Barbara Aiello

I am keenly interested in what we feed our kids minds with books, that's why every once in a while you will see a children's book reviewed by me.

I am lucky in that with "Secrets Aren't (Always) for Keeps" that I can review a good one.

My father always taught me that if you tell the truth at 10 in the morning, you will never have to worry about what you said at 3 in the afternoon. This book personifies that lesson.

Jennifer, the main character in this book made a new friend via Pen Pal. But she has a problem. She has a learning disability and she is embarrassed to let her new friend know.

Tensions escalate in this book as the new friend is coming to visit Jennifer all the way from Australia. It is interesting to see how Jennifer schemes in order to keep this learning disability from her.

The young reader will get quickly involved with this book. As Jennifer continues to lie about her disability, she gets deeper and deeper into drama that she would not be able to get herself out of. In the end, Jennifer learns that it is always prudent to tell the truth.

I highly recommend this book to the young reader. It serves up conflict that at that age the reader may already be accustomed to. It delivers a good life lesson, with a good resolution to the story.

So if you have a child that is just getting into reading chapter books, this would be a good one to pick up!… (más)