Picture Book: The Secret Olivia Told Me
Author:
N. Joy
Illustrator: Nancy
Devard
Summary:
This is a story in cleverly rhymed verse. We are never told what Olivia’s secret
is, but we are told that it is big. The narrator has been charged to keep it,
and she believes it is important to do so in order to keep their friendship.
However, the secret slips out. The secret quickly spreads so she confesses to
Olivia, apologizes, and asks that their friendship remain. Olivia forgives her
and their friendship is intact.
Hanna’s Comments: This book reminds me of the old game Gossip. Olivia’s secret
just grows and grows. You might want to play that game right before you read
the book. There are many possibilities for discussion after reading this book. Be sure to mention how hard it likely was for the narrator to admit her mistake and how that might have made all the difference in keeping their friendship. You could talk about difficult issues like betrayal, trust, reputation, confession, admitting mistakes, and forgiveness. Check out the Author’s Note in the back. It has some questions
you might want to consider for your audience.
Publisher & Date of Publication: Just Us Books, 2007
Age & Grade Appropriateness: 6 and up, 1st and up
# of Pages: 32
Available in Spanish? Not at present
Formats other than Book: Amateur video on Youtube
PBT Category: Post
2K
PBT Topics this Book Connects with: betrayal, confession, covenant/promises/vows,
guilt, mistakes, secrets, trust/trustworthiness
Scripture Connections: Scriptures about covenant; how often we should
forgive (Matthew 18:21-22)
Idea(s) for Application: This would be a great book to read to a girls’
scripture study group.
No comments:
Post a Comment