The Secrets of Eastcliff-by-the-Sea: The Story of Annaliese Easterling & Throckmorton, Her Simply Remarkable Sock Monkey

Parental loss is the central mystery of the story: how and why Annaliese's mother abandoned the family. Eventually all sides of the story are known, but there's a lot of sadness, longing, and frustration along the way. Brothers Evan and Teddy get in one physical fight that includes brief mention of spitting, a choke hold, and an elbow to the chest. The siblings investigate a scary dark corner of the attic. A snowball fight results in a split lip and a nosebleed, and a spray of blood and bloodstained snow are mentioned.

Throckmorton imagines Miss Beatrice, another sock monkey, telling him his kisses taste like licorice. Elsewhere Throckmorton mentions that romance is complicated and that there are dangers and a dark side to love.

Great Grandmama sips a cordial with her tea and falls asleep. Teddy hopes someone will spike the punch at a party, and at the party itself spiked punch is mentioned several times. Her brothers (11-year-old twins) offer Annaliese, 9, some of the "punch with a punch," which she tastes but doesn't like, and she doesn't have any more. Drinking wine at the party is mentioned, and a toast is made with bubbly liquid in a flute.

Parents need to know that the central mystery in The Secrets of Eastcliff-by-the-Sea involves parental loss. The only thing the Easterling children know about their mother is that she abandoned them when Annaliese was only a few months old; their father forbids any mention of her. On the way to the happy ending, there's a brief physical fight between brothers, and elsewhere blood from a nosebleed is mentioned. Alcohol's mentioned or vaguely described a few times, including several mentions of spiked punch at a party. Brief mention is made of kisses tasting like licorice. Otherwise romance is presented as mysterious and complicated. But through it all, Throckmorton the sock monkey models love, empathy, and caring support.