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Circle of Secrets
Critically acclaimed author Kimberley Griffiths Little weaves a haunting story of friendship and family and the power of faith, once again set against the lush backdrop of the Lousiana bayou.
After her mother walked out on Shelby Jayne and her dad, Shelby thought she'd never speak to her mamma again. But with her dad leaving the country for work, it turns out she doesn't have a Shelby has to move back into her mamma's house, deep in the heart of the Louisiana bayou.
Her new classmates tease and torment her, so Shelby's relieved to finally find a friend in Gwen, a mysterious girl who lives alone on the bayou. But Shelby can't help wondering if Gwen has something to do with the puzzling messages she finds hidden in the blue bottle tree behind her house. The only person who might be able to explain is her mamma -- but Shelby's not ready to ask. Not yet. It may take a brush with something from the beyond to help Shelby see that the power to put her own ghosts to rest is within her reach.
Kimberley Griffiths Little's haunting and powerful tale brings one girl's attempt to grapple with family, friendship, and forgiveness to beautiful, vivid life.
After her mother walked out on Shelby Jayne and her dad, Shelby thought she'd never speak to her mamma again. But with her dad leaving the country for work, it turns out she doesn't have a Shelby has to move back into her mamma's house, deep in the heart of the Louisiana bayou.
Her new classmates tease and torment her, so Shelby's relieved to finally find a friend in Gwen, a mysterious girl who lives alone on the bayou. But Shelby can't help wondering if Gwen has something to do with the puzzling messages she finds hidden in the blue bottle tree behind her house. The only person who might be able to explain is her mamma -- but Shelby's not ready to ask. Not yet. It may take a brush with something from the beyond to help Shelby see that the power to put her own ghosts to rest is within her reach.
Kimberley Griffiths Little's haunting and powerful tale brings one girl's attempt to grapple with family, friendship, and forgiveness to beautiful, vivid life.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2011
40 people are currently reading
964 people want to read
About the author
Kimberley Griffiths Little
11 books513 followersKimberley Griffiths Little was born in San Francisco, but now lives in New Mexico with her husband and their three sons.
For such award-winning middle grade novels as When the Butterflies Came, The Last Snake Runner, The Healing Spell, and Circle of Secrets, her writing has been praised as "fast-paced and dramatic," with "characters painted in memorable detail" and "beautifully realized settings."
Kimberley adores anything old and musty with a secret story to tell and makes way too many cookies while writing.
She's stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland; sailed on the Seine in Paris; ridden a camel in Petra, Jordan; shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria.
Her amazing, filmed-on-location book trailers are right here on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/videos/list...
Awards: Southwest Book Award, Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel, Bank Street College Best Books of 2011 & 2014, Crystal Kite Finalist, and New Mexico Book Award Finalist.
For such award-winning middle grade novels as When the Butterflies Came, The Last Snake Runner, The Healing Spell, and Circle of Secrets, her writing has been praised as "fast-paced and dramatic," with "characters painted in memorable detail" and "beautifully realized settings."
Kimberley adores anything old and musty with a secret story to tell and makes way too many cookies while writing.
She's stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland; sailed on the Seine in Paris; ridden a camel in Petra, Jordan; shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria.
Her amazing, filmed-on-location book trailers are right here on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/videos/list...
Awards: Southwest Book Award, Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel, Bank Street College Best Books of 2011 & 2014, Crystal Kite Finalist, and New Mexico Book Award Finalist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
July 29, 2011
It's kind of strange to mark your own book as "Read". Yep, read many, many times! The basic premise of CIRCLE OF SECRETS came from one of my very first "practice" novels written about 15 years ago. I completely rewrote it, set it in the lush Louisiana bayous, added a mysterious charm bracelet, a quirky mamma, a blue bottle tree, and a brush of magic! My nieces and nephews and sons all begged me to publish this book 15 years ago - and finally it's here - enjoy!
October 16, 2011
I don't normally write reviews, but I'm still thinking about this book weeks after I read it.
I read the whole book in one sitting, unable to put it down. Shelby is a beautifully drawn character placed in an unforgettable setting, and the story of her and her estranged mother is just heart-wrenching. The mysteries Shelby encounters throughout the story are engrossing, and exactly the sort of things that would have fascinated me, if I were in Shelby's place. Strange messages in bottles, a ruined house on a deserted island, mysterious charms on a bracelet; and if that's not enough, a healthy dose of ghost stories, to boot.
This book made me cry in all the right ways. Best of all, it felt like an old friend--it's the best sort of book I read as a child, and in reading it, I felt like a child all over again. In my effort to keep up with new releases, I often feel bogged down by mediocre books. But reading Circle of Secrets was like a much-needed breath of fresh air.
There's a reason I love children's literature, and Circle of Secrets is the perfect example why.
I read the whole book in one sitting, unable to put it down. Shelby is a beautifully drawn character placed in an unforgettable setting, and the story of her and her estranged mother is just heart-wrenching. The mysteries Shelby encounters throughout the story are engrossing, and exactly the sort of things that would have fascinated me, if I were in Shelby's place. Strange messages in bottles, a ruined house on a deserted island, mysterious charms on a bracelet; and if that's not enough, a healthy dose of ghost stories, to boot.
This book made me cry in all the right ways. Best of all, it felt like an old friend--it's the best sort of book I read as a child, and in reading it, I felt like a child all over again. In my effort to keep up with new releases, I often feel bogged down by mediocre books. But reading Circle of Secrets was like a much-needed breath of fresh air.
There's a reason I love children's literature, and Circle of Secrets is the perfect example why.
November 3, 2011
I always loved bayou secrets and ghost stories. This is what originally drew me into the story, but I didn't realize it was a YA gem. It was more perfect than what I thought.
Shelby Jane is a hurt little girl who just needed her mama. The past year was tough on her, but she soon learns the secrets of her splintered life and how it came to be. Not only is she brave, but she's intelligent and rebellious to her mother's ways.
Shelby Jane than has an adventure that most would love to have in their childhood. She learns the mystery that surrounds her blue-bottled tree and found that her mother never stopped loving her...
Shelby Jane is a hurt little girl who just needed her mama. The past year was tough on her, but she soon learns the secrets of her splintered life and how it came to be. Not only is she brave, but she's intelligent and rebellious to her mother's ways.
Shelby Jane than has an adventure that most would love to have in their childhood. She learns the mystery that surrounds her blue-bottled tree and found that her mother never stopped loving her...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2011
I was a lucky winner of an ARC of this book.
Just like I had to compare Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord to her first book, Rules. I have to compare Kimbereley Griffiths Little's Circle of Secrets to The Healing Spell.
The Healing Spell had personal meaning for me because I had a strained relationship with my mother and she spent time in a coma. I'd never read a book about a parent in a coma before. Because of my childhood experience, the book moved me even more deeply. But even without that connection, it was a beautiful book.
Kimberley can write layered, complicated feelings - especially when it comes to mothers and daughters. She can also bring the bayou alive. Even though I hate humidity, heat, and mosquitoes, this author makes me long to live on a bayou, boat near the alligators, and eat gumbo. Both books have traiteurs (healers), which give the books a mystical quality, which I love.
In the first, the protagonist who was born and bred on the bayou, was confident in her environment. In this one, the protagonist is uprooted from her grandmother and father to live with a mother she's barely had contact with for a year. (The mother's name is Mirage - how apt is that?) Everything about her new life, including the secrets of the bayou, makes her nervous. But soon the allure of the bayou calls to her. So does the mystery of the notes hidden in the blue bottle tree. Who wrote them?
The mean kids at school are written realistically, as are Shelby's reactions to them. Then she meets Gwen at a graveyard. The girls immediately click. But something doesn't seem right. To me, Gwen was obvious and I didn't know why it took Shelby so long to get it. But then I thought about, if it happened to me in real life, I wouldn't make that leap either. Besides, the very beginning of the book gives a hint about it, so we know Shelby will figure it out.
Kimberley Griffiths Little writes beautifully. She can get into the head of girls around age 11. She understands what adults seem like from the children's POV. And she does an excellent dialect.
While this book seemed to resolve itself more neatly than the last book, it didn't mean that it was too tidy. The last 50+ pages just made me think, WoW! I was happy to take the mental and physical journeys with Shelby, and to see the journeys of Mirage and her dad.
I. Love. this. Book.
Just like I had to compare Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord to her first book, Rules. I have to compare Kimbereley Griffiths Little's Circle of Secrets to The Healing Spell.
The Healing Spell had personal meaning for me because I had a strained relationship with my mother and she spent time in a coma. I'd never read a book about a parent in a coma before. Because of my childhood experience, the book moved me even more deeply. But even without that connection, it was a beautiful book.
Kimberley can write layered, complicated feelings - especially when it comes to mothers and daughters. She can also bring the bayou alive. Even though I hate humidity, heat, and mosquitoes, this author makes me long to live on a bayou, boat near the alligators, and eat gumbo. Both books have traiteurs (healers), which give the books a mystical quality, which I love.
In the first, the protagonist who was born and bred on the bayou, was confident in her environment. In this one, the protagonist is uprooted from her grandmother and father to live with a mother she's barely had contact with for a year. (The mother's name is Mirage - how apt is that?) Everything about her new life, including the secrets of the bayou, makes her nervous. But soon the allure of the bayou calls to her. So does the mystery of the notes hidden in the blue bottle tree. Who wrote them?
The mean kids at school are written realistically, as are Shelby's reactions to them. Then she meets Gwen at a graveyard. The girls immediately click. But something doesn't seem right. To me, Gwen was obvious and I didn't know why it took Shelby so long to get it. But then I thought about, if it happened to me in real life, I wouldn't make that leap either. Besides, the very beginning of the book gives a hint about it, so we know Shelby will figure it out.
Kimberley Griffiths Little writes beautifully. She can get into the head of girls around age 11. She understands what adults seem like from the children's POV. And she does an excellent dialect.
While this book seemed to resolve itself more neatly than the last book, it didn't mean that it was too tidy. The last 50+ pages just made me think, WoW! I was happy to take the mental and physical journeys with Shelby, and to see the journeys of Mirage and her dad.
I. Love. this. Book.
December 20, 2014
Another phenomenal book by Kimberly Griffiths Little . Circle of Secrets had me crying from beginning to end. Kimberly Little once again reveals an amazing insight into the complexities of Mother / Daughter relationships and the overwhelming power of trust and forgiveness in healing emotional hurts and wounds.
Circle of Secrets shows an astonishing insight into the mind of a child caught in the wake of matrimonial discord. After Shelby's mother walks out on her family, Shelby is left with heart-wrenching feelings of pain, betrayal and confusion. A year later, her father reluctantly takes a job overseas and sends Shelby to live with her mother in the Bayou. Shelby is torn between desperately wanting to be loved by her mother and desperately wanting not to care about her mother's feelings. Shelby is so filled with confusion, pain, and self-blame, that she lashes out at her mother with hurtful comments and silent treatments. She tells herself she cannot forgive Mirage, but secretly hopes for her mother's apology. Life seems to go from bad to worse for Shelby when she is harassed by the popular kids at school.
Then one day Shelby meets a mysterious girl named Gwen. Gwen is sweet and fun and quickly becomes the refuge in Shelby's life. However, there's something about Gwen that just doesn't seem right. Soon Shelby finds herself embroiled in a mystery, and the clues seem to keep pointing toward her mother. As Shelby comes closer to solving the mystery she also comes closer to finding forgiveness and healing for herself and her family.
We all have pain and we are all in need of healing. For me, I identified strongly with Shelby and her relationship with her mother. I felt I was able to cry along with her and find some healing for myself as well. Circle of Secrets is a powerful and amazing book. Please read it, and then go call your mother.
Circle of Secrets shows an astonishing insight into the mind of a child caught in the wake of matrimonial discord. After Shelby's mother walks out on her family, Shelby is left with heart-wrenching feelings of pain, betrayal and confusion. A year later, her father reluctantly takes a job overseas and sends Shelby to live with her mother in the Bayou. Shelby is torn between desperately wanting to be loved by her mother and desperately wanting not to care about her mother's feelings. Shelby is so filled with confusion, pain, and self-blame, that she lashes out at her mother with hurtful comments and silent treatments. She tells herself she cannot forgive Mirage, but secretly hopes for her mother's apology. Life seems to go from bad to worse for Shelby when she is harassed by the popular kids at school.
Then one day Shelby meets a mysterious girl named Gwen. Gwen is sweet and fun and quickly becomes the refuge in Shelby's life. However, there's something about Gwen that just doesn't seem right. Soon Shelby finds herself embroiled in a mystery, and the clues seem to keep pointing toward her mother. As Shelby comes closer to solving the mystery she also comes closer to finding forgiveness and healing for herself and her family.
We all have pain and we are all in need of healing. For me, I identified strongly with Shelby and her relationship with her mother. I felt I was able to cry along with her and find some healing for myself as well. Circle of Secrets is a powerful and amazing book. Please read it, and then go call your mother.
August 26, 2025
update: okay, so actually after reading this book again, i think i like it even more?? (is that even possible at this point...)
one thing that i drew on this time that i never really noticed before somehow was how sweet and wholesome gwen and shelby's friendship was~ they have the cutest dynamic, and it is so adorable how much they love each other as friends <3 it just makes the ending even more bittersweet ʚ♡ɞ
i absolutely adore this book
around five years ago, i was thrifting at my church's thrift shop and found this book for only $1.99! i was shocked by the cheap price and decided to buy it and give it a try and THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! i love gwen so so much! <3 she is one of the best book characters i have ever read about~ (you know an author is doing a fantastic job when you get a reader to fall absolutely in love with one of the characters...)
since i got the book, i have been reading it at least once a year, and it somehow manages to get better and better every time i read it! i feel that this book is extremely underrated and i would really recommend reading it
im so blessed to have found this beautiful book <3
one thing that i drew on this time that i never really noticed before somehow was how sweet and wholesome gwen and shelby's friendship was~ they have the cutest dynamic, and it is so adorable how much they love each other as friends <3 it just makes the ending even more bittersweet ʚ♡ɞ
i absolutely adore this book
around five years ago, i was thrifting at my church's thrift shop and found this book for only $1.99! i was shocked by the cheap price and decided to buy it and give it a try and THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! i love gwen so so much! <3 she is one of the best book characters i have ever read about~ (you know an author is doing a fantastic job when you get a reader to fall absolutely in love with one of the characters...)
since i got the book, i have been reading it at least once a year, and it somehow manages to get better and better every time i read it! i feel that this book is extremely underrated and i would really recommend reading it
im so blessed to have found this beautiful book <3
August 13, 2025
I read this book originally as a teen and a decade later, and I still love it. I originally borrowed it from my cousin, who then lost it, so I've been on the hunt for it for years but happened across it in a second-hand bookstore. Some of the writing choices can take a bit of getting used to, but I think it really helps build the story since it is set in deep south Lousiana. I didn't know until recently that there are a few other books with linked characters but will definitely be hunting the rest of the books down.
August 25, 2025
(times read: 10)
2025 review:
Gwen is my special girl. I love her so much. she's one of my favorite characters of all time in all of fiction. It's gotten to the point where it's like she was my own best friend (i think i said that in my below reviews too). currently wearing the charm bracelet i got from the author that she mailed to me when i was in 8th grade because my mom emailed her to tell her i've read it 7 times (then) (now it's 10). I just bought all new smaller silver charms too to make my own version of their charm bracelet. I will never get tired of this story, its so special and moving and sweet and loving and poignant. Gwen my special girl i love you so much.
2021 review:
this book is literally timeless. the nostalgia i get reading it. i will never get tired of it. i just realized i typed the exact same thing i wrote after reading it for the 8th time HAHA. but like reading about bayou bridge is like coming home. just picturing the different places like the old swamp house and the pier and the cemetery and even sweet ellen's bakery and everything. i could curl up into the pages and live in this book. it means so much to me. it brings me so much peace. i read it for the first time when i was in 4th grade. now im a sophomore in college reading it again. i will probably continue to read it in the future when things get tough bc i was really down lately and picked this up to bring me back to myself. and it worked. Its so interesting the older I get reading this bc its a little kid’s headspace. like shelby is literally 11. so the book is written in like little kid talk and you can like read the accent in it its so cute. how shelby crosses her fingers behind her back when she lies. adorable. i dont think i noticed that detail before when i read it. and the end instead. makes me cry. like omg. before i go into gwen lemme just say. ik theres a book about tara and i did read it and it was good but frankly i wont reread it bc its tara and i still am not really her biggest fan id rather just reread this than her story. plus theres the healing spell book so i might read that just to have more bayou bridge content even though shelby and gwen arent in it. but i did buy a physical copy for my library of the time of the fireflies bc i like larissa and its abt that EVIL DOLL every time they talked abt it in this one i was like ok dont touch that thing its EVIL stay AWAY. but yk.
so yeah more about gwen who is quite possibly one of my favorite characters of all time solely because of my emotional attachments to her. Gwen's always makes me so sad rereading. the tiny details i remember about her like how in her first appearance she was wearing yellow shorts. still sticks with me. i love her so much at this point it was like im mirage and we were best friends and like thats how many times ive read this. my heart aches for her and it always will. i just want to give her a hug. want to name my kid gwen one day because of this book.
2020 review:
wow i still love this book its so timeless. Such nostalgia i adore it. I could reread it so many times and never get tired of it. I could read it in one sitting now i believe it only took me around 5 or 6 hours from cover to cover. Also I read the other ones and BRO THAT DOLL. IS EVIL. STRAIGHT UP. anyways someday maybe i'll have a blue bottle tree of my own :,). Also this book makes me want to have a daughter named Gwen. ya
2016 review:
after reading for the 7th time: THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD I'VE READ IT 7 TIMES LITERALLY
I PLAN ON READING IT ONCE EVERY FALL AT LEAST
I ALSO GOT A CHARM BRACELET FROM THE BOOK FROM THE AUTHOR HERSELF
I LOVE THIS
ITS AMAZING
2025 review:
Gwen is my special girl. I love her so much. she's one of my favorite characters of all time in all of fiction. It's gotten to the point where it's like she was my own best friend (i think i said that in my below reviews too). currently wearing the charm bracelet i got from the author that she mailed to me when i was in 8th grade because my mom emailed her to tell her i've read it 7 times (then) (now it's 10). I just bought all new smaller silver charms too to make my own version of their charm bracelet. I will never get tired of this story, its so special and moving and sweet and loving and poignant. Gwen my special girl i love you so much.
2021 review:
this book is literally timeless. the nostalgia i get reading it. i will never get tired of it. i just realized i typed the exact same thing i wrote after reading it for the 8th time HAHA. but like reading about bayou bridge is like coming home. just picturing the different places like the old swamp house and the pier and the cemetery and even sweet ellen's bakery and everything. i could curl up into the pages and live in this book. it means so much to me. it brings me so much peace. i read it for the first time when i was in 4th grade. now im a sophomore in college reading it again. i will probably continue to read it in the future when things get tough bc i was really down lately and picked this up to bring me back to myself. and it worked. Its so interesting the older I get reading this bc its a little kid’s headspace. like shelby is literally 11. so the book is written in like little kid talk and you can like read the accent in it its so cute. how shelby crosses her fingers behind her back when she lies. adorable. i dont think i noticed that detail before when i read it. and the end instead. makes me cry. like omg. before i go into gwen lemme just say. ik theres a book about tara and i did read it and it was good but frankly i wont reread it bc its tara and i still am not really her biggest fan id rather just reread this than her story. plus theres the healing spell book so i might read that just to have more bayou bridge content even though shelby and gwen arent in it. but i did buy a physical copy for my library of the time of the fireflies bc i like larissa and its abt that EVIL DOLL every time they talked abt it in this one i was like ok dont touch that thing its EVIL stay AWAY. but yk.
so yeah more about gwen who is quite possibly one of my favorite characters of all time solely because of my emotional attachments to her. Gwen's always makes me so sad rereading. the tiny details i remember about her like how in her first appearance she was wearing yellow shorts. still sticks with me. i love her so much at this point it was like im mirage and we were best friends and like thats how many times ive read this. my heart aches for her and it always will. i just want to give her a hug. want to name my kid gwen one day because of this book.
2020 review:
wow i still love this book its so timeless. Such nostalgia i adore it. I could reread it so many times and never get tired of it. I could read it in one sitting now i believe it only took me around 5 or 6 hours from cover to cover. Also I read the other ones and BRO THAT DOLL. IS EVIL. STRAIGHT UP. anyways someday maybe i'll have a blue bottle tree of my own :,). Also this book makes me want to have a daughter named Gwen. ya
2016 review:
after reading for the 7th time: THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD I'VE READ IT 7 TIMES LITERALLY
I PLAN ON READING IT ONCE EVERY FALL AT LEAST
I ALSO GOT A CHARM BRACELET FROM THE BOOK FROM THE AUTHOR HERSELF
I LOVE THIS
ITS AMAZING
May 23, 2011
Kimberley Griffiths Little just has a way of pulling her readers into her stories! I was instantly drawn into this magical story of healing and loss. I loved “The Healing Spell”, but I may actually love this one more! Everything is nicely tied together in the ending and I love the blue bottle tree and it’s meaning throughout the story. I am so excited to read more from this author!
February 1, 2012
I am a huge fan of Kimberley's writing. She has such a way with words that every page feels as deep and as rich as biting into fine chocolate. Circle of Secrets is no exception. I enjoyed the texture of the setting and the innocence of the character. This was a haunting tale of friendship, forgiveness, and letting go of the past. Loved it.
May 21, 2012
i think this book is really good and i think in the book she'sdad brave cause she does'nt cry when her dad leaves her she sucks it in and tries to deal with her problems!!! (she does'nt exspress her bad feelings)
July 8, 2017
Very engaging, tone-wise, and a good walk-through of the feelings of betrayal you experience when a parent leaves. Love the setting as well.
November 15, 2011
When Shelby Jayne’s mamma, Mirage, left their family, Shelby swore she’d never forgive her. Now it’s a year later, and because her father will be out of the country working for six months and her grandmother recovering from hip surgery, Shelby finds herself deep in the swamps of Louisiana on Mirage’s doorstep with a suitcase in hand.
She’s not interested in Mirage’s reasons for leaving or in her box of recipes for healing spells, but she is drawn to the blue-bottle tree in the backyard. The tree is beautiful and mysterious at the same time, and it’s mystery grows when Shelby finds notes inside some of the bottles that seem to be written from one person to another. Also mysterious is her new friend Gwen, who is always hanging around the cemetery and seems to be abandoned by her parents. If Shelby can solve the mystery of each, she just may be able to create a healing spell of her own that will mend her family and lift the burden of a tragedy from long ago.
Circle of Secrets is Kimberley Griffiths Little’s newest book set on the banks of a Louisiana bayou. A companion to The Healing Spell, it expertly weaves a new tale while giving a nod to the previous one. Shelby Jayne faces many issues that should lead to good discussion as she deals with bullies in a new school, struggles to forgive and reconnect with her mother, and sees family conflict with new eyes.
Little never misses a beat as she weaves this tale of mystery, magic, and mother-daughter relationships. I highly recommend this for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 14.
She’s not interested in Mirage’s reasons for leaving or in her box of recipes for healing spells, but she is drawn to the blue-bottle tree in the backyard. The tree is beautiful and mysterious at the same time, and it’s mystery grows when Shelby finds notes inside some of the bottles that seem to be written from one person to another. Also mysterious is her new friend Gwen, who is always hanging around the cemetery and seems to be abandoned by her parents. If Shelby can solve the mystery of each, she just may be able to create a healing spell of her own that will mend her family and lift the burden of a tragedy from long ago.
Circle of Secrets is Kimberley Griffiths Little’s newest book set on the banks of a Louisiana bayou. A companion to The Healing Spell, it expertly weaves a new tale while giving a nod to the previous one. Shelby Jayne faces many issues that should lead to good discussion as she deals with bullies in a new school, struggles to forgive and reconnect with her mother, and sees family conflict with new eyes.
Little never misses a beat as she weaves this tale of mystery, magic, and mother-daughter relationships. I highly recommend this for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 14.
November 2, 2011
4 1/2 stars...
Last year I read one of the most incredible books, called The Healing Spell. It had such charm and substance to the story, and was based in the bayou of Louisiana. The story was full of strong characters and Cajun magic. Kimberley's newest book, Circle of Secrets, is no different. It also has that magical feel to the story; this time it includes ghosts, real and figuratively. Though there is a feeling of awe and mystery concerning the ghost, there is nothing there that would scare someone younger reading this story.
To read the rest of my review please go to my blog...
http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot....
While you are there, please follow my blog! Thanks!
Last year I read one of the most incredible books, called The Healing Spell. It had such charm and substance to the story, and was based in the bayou of Louisiana. The story was full of strong characters and Cajun magic. Kimberley's newest book, Circle of Secrets, is no different. It also has that magical feel to the story; this time it includes ghosts, real and figuratively. Though there is a feeling of awe and mystery concerning the ghost, there is nothing there that would scare someone younger reading this story.
To read the rest of my review please go to my blog...
http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot....
While you are there, please follow my blog! Thanks!
August 9, 2016
The ghost too obvious. Yes, the readers are given more clues than the main character, but then it takes her forever to figure it out. There was no reason the character and reader shouldn't figure out the mystery at the same time.
I didn't care for the style either. I didn't mind the southern dialect, but it had too many fragments. Fragments fit with the fractured thoughts of a confused girl, but they were used so often that the novel felt sloppy rather than artistic.
I did like the portrayal of the mother-daughter relationship, though. It was filled with all the hurt and confusion and miscommunications you would expect from a daughter whose mother walked out on the family. But then that conflict was wrapped up too quickly.
I didn't care for the style either. I didn't mind the southern dialect, but it had too many fragments. Fragments fit with the fractured thoughts of a confused girl, but they were used so often that the novel felt sloppy rather than artistic.
I did like the portrayal of the mother-daughter relationship, though. It was filled with all the hurt and confusion and miscommunications you would expect from a daughter whose mother walked out on the family. But then that conflict was wrapped up too quickly.
March 19, 2012
I found this book on the coffee table, while I was baby-sitting for Tessa.. Tessa is 8. This book was published by Scholastic.. I thought I KNOW this is a kid's book and I know I have already read a LOT of kid's books this year.. BUT I felt like I had to read this one.. it just looked so fun. I went home and I googled some information about it and found out the author is LDS!!!! even better.. I loved the book, the story, the characters and had a lot of fun reading it.. and I know that if I was a little girl I would have even love it more.. I am going to start loaning it out to a few of my friends before I give it back to Tessa :)
May 28, 2014
My 11 year old daughter has read this so many times that we've had to tape the pages together! She finally got me to read it and I'm so glad I did. I love a good spooky story. The characters were believable and easy to relate to, even the adults. A lot of times in middle grade I find the adult characters one dimensional, as if they're just there for decoration, but in this case the parents had their own struggles that were fully flushed out but not thrown in your face. I loved how she made the setting come alive, too. Being from the north I don't have a lot of experience with the bayou, but the descriptions were great.
May 13, 2012
Ya'll, this was a bit of an etouffee of issues; family disintegration, intergenerational conflicts, bullying etc etc (not wanting to give spoilers here). The start was a bit slow but then the drama makes up for it, and (strong) 4th grade and up readers will really enjoy it, I think. Unless they see through the plot twists early on... Note there are no significant young male characters. I don't like the title though even though upon conclusion it smacks you with all sorts of significance. I would give it an extra half star.
August 7, 2011
A nicely written little ghost story set in the Louisiana bayou. While the paranormal thread runs through the story and ultimately creates the pivot point for the main character, the majority of the tale is grounded in real-world family schisms and one preteen's effort to struggle through her emotions and find a way to reconcile her life and family.
November 28, 2011
She does it again with an awesome, heart wrenching story about love, loss, the strength in family, and most of all hope for a better tomorrow. Thank you so much for sharing your gift with us! Loved it, loved it, loved it! Can't wait to share with my students!
September 29, 2011
Hauntingly beautiful. Terrifying, yet compelling. One of the best Middle Grade novels I've read in years. Kimberly Griffiths Little is a master at bringing readers the perfect story with the exact flavor of the Bayou mixed in. I also recommend her previous novel, The Healing Spell.
January 11, 2012
his companion book to The Healing Spell is as enchanting as its predecessor. Beautifully written, the author paints a vivid picture of life in the bayou where anything--including....(click here for the full review http://www.storysnoops.com/detail.php...)
May 9, 2012
Wonderful, magical, deep, and rich. Kimberley paints a vivid picture of the Bayou and magic left behind when things are left unsaid. When 11 year-old Shelby plucks a note from a blue bottle tree, she opens the way for healing through otherworldly means. Read the book. You won't be disappointed.
May 15, 2012
Loved this book. It's sort of a ghost story, but it wasn't scary at all. I love the voice of the character. Highly recommended read.
May 9, 2014
An engaging bayou ghost story from an author who really knows how to bring her settings and story people to life. This one engaged both my imagination and my heart. I loved it.
October 14, 2014
i really really loved this book!It was amazing.Its abut a family having hard times but eventually get back together
April 16, 2015
I loved this book it was spine tingling. I would definitely recommend this book to people.
April 25, 2012
great book about second chances with lots of good louisiana bayou folklore and ghosts
June 17, 2021
I love this author. Her books have never failed me. She has this perfect recipe of the deep south, wonderful and relatable young characters, and just the right amount of spookiness.
The inner conflict that Shelby struggles with throughout the story was very well executed. I don't like characters who complain a lot or are overdramatic, but Shelby's emotion was so raw and her loneliness so real that you just can't help but sympathize with her. You could really feel the hurt that Shelby felt deep inside.
The author also did an excellent job of weaving the mystery throughout the entire story instead of saving it for one big reveal. To be honest, you've already pieced together what happened towards the end of the book because she's done such a good job of telling you without you even realizing it.
At first I was a little perplexed that Shelby didn't piece together the Gwen mystery sooner since it seemed so obvious... but then I remembered she's a young girl, and I personally would never come to that conclusion on my own in real life. So I'll hand it to her.
Overall it was a great book that kept me captivated the whole way through. I definitely want to read more from this author.
The inner conflict that Shelby struggles with throughout the story was very well executed. I don't like characters who complain a lot or are overdramatic, but Shelby's emotion was so raw and her loneliness so real that you just can't help but sympathize with her. You could really feel the hurt that Shelby felt deep inside.
The author also did an excellent job of weaving the mystery throughout the entire story instead of saving it for one big reveal. To be honest, you've already pieced together what happened towards the end of the book because she's done such a good job of telling you without you even realizing it.
At first I was a little perplexed that Shelby didn't piece together the Gwen mystery sooner since it seemed so obvious... but then I remembered she's a young girl, and I personally would never come to that conclusion on my own in real life. So I'll hand it to her.
Overall it was a great book that kept me captivated the whole way through. I definitely want to read more from this author.
February 25, 2020
I remember reading this book when I was in CPS at eleven after I bought it with library cash at the book fair. It helped me get through what was going on during that time period and I adore it a lot for a lot of reasons. And That was well over 8 years ago.
Although my memory of the main characters is different then what the book cover shows, for one I always thought the main character was mixed race due to the mention of her family's history and being bullied for her hair. Which is a common thing that happens for people of color a lot. I assumed her mom was African American and her dad was white. I'm most likely going to buy the book again and reread it. It was a sweet story and gave 11 year old me chills when I read it late into the night.
Although my memory of the main characters is different then what the book cover shows, for one I always thought the main character was mixed race due to the mention of her family's history and being bullied for her hair. Which is a common thing that happens for people of color a lot. I assumed her mom was African American and her dad was white. I'm most likely going to buy the book again and reread it. It was a sweet story and gave 11 year old me chills when I read it late into the night.
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