Families who loved Secret Lies by Jane Resh Thomas often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your middle schooler is beginning to see through the 'hero' facade of their parents and is struggling with the messy reality of family history. It is a quiet, reflective tool for children who feel like outsiders in their own families or who are coping with a sudden move to a less familiar environment. The story follows thirteen year old Elvira as she is sent from her mother's urban life to live with her aunt in rural Virginia. While there, she must reconcile the romanticized lies she has told herself about her absent father with the complicated, sometimes disappointing truths of her family's past. This book is a gentle guide for navigating the transition from childhood innocence to the more nuanced understanding of adulthood, emphasizing that loving someone means seeing them as they truly are.