Read an arc of this novel for an honest review and the book was a bit heavy on the world building at the beginning but I haven’t read much middle grade books in a while

Once the story got going and the adventures flowing the story really picked up and I looked forward to finding times to read.

My guess an adventure loving child in younger middle grades would enjoy this fun tale.

"No matter the struggles, some things will never change. The sun will rise every morning, the rivers will continue to flow with life, and the vines will resume their never-ending quest to climb toward the sun."
I think the above is a good way to sum up the entire heart of The Adventures of Rockford T. Honeypot, a middle-grade epic that follows the recounting of chipmunk Rocky's rollercoaster life, from his invention of roasted nuts to his fight for true love.

I thought that this was a delightful read and felt it really was a whole anthropomorphic mirror of life. The story touches on everything personal from family expectations and tricky friendships to everything external that affects life, like economic prospects and climate change. At times, I had to wonder whether the story really was a middle-grade novel for its range of themes and topics. I think it'll be a cushioned, safe way to introduce younger readers to the real problems of today's world.

The star of the novel is the titular Rockford T. Honeypot (which really is a mouthful) -- or Rocky, for short. It may just be my many nitpicks when it comes to title, but the visual of the novel's title makes it seem just a tad bit laborious and perplexing but Gottsegen really plays it off in the novel, making it a source of many jokes and banters.

A few notes:
- our anthropomorphic characters seem to use technology? and hashtags and live streams? A bit jarring at first but seemed to make sense if I thought of the whole novel as a sort of mirror to real life.
- Friendly writing style, not the best humour when it comes to the jokes but I appreciated its situational humour more
- Liked its message and core heart but didn't really connect with the characters

I think middle graders will definitely enjoy this Wind in the Willow-esque adventure story while the older kids may enjoy its heart and exploration of real world problems.