Circle of Secrets

Gr 5—8—A story of loss, love, and forgiveness. When Shelby Jane's father is sent out of the country for his work and her Grandma Phoebe must have an operation, she is sent to live with her mama deep in the Louisiana bayou. Because Shelby, 10, believes that her mother abandoned her, the start of this mother/daughter reunion is contentious, and Shelby seems determined to maintain her distance. Mirage is a traiteur, a healer who ministers to those in need with herbal remedies, prayers, and patience. Selby's reluctance to give an inch at first makes her transition to life in the bayou that much more difficult. She can't, however, squelch her fascination with the blue bottle tree in the backyard. Mirage explains that the bottles are supposed to capture spirits and that notes are put inside to send messages from the beyond. A mysterious tone permeates this gripping story. Shelby is a believable, fully developed character, as is Mirage. When the child starts at her new school, she is drawn into a frightening truth-or-dare challenge by the in crowd, which foreshadows future eerie, terrifying developments. Her strong friendship with mysterious Gwen dovetails with her determination to understand notes she takes from the blue bottle tree and Mirage's references to painful memories she is trying to forget. Little's rich, vivid prose and characterization create an intriguing universe in which realism and mysticism intertwine as the story's secrets unravel. Fans of Little's The Healing Spell (Scholastic, 2010) and Donna Jo Napoli's Alligator Bayou (Random, 2009) will be well served by this selection.—Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ