• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7

The war is over, but Ellen's secret still haunts her in this tense sequel toKeeping Secrets.

Ellen is now thirteen, living in an upstairs flat with her parents in Morpeth, England. In the aftermath of World War II, many of her neighbours mistrust the German prisoners of war who still live among them, and resent the POWs for taking scarce jobs away.

In Keeping Secrets, Ellen helped a German POW escape. Now she worries that he may never have gotten away, and is still in Morpeth. What if her neighbours find out what she did?

Jean Booker explores the complex and often turbulent process of rebuilding in the aftermath of war in this realistic tale based on her own experience growing up in England during and after WWII.

Jean Booker grew up in England during WWII, and moved to Canada after a ten-year correspondence with a pen-pal in Montreal. She has written many stories for children and was a member of long-standing writers group which included Bernice Thurman Hunter, Pat Hancock and Barbara Greenwood. She now lives in Bobcaygeon, Ontario.

Jean Booker's profile page

Praise for Keeping Secrets:

Shortlist, Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People
CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens

"A truly believable story... Highly Recommended." -CM Magazine

"Booker's novel about an unusual wartime friendship still has a powerful message for readers today." -Resource Links