Book Tour for The Secret Winners Club by Donna Galanti

 

The Secret Winners Club by Donna Galanti
Publisher:  Wild Tree Press
Format Read:  E-book
Number of pages:   299 pages
Publishing:  March 3rd, 2026
Source:  Author in exchange for an honest review  

Opening Lines:  "Sunny pulled the knot tighter on her newly designed headscarf and pushed open the door to Room 203, carrying a shoebox from home."

In The Secret Winners Club, three friends each living with an autoimmune skin condition (i.e. Alopecia, Vitiligo, and Psoriasis) form a secret club dedicated to helping one another to achieve their biggest dreams.   Sunny hopes to win the Junkbot Competition to prove to her absent mother that art can be built from scrapyard treasures.  Trev wants to land the lead in his school's production of Grease, if only he can master the tricky choreography.  And Vee is determined to win first place at the upcoming swim meet and break her school's record.  To reach their goals, each friend agrees to support each other on their path, and to seek out a mentor who can guide them along the way.

The story alternates between the perspectives of all three kids as they juggle home life, school pressures, and time spent with their mentor.  It shines a light on their friendships, their encounters with classmates, and the painful challenges they face from bullies who tease them about their skin conditions. I love how there is a balance between their real-life struggles and support of each other. 

There are beautiful themes of stepping out of your comfort zone and taking risks.  The book captures the pressure kids feel to be winners, while showing the importance of striving for your own goals and winning for yourself rather than to outdo someone else.   There's also the lovely message surrounding teasing of how, "...their words are irrelevant.  They can't hurt you.  So don't you hurt you by accepting what they say as truth." 

The story includes some delightful STEM-focused moments showcasing the creativity and imagination needed to build art from junkyard finds, everyday objects and motorized parts.  I adore Donna's books and how she writes these relatable and impactful stories.  These are kids that feel like they could be your best friends.  She highlights the importance of having empathy for others and that we never know what others are going through, so it is important to lead with kindness.  Second chances are another important theme, with the idea being that we can fix our mistakes and reconciliation can happen with our parents.  All meaningful messages for kids. 

 **A huge thank you to Donna Galanti for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review. **  

  I hope you'll check out all the other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge's blog  HERE