This middle grade book was a surprise. Two unexpected friends spy on their close nit neighborhood as they try to figure out who's leaving secrets in the hollow of a tree in the woods. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but this book reminded me so much of Hitchcock's Rear Window. The hot summer evenings. The neighborhood backyards that all spill into each other like the courtyard in the movie. There's a touching scene where the friends watch as a lonely neighbor sobs in his kitchen. A beloved pet even goes missing. And the scary witch that lives around the corner through the woods lends an element of eerie creepiness that keeps you turning the page. But ultimately this summer-night ghost story is a delightful story of friendship and acceptance. Perfect read for fourth through sixth graders. And adults who wish they were still in those grades. Minty and her best friend Pax have one dream - to rule the roller derby rink. But dreams can change when you are entering middle school and friendships can undergo changes, and Minty is finding that out the hard way. But she's also finding out there is mystery all around her, and that starts when she spots a flash in the woods near her house and discovers it is from the camera of a boy taking their picture. Chasing the boy she is lead to a mysterious tree in the woods and inside the tree is a secret written on a slip of paper. The boy, Raymond, later explains to Minty that the tree is a Secret Tree, that a ghost lives in the tree who eats secrets. "People tell secrets to the spirit in the tree, and the spirit makes the secret go away. He swallows them and whispers them out on the wind." As more secrets are found Raymond and Minty set about trying to determine who the secrets are from. Some like, "I'm in love with Kip Murphy." are evident, but others, such as "I just want people to like me." are harder to determine. And what do they do about the secret, "I put a curse on my enemy. And it's working."? Minty is certain that it is Pax who is being cursed, as she's had a lot of unusual accidents lately, but who would want to curse her. Minty is determined to find out, and even more determined to find out the mystery behind Raymond.
Do You like book L'albero Dei Segreti (2013)?
Great themes for fourth grade lit circle groups: friendship, confidence, strength, empathy
—foldedwings12
I loved this book so much. Thanks for telling me about it Ellie!
—drawingart
Question, is that the second book in the series
—chefguy
