Secrets

February 1, 2006
Gr 5-8 -Many secrets are revealed in this collection of 12 unforgettable short stories. In Gillian Chan -s -Dream Girls, - Ella, 10, is happy to be everything Sonia is not -a tomboy who loves playing outdoors, getting dirty, and having fun. Her mother always compares her to her friend -s daughter, but when Sonia comes for a visit, she is well-mannered with the adults but mean and spiteful to Ella. In Jocelyn -s -How It Happened in Peach Hill, - deceit runs in the family. To drum up business for Mama, a pseudo-clairvoyant, her daughter hangs around town, appearing to be mentally challenged while gathering gossip. But when Mama goes too far with a psychic performance on a rich widower, the lies take a different direction. In Teresa Toten -s -Father -s Day, - Katie fakes her drunk and abusive father -s death to avoid the annual father -s day activities at school. Other contributors include Susan Adach, Anne Laurel Carter, Nancy Hartry, Julie Johnston, Dayal Kaur Khalsa, Loris Lesynski, Anne Gray, Martha Slaughter, and Elizabeth Winthrop. Readers will enjoy these tales of life, love, and liberation." -Alison Grant, West Bloomfield Township Public Library, MI"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.