When I was a child, there was a wooded lot across from my house. All the neighborhood kids gathered there daily after school, running amongst the tall conifers, making forts, and climbing the smaller trees. I begged to be able to play there, but was never allowed. So sometimes, I’d sneak across the street and stand at the edge of the trees and desperately wonder what was within the gloriously dark shadows. There’s just something magical about kids spending time in secret places, away from the cares of the adult world. I'm a Pacific Northwest author, graphic designer, and coffee addict who lives for mysteries of any kind. I'm the author of two YA mystery fiction trilogies, two children's books, and one nonfiction history.
This gem of a book is a perfect escape that features a rather unconventional “secret place”—a locked library! When Autumn accidentally gets locked inside a public library over the weekend, she gets the surprise of her life when she discovers she isn’t alone. Dax, a schoolmate of Autumn’s, happens to also be stuck inside. The two clash at first, but over the course of being trapped together for a weekend, their relationship shifts.
What really resonated with me was Autumn’s struggle with intense anxiety and how the author skillfully wove that through the storyline. I particularly love how the two main characters' personalities develop throughout the story. The romance is an added bonus!
An irresistible story from Kasie West that explores the timeless question: What do you do when you fall for the person you least expect?
When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her.
Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to…
The concept of a hidden space away from adults and the problems of everyday life is the enthralling concept behind Bridge to Terabithia. Deep in the woods near their homes, Jess and Leslie share their own imaginary kingdom which they call Terabithia—a place hidden away from the pressures of the world. This coming-of-age tale packs an emotional punch, no matter the age of the reader. I love the magical settings in the book and they directly influenced the way I decided to write my own book.
The Secret Garden was the first seed of inspiration for my own book. At first, ill-mannered and newly-orphaned Mary Lennox is lonely and adrift among the sprawling grounds of Misselthwaite Manor, and her upbringing in India doesn’t prepare her for life in England—everything is unfamiliar and uncomfortably different. Left alone to amuse herself, Mary starts uncovering mysteries about the Manor as she meets Dickon and Colin. Mary and Dickon find a long-forgotten garden and work to restore it, making it their own secret space. As the garden is transformed, so is Mary. I appreciate how Mary's unlikable character is the crux of the storyline. The author almost seems to delight in Mary's ill-tempered, petulant mannerisms.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a magical novel for adults and children alike
'I've stolen a garden,' she said very fast. 'It isn't mine. It isn't anybody's. Nobody wants it, nobody cares for it, nobody ever goes into it. Perhaps everything is dead in it already; I don't know.'
After losing her parents, young Mary Lennox is sent from India to live in her uncle's gloomy mansion on the wild English moors. She is lonely and has no one to play with, but one day she learns of a secret garden somewhere in the grounds that no…
The eerie Claymore mansion is the secret spot of mystery in this very suspenseful—yet still lighthearted and fun—novel by Darren Sapp. Thirteen-year-old Kevin and his group of friends become entwined in a summer mystery surrounding a decades-old crime. I loved this book so much because it was a perfect balance of mystery, friendship, and classic summer teenage antics before the advent of cellphones and computers.
Devil’s Backbone dirt road weaves through tall East Texas trees. The eerie Claymore mansion sits silently along the path. Thirteen-year-old Kevin Bishop and friends plan to spend their summer swimming, playing baseball, and erecting a massive fort in the nearby woods. Their daily journey requires a bike ride down that road and by that mansion—the site of a gruesome unsolved murder near the turn-of-the-century. They stumble upon evidence to solve the mystery as unforeseen adversaries make this a summer they’ll never forget.
This coming-of-age tale will take readers down memory lane…
The secret space in Tuck Everlasting is a fenced-off wood owned by the wealthy Foster family. When ten-year-old Winnie meanders into the woods one day, she stumbles upon Jesse Tuck—and a secret she wasn’t supposed to know about. A lovely, short read to get lost in. I love the fantasy twist in this period piece. The mystery element combined with the natural setting was a huge influence on my own writing. Skip the movie and read the book first!
Winnie Foster is in the woods, thinking of running away from home, when she sees a boy drinking from a spring. Winnie wants a drink too, but before she can take a sip, she is kidnapped by the boy, Jesse Tuck, and his family. She learns that the Tuck family are blessed with - or doomed to - eternal life since drinking from the spring, and they wander from place to place trying to live as inconspicuously as they can. Now Winnie knows their secret. But what does immortality really mean? And can the Tucks help her understand before it's…
Fifteen-year-old Aribelle Cartwright is uprooted from her native San Francisco when her father gets a job in a different state. Instead of majestic skyscrapers and the urban bustle of the city, Ari has to adjust to the solitude of a rural town. Right away, Ari notices something is curiously different about the hill her historic home resides on. Complicating matters is the aloof boy next door, Dane, who is nearly as mysterious as Hadley Hill itself. Will Ari be able to break through Dane’s cautious demeanor to discover the incredible secrets of Hadley Hill?
True confession: I’m not a baker, but I love it when other people bake. It’s riveting to watch how they transform the humblest of ingredients into desserts that are beautiful and delicious. I get super excited to see this creative process unfold, which is why I adore The Great British Baking Show and other competitive reality baking programs. They inspired me to write Marvelous Jackson because my main character desperately wants to snag a coveted audition spot on The Marvelous Midwest Kids Baking Championship. He relishes the frenetic energy and noise of a kitchen packed with ambitious and talented people—just like I do!
Since losing his mom, thirteen-year-old Jack Wilson has spent most of his time seeing just how much trouble he can get away with so that he feels like a winner at something. But he takes his mischief too far and is faced with the possibility of unbearable consequences. He knows it’s time to make a big change.
After rediscovering the love of baking he once shared with his mother, Jack is sure that his new sense of purpose will help him stay on the right path, so he throws himself into learning the finer points of sprinkles and scones—and…
After losing his mom, a struggling thirteen-year-old boy in northern Wisconsin rediscovers the love of baking he once shared with her and decides to audition for the world-famous, big-hearted Marvelous Midwest Kids Baking Championship television show in Chicago. Jack is sure that his new sense of purpose will help him stay out of trouble, so he throws himself into learning the finer points of sprinkles and scones -- and hopefully even mending his broken relationship with his dad.
