Can You Keep a Secret?

Mike has a reputation for not being able to keep a secret and he worries that he may reveal things that his classmates do not want known--from a surprise party for one of the teachers to a snake in a friend's desk

Grade 2-4?Mike and Amy both have secrets that they struggle for one entire school day to keep to themselves. Mike, notorious for being a blabbermouth in Mr. Warren's class, must not tell about his teacher's upcoming birthday party, and Amy must not disclose that she saw Mr. Warren kissing the kindergarten teacher. Her struggle is trusting Mike enough to tell him what she has seen, knowing that he might inadvertently let it slip out. Trust, friendship, knowing what to tell and what not to tell, and taking responsibility for mistakes are all themes in this chapter book. Johnson's black-and-white sketches capture some of the classroom antics but are not particularly engaging. The characters are flat and uninteresting, but the theme is so universally experienced that young readers should be able to identify with this otherwise lukewarm story.?Linda Bindner, Athens Clarke County Library, GA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A lighthearted tale about a boy intent on becoming trustworthy, from the author of White Water (p. 805). Mike is well liked by his sixth-grade classmates because he is kind and thoughtful, but he has a reputation for giving away secrets. He's not malicious; the secrets come out through his well-intentioned helpfulness, or his face gives him away. The comments of his classmates--e.g., ``He'll tell the whole school''--bother him so much that when he becomes party to several secrets, including some important ones, he is determined to prove that he can keep them. Unfortunately for readers, he keeps some of the secrets by lying, and Petersen doesn't address that. Nevertheless, his tone is gentle throughout, and the novel is one that could prompt good discussions. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 7-10) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.