Clementine Rose and the best news yet by Jacqueline Harvey

Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780143786054. 176pp.
(Age: 6-10) Recommended. This is the fifteenth book in the series with Clementine Rose Appleby as the lead character. Clementine is ageless as the young seven-year-old with the propensity for creating smiles and sometimes getting things slightly wrong. In this book the family is waiting for the imminent arrival of the new baby, but first they have to take care of the guests arriving in the Penberthy House Hotel, the small boutique Hotel where Clementine and her family live. The guests include a toddler who seems intent on destroying Clemmie's ideal of what life with a younger sibling will be like. In addition is seems that her Grandmother (who used to be her Great Aunt Violet . . . A plot line that was revealed in earlier books in the series) and her Grandmother's beau - the indomitable butler, Uncle Digby, are experiencing problems in their relationship; a distressing turn of events that Clementine desperately wants to change. These events and the plans that Clemmie has in place for the new baby cause a flurry of interesting moments that culminates in the 'Best News Yet'.
Young girls love the quirky twists in the Clementine series, and the resilient reader who loves to follow a Series thread will keep going into Number 15! Jacqueline Harvey manages to create enough personality and fun so that young female readers will be charmed and willing to keep reading.
Recommended for readers aged 6-10. Themes: Family; Babies.
Carolyn Hull