Family Forever

by Kallie George, Stephanie Graegin (Illustrator)

Courage, kindness, and adventure abound in this charming, illustrated chapter book series! While the search for a golden acorn has Fernwood Forest all a-fluster, Mona the mouse plans a surprise of her own to bring all the animals together.

Everything is humming at the Heartwood Hotel one year after the forest fire. Yet Mona the mouse feels like something is missing. Something besides the Golden Acorn—a legendary treasure buried and forgotten long ago. When a stranger turns up at the Heartwood with a map, suddenly the whole forest is taking part in a big treasure hunt and the hotel’s regular activities are turned upside down.

But Mona has an idea to get things back to throw a surprise birthday party for Mr. Heartwood! As the Heartwood attracts treasure hunters—well-meaning and otherwise—and as Mona's best friend Tilly seems to be pulling away, Mona feels like her plans are slipping through her paws! Who will find the legendary treasure? And what if danger finds the hotel first?

The newest installment of the Heartwood Hotel chapter book series is another cozy adventure through an imaginative woodland, complete with charming black-and-white illustrations, comforting themes, and a classic feel.
 
Perfect for fans of…
★ Beatrix Potter
★ Sophie Mouse
★ Winnie-the-Pooh
★ Frog and Toad
 
Don’t miss more adventures at the Heartwood Hotel!
A True Home (#1)
The Greatest Gift (#2)
Better Together (#3)
Home Again (#4)
Family Forever (#5)

204 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2025

About the author

I’m an author, editor, and speaker living in Vancouver, BC, near the sea. When I’m not writing or editing, I’m teaching creative writing workshops.

I have my Masters of Children's Literature from the University of British Columbia.

I love picture books, fairy tales, beautiful art and music, and baking cookies.

Reviews

[Marissa Wells (Marissa's Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

-Positive Content-

▪️ I liked how the writing style had an old-fashioned feel to it.

▪️ I also thought it was neat all the different things mentioned that the animals used for decorating and cooking.

Reading Level: A bit advanced, more suitable for older children who already read chapter books.

-Other-
▪️ There was just one thing I felt needed to be mentioned. An animal was seen by some other animals having stained red paws and what they thought was a knife. Though it was not outright said, as an adult reading this, they obviously thought it was blood. This part may alarm children reading it.
This is told to have been seen only twice in the entire book and was not the main plot of the story, but to me it seemed a bit distasteful.

Quite later, nearing the end of the book there was clarification that it was only red paint and a paint brush that was seen after all.

Many thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the complimentary e-book copy I received to review through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and the thoughts above are my own.

[Laurel Zeisler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cozy chapter book would be great as a bedtime story for an older child. The parent and child could take turns reading a chapter a night. What a lovely book. I'm sure both the parents and children would enjoy it.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and cozy with a mystery. A good escape from today’s world of screens.