But we’re not okay.

And I don’t see how we ever will be again.

Those are the last lines of the brief beginning pages of the story that lies ahead. This beginning section is titled NOW, and we see more NOW sections throughout the next 27 chapters, bringing readers up to date with what happened BEFORE. You know it’s something terribly sad, and the plot skillfully leads you up to the event that changed everything for this Jewish family.

Twelve-year-old Becky narrates the appealing tale. She lives with her mam and dad, a rabbi. She longs to be perfect like her older brother, Jon, and older sister, Sara. A younger brother completes the sibling foursome.

Becky loves to play the flute where she feels the best about herself. There’s also an upcoming bat mitzvah which she knows is important but hasn’t yet devoted enough preparation time. Becky chooses to keep a secret from her parents to pursue her passion. But the next secret comes from her sister and it is even more daring than her own. They promise to keep each other’s secret safe. It’s exciting at first but then guilt drops in for a lengthy visit. Becky begins to question whether she should say something to Mom and Dad.

I’ll let you discover on your own what those secrets are because you’ll feel a deeper engagement to the story. The loving family is the solid center of this emotional tale. Themes of trust, lies, and truths lead up to the tragedy that hits them all unexpectedly. Grief seems to never go away, but THE TROUBLE WITH SECRETS shows how it can eventually get better. Just have the tissue box close by.

Book Birthday: APRIL 8, 2025. Pages: 336

FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: THE TROUBLE WITH SECRETS by Naomi Milliner

1. The close and loving Jewish family was a highlight. You’ll feel their highs and lows throughout and remember the time spent with them. Perfect for the middle grade audience of young readers.
2. Jewish traditions are brought forth and celebrated. They never overwhelm the story but having them included help show the close bond the family enjoys.
3. An honest contemporary story is hard to depict. Here it is done with graceful ease.
4. The Now and Before way of telling this story was a great choice, keeping readers fully interested the entire way.
5. I had trouble being away from the story for long and read it in just a few days. A sign of a skillful writer who grabs a reader’s attention throughout.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Naomi Milliner is the author of Super Jake and the King of Chaos and coeditor and contributor to On All Other Nights, a Passover anthology for middle grade readers. She created the Authors Book Club for her SCBWI chapter and has served on the Women’s National Book Association’s Great Group Reads committee since 2009. Naomi enjoys mentoring children and adults, visiting schools (virtually or in-person), and reading everything she can get her hands on. She lives in Maryland with her family, countless books, and one very fuzzy cat. Visit her on Facebook and Twitter under Naomi Milliner and her blog at naomimilliner.wordpress.com.

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