Keep It Like a Secret - Book Blog Tour!

 

As someone who did NOT grow up with siblings, but has two kiddos, this was very eye opening in how important those relationships truly are. I have always assumed just because my husband has a sister and I see how strong their bond is. With kids though, giving them that time to build that relationship is so important, and we saw that with Morgan and Claire. 

This story is definite Ms. Bixby's Last Day vibes if you know what I'm saying.. the emotion was heavy and relatable. The hardest part would be justifying Claire's behavior, but those of us who have been teenagers, most of us know what it is to rebel. Claire's character arc is a great study in the classroom to truly analyze the depth of her emotions, but also how Morgan, being 12, reacts. 

Overall, it would be a great addition to any middle grade classroom, even a book study to dive in to Morgan and Claire and even their mother's behavior, how the setting affects their behaviors, and the overall plot development. 

Bring some tissues. Anderson always knows how to get in your feelings and write for kids. 

About Keep It Like a Secret by John David Anderson

 

From the first moment Morgan can remember, Claire has always been there. Big sister and little brother. Cat and Mouse. They’ve always understood each other, saved each other, seen each other. And they stuck to their own personal code, unwritten but understood, that siblings were inseparable, that they had each other’s backs, no matter what.

 

At least, they used to.

 

Somewhere along the line, things between them shifted. Claire started fighting more with Mom, storming out of the house, spending more and more time away, and Morgan felt his sister and best friend slipping away. Now he spends nearly every night sitting awake in his room, waiting for the sound of her key in the lock.

 

It’s a sound he hasn’t heard in nearly a week, ever since her and Mom’s worst fight ever. So when Claire finally calls and tells Morgan she wants to spend the day together, just the two of them, he knows this might be his only chance—not just to convince her to come home, but to remind her how good things used to be, and could be again.

 

But Claire has her own plan for the day. One that will mean that, no matter what happens, things between them are going to change forever.

About the Author

 

John David Anderson is the author of more than a dozen beloved and bestselling books for kids, including the New York Times Notable Book Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, Posted, One Last Shot, Stowaway, Riley’s Ghost, and many more. A dedicated root beer connoisseur and chocolate fiend, he lives with his ever-patient wife and two ornery cats, MJ and Parker, in Indianapolis, IN. You can visit him online at johndavidanderson.org.

14-May	Nerdy Book Club	@nerdybookclub
16-May	Teachers Who Read	@teachers_read
17-May	Lit Coach Lou	@litcoachlou
20-May	Maria's Mélange	@mariaselke
21-May	A Library Mama	@alibrarymama
22-May	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	@grgenius
26-May	Bluestocking Thinking	@bluesockgirl