SECRETS

Secrets always start off with a whisper, but that whisper can be heard by many beautiful things in this world. Where does a secret travel to after a little girl shares it with her puppy? 

Secrets I Know written by Kallie George and art by Paola Zakimi, is beautifully illustrated. This book needs to be read more than once as it may start off slow at first. In the end, the whisper that the girl is seen sharing with her puppy carries itself to the stars in the night sky. The illustrations and words in this story are descriptive and colorful.

A perfect read for children ages 4 and up. 

CREEPY AND TWISTED

Tabitha, an unwanted child of two very selfish parents, is about to be left at the doorstep of the local orphanage, when she and five other children are  invited to a spend the weekend at the mansion of a wealthy but reclusive countess.  Strange things begin to happen as soon as they arrive.  The maid dies right at the dinner table and the children begin to dissappear one by one.

Tabitha sets out to investigate the secrets she's sure is hiding in the mansion and with the seemingly more and more unstable countess.  Nooks and Crannies by Jessica Lawson is a Dahlish gothic novel set in some nebulous Dickensian time period.  It's a perfect read for those looking for something different to read.

For readers in 4th-6th grades.  

KEEP YOUR SUNNY SIDE UP!

Sunny is sent off to stay with her grandfather for a month in a retirement community in Florida with visions of Disney World dancing in her head but instead they do "fun" stuff like go to the post office and early bird specials - all you can eat dinner at 4 p.m. with the "girls".  

Her summer seems like a bust because her parents have to deal with an incident with her older brother drinking and using drugs until she meets another kid at the retirement home who introduces her to finding golf balls and superhero comic books.  

Sunny Side Up is a touching story set in 1976 that's semi-autobiographical by Jennifer Holm and her brother Matthew regarding substance abuse and keeping secrets.  For readers 5th-8th and fans of Jennifer Holm's other books with similar tones such as Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf and Turtle in Paradise.  

JUST SAY IT LIKE IT IS

Just say it like it is is GiGi's motto.  

In life, there's always the unexpected events and the secrets that keep people from saying it like it is. these things make a person think of the what ifs.  

What if there are secrets that you don't know about?  
What if she made a new friend?  
What if the mean girl is not mean anymore?  
What if your Mama is not who you thought she was?
What if someone lies to you?

Tucked between a collection of recipes from her mom is the search for new beginnings, old secrets and a world turned upside down.  The Truth About Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh is a great realistic and angst ridden story for readers in 6th-8th grades. 

Spoiler alert!!! 
There's teen pregnancy, gay best friend, adoption and rebellious children.  

JASMINE SKIES

Jasmine Skies is the sequel to Artichoke Hearts written by Sita Brahmachari. In Jasmine Skies, Mira Levenson is a fourteen-year-old girl who lives with her family. The story begins with Mira convincing her mother, Uma, to let her visit her cousin, Priya, in India after her granddad, Bimal, passed away.  Mira finally got her way, but she knew there was more to her mother’s words other than the reasoning she gave Mira which was that they did not have enough money for a visit and eventually, they lost touch with their family.  However, Mira set on a mission and not only was she going to meet her extended family, but she was driven to find out what happened between her mother and her aunt Anjali, Priya’s mother.

When Mira arrives in India her baggage is lost but that does not change her mood when she sees her family.  From the first moment Mira and Priya get along.  Mira confides in Priya that she has taken her mother’s personal letters to uncover the problem that lies between her mother and her aunt. Mira asks Priya to keep quiet and she wants to visit the old family house on Doctor’s Lane.  Janu, the sixteen-year-old boy who lives at Priya’s house, takes Mira sightseeing. He also fulfill's Mira’s wish to visit the old family home. Unfortunately, when Priya and Mira go to a party that takes place inside the old family home, an accident happens that unravels what Mira was searching for.

Sita Brahmachari ends this wonderfully written realistic fiction that lets the reader know there will be another story to follow. Jasmine Skies introduces the Indian culture, family ties and friendship. Although, realistically it’s a lot for a fourteen-year-old to endure as described in the story but it was never-the-less remarkable.

For 4th grade and up.

SECRETS-- KEEP THEM OR SHARE THEM?

Dear Reader,

At this moment, there is a child grinning from ear to ear and skipping across the play yard thinking.."I have a secret! I have a secret!" And as children go about the day and interact with one another, little does he/she know that the person that they're interacting with holds an incredible secret! For Molly, in Tor Freeman's book, Olive and the Big Secret, wants to share her secret with the classmate of her choice.  Does she pick the right friend to keep her secret? A simple and gentle story about keeping secrets and sharing secrets.  

For ages 5 to 8 years.

LEGEND OR RUMOR?

J.J. Tully is the barnyard security dog. He's in charge of keeping the chicks in check and the creepy culprits on the run. One day, a sleek looking female canine moves in next door. She claims to want to help J.J. thwart a particularly pesky possum from sneaking into the hen house, but it seems like she's always messing things up. J.J. begins to wonder what's REALLY going on with this fancy dog that seems more city than country.

Read THE LEGEND OF DIAMOND LIL by Doreen Cronin to get the real scoop! For 2nd-5th grades.

A SURPRESENT FOR ANY READER

Delaware Pattinson, who goes by Delly, is always getting in trouble for one thing or another. She doesn't MEAN to get in trouble, but it seems to always find her. So when the principal and her parents threaten to send her off to reform school, she has to learn to straighten up - AND QUICK! TRUE (...SORT OF) by Katherine Hannigan is a dellylicious story about a girl coming to terms with being responsible, meeting new friends, learning patience, and feeling loved. The characters each have their own issues to deal with, and the author does a fantastic job of letting each one take the spotlight in some way. For grades 4 and up.

PICTURES WORTH THOUSANDS OF WORDS

Tonya Bolden, author of the book FINDING FAMILY based an entire story around a collection of very old photographs that she has collected over the years. Real history makes up a lot of the setting and plot, but the story itself is made up of ideas that the pictures told her. The main character is Delana, whose mother has died and father has disappeared without a trace. She's left to be raised by her Grandpa and her Aunt Tilly who doesn't let Delana do much of anything. Her aunt tells her many stories about the family, some of which seem crazy and unbelieveable. But when Delana's aunt suddenly dies, it is up to Delana to determine truth from fiction. Good book for advanced 4th graders up to 8th grade readers.

NEVER ENOUGH FAIRY TALES...

RAPUNZEL AND OTHER MAGIC FAIRY TALES selected and illustrated by Henriette Sauvant, and translated by Anthea Bell was a short but sweet conglomeration of some all-time favorite fairy tales and some I'd never heard. I was initially attracted to this collection of fairy tales because of it's size and beautiful cover page. I especially liked this collection because you could easily read these fairy tales out loud to a group of kids without losing their attention. The illustrations are gorgeous and tell a tale by themselves. A great book to read for grades 2 and up!

THIS IS WHAT I READ

Logan has a reputation that preceeds him at his new school because of something terrible that happened with his old best friend Zyler. He tries to act like everything is normal, but the bullying he experiences and the way his parents act around him just makes his life miserable. As his school year progresses, Logan learns ways to escape his tormentors and process his feelings. I find that I really like books that don't tell you too much information at the beginning of the story. Books that have a personality you have to get to know before you finish the story are always more entertaining for me than those that tell you everything you need to know about a main character before the end of the first chapter. THIS IS WHAT I DID by Ann Dee Ellis is one of those books. The theme is similar to the book SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson as far as it's controversial subject matter, but is reflected through the eyes of an eigth grade boy. Definitely worth reading, but this book is really only appropriate for 7th and 8th grades.

LILY LOVES NANCY DREW

Everyone in her small town thinks that Lily is brain damaged because since her brother's death two years ago she had not spoken a word and finds making eye contact with anyone difficult. Only her father and a neighbor, Fern, keep on talking to her even though she never answers. When Fern's grand-niece Tinny arrives in town and discovers that Lily can read, she in fact has read every Nancy Drew mystery in the Library, she threatens to expose her secret. But Tinny doesn't know that Lily has a much darker secret which the reader can discover in Cicada Summer by Andrea Beatty

For grades 4-6.

THE SUMMER OF MILLICENT, STANFORD AND EMILY

This trilogy is set in the summer right before the start of middle school. Three kids come together in friendship, well for two of them a mutual understanding. Millicent, Girl Genius, is enlisted to tutor Stanford Wong, (who) Flunks Big Time, in English for the summer. Along comes So Totally, Emily Ebers, who just moved into the area and befriends Millicent.

Millicent is socially challenged and has never had a close friend before. Because everyone thinks she's a freak, she will do almost anything to keep Emily from finding out that she's so brilliant that she is homeschooled. Stanford can't stand Millicent but needs her to pass the class so he can play basketball next season. But, he can't let Emily, whom he thinks is absolutely adorable, know that he's being tutored! Or any of his friends for that matter. Emily on the other hand substitutes her father's absence in the wake of her parents' divorce by charging everything on the emergency credit card and buying friendships. She seriously has a crush on Stanford and doesn't get why Millicent is so hard on him.

Everyone has a secret that they want to hide, but not for long. Each have to deal with their perceived failures and shortcomings in their own way. A fantastic trio of companion books from each person's point of view. Start with Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee.

For mature readers in 6th - 8th grades.

SECRETS AND LIES

Go ahead and spy on this book and it will be alright if you get caught. You might not find out a lot of secrets by reading this book since many of the spies don't reveal their secrets. However, you will learn about the different gizmos that were used in their missions. You will also learn about some of the famous spies and their impossible missions. This books will not bore you, even if you are a reluctant reader. You will also learn about codes, code makers and the code breakers. SECRETS, LIES, GIZMOS, AND SPIES: A HISTORY OF SPIES AND ESPIONAGE by JANET WYMAN COLEMAN is a cool book to read and share with friends and family.

For grades six and older.