23
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 24
The Bookish Ledger, October 25 (Author Interview)
Labor Not in Vain, October 26
Vicky Sluiter, October 27 (Author Interview)
Lots of Helpers, October 28
For the Love of Literature, October 29 (Author Interview)
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Fay is giving away the grand prize of an eBook copy of the book!!
Comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://gleam.io/ugVlG/the-secret-sauce-celebration-tour-giveaway
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