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Description
In this second installment of the Top-Secret Diary of Celie Valentine series, ten-year-old Celie grapples with her grandmother moving in and the alarming memory lapses that make everyday life dangerous. At the same time, she senses that her parents, best friend Lula, and sister Jo are keeping secrets she can't get answers to, leaving her feeling left out and worried. As Celie tries to protect her grandmother's safety, she must also untangle the mystery behind her family's hidden activities before the situation spins out of control.
Quick Summary
Fans of the Celie journals will happily welcome another adventure with this book, and newcomers will quickly see why kids love her. Celie keeps a diary, and this time she's grappling with her grandmother moving in which means watching someone she adores struggle with forgetfulness that's getting worse, and that's honestly pretty heavy for a kid to handle. On top of that, everyone in her life seems to be hiding something, and Celie's mission to uncover all these little mysteries gives the story a fun, page-turning energy. It strikes a nice balance between touching on real fears kids face (worrying about aging relatives, feeling left out of adult conversations) and keeping things light enough that it never feels like homework. Diary-format fans and anyone who enjoys stories about messy, loving families will gravitate toward this one, and it's a particularly good fit for readers in grades 4-6. If your kiddo has ever felt the frustration of being the last to know something, they'll see themselves in Celie right away.