Customer Reviews

The Secret of the Lonely Grave

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This superb book has won the Evelyn Thurman Young Readers' Award, given by Western Kentucky University. It features two strong protagonists, a boy and a girl, giving it a wide appeal. As the youngsters solve a mystery that links their small town to the Underground Railroad and the Civil War, they also learn how to stand up to a school bully. In age-appropriate ways, the story confronts a number of issues that kids must deal with these days.

The Secret of The Lonely Grave
By Albert Bell, Jr.
ISBN: 1932158790
Ingalls Publishing Group
Trade Paper
July 2007
Although middle schoolers are the primary target audience, The Secret of The Lonely Grave is a strong, thought provoking read, that easily grabs the attention of book lovers of all ages. Set in Western Kentucky this is an entertaining story that tackles controversial, difficult and painful topics in meaningful, age appropriate ways. While the characters are dealing with contemporary issues such as child abuse, single parent homes and school bullies, there's a valuable history lesson at the heart of the book, that shines the light of truth on racism, slavery, bigotry and the indelible human spirit.
Walking to and from the bus stop, best friends, Steve Patterson and Kendra Jordan pass the old cemetery where Kendra's sister Moniqa is buried. They have visited the cemetery many times and have always been curious about one particular grave, that of six year old, Amanda, buried in the mid 1800's. The grave was set off by itself, some distance from all the others, for that reason they nicknamed it "the lonely grave." When they notice flowers on the forgotten grave, they decide to stake out the cemetery. Thinking if they identify who is visiting the grave they can solve the mystery.

The friends soon discover the identity of the mysterious visitor-- a recently widowed college professor, named Doc. Intelligent and kind, he too had been intrigued by the "lonely grave." Doc guides the two friends as they spend the summer researching church and historical society records and talking with local residents. When they find evidence that suggests the infamous Underground Railroad may have passed through their small town, they realize this mystery goes far beyond the little girl's grave.
Steve's grandparents are anything but enthusiastic about his detective exploits and demonstrate a hush-hush attitude. It now seemed entirely possible that his family had taken part in the betrayal of a local family that had assisted many escaped slaves well over a hundred years ago.
Confronting difficult topics with a stylistic flair that educates and entertains, Bell utilizes modern themes and incorporates present day challenges into the lives of the characters. The story provides a forum for open discussions about the impact of slavery, equality and the power of the human spirit.
An informative, entertaining and thought provoking read, I recommend this book to all young readers. It would be beneficial for middle school history classes to add this book to their reading lists.

I have read this book aloud to my fifth grade students for several years. Although our grade level content expectations do not include the Civil War era, my students have always found the subject of the Underground Railroad to be extremely fascinating. Besides, the inter-relationships of characters provide outstanding lessons for the reader. It is well-written and the story is a powerful one worthy of serious attention. This is an outstanding addition to your personal or classroom book stack.

The Secret of the Lonely Grave proved to be both a delightful read and a great addition to my classroom reading materials. This fictional story provides a wonderful introduction to the topics of slavery and the underground railroad system. My students enjoyed solving the mystery. The tragic subterranean discovery set the stage for a discussion of the dangers faced by both the runaways and those people who helped them along the way. I plan to use this well-written book next year when my new class covers the pre-Civil war period.

Steve is eleven and so is his friend Kendra. That's where most of the similarities end. He's white, she's a girl, he plays baseball and writes, she plays tennis and the piano and reads mysteries. Steve is a little worried because Kendra is taller than he is, at least for right now, and he's also aware that others don't view their friendship with the equanimity his mother does.

It's the first day of summer vacation, and Kendra wants to solve a mystery. There is an old graveyard near where Steve and Kendra live; they cut through it on their way here and there and don't view it as a scary place. Someone has been placing flowers on one grave, an old grave separate from all the others. Kendra wants to know who is putting the flowers there, and why. She's figured out the when, and knows there is more to the story.

Steve is less enamored of this game, but goes along because Kendra is his friend and she manages to engage his interest. Once they stake out the grave and discover the who and why, they want to know more about the body IN the grave. Who was Amanda Allen, why did she die so young, and why is nobody else buried near her? The man who has been putting the flowers on the grave is a history teacher; he teaches them how to find the answers to their questions using newspapers and other historical research tools.

THE SECRET OF THE LONELY GRAVE takes Kendra and Steve back to the days of the Civil War and the Underground Railroad. They learn peripheral lessons about epidemics, the problems that slavery brought to states that hadn't decided which side of the fence to be on, as well as lessons in independence, rational thinking, and empathy.

Although sometimes a trifle pedantic for an adult reader, LONELY GRAVE is what I would consider a good "starter" mystery for any young interested in the Civil War or the Underground Railroad. The relationship between Steve and Kendra is a very positive one, without being saccharine. The plot is believable, the emotions at times intense, but nothing inconsistent with the plot.

The Secret of the Lonely Grave is a fictional story with a real setting. The setting is in southern Kentucky, just a few miles from the Tennessee state line, in the area known as the Land Between the Lakes. The author's wife's family has a houseboat on Lake Barkley and enjoyed fishing, Albert was not fond of fishing so decided to take a walk instead. He found himself walking through a cemetery near the lake and discovered a tombstone way off by itself and began to wonder why. That is where the author begins his story of the Lonely Grave.

As the story begins to unfold, as Kendra and Steve are beginning their summer vacation, they pass by the cemetery on their way to the bus. They begin to notice someone has been leaving flowers on the lonely grave that is located outside of the cemetery. Kendra wants to become a detective one day, and Steve wants to become a novelist--so they join together to solve the mystery of the lonely grave and who has been placing the flowers. On their quest they discover that a college history professor has been the one leaving the flowers. Soon the three begin to work together to solve the mystery by delving into research to discover the truth that lies behind the lonely grave of the young girl named Amanda.

The Secret of the Lonely Grave is gripping, powerful and genuine. The story has both a pacing and engaging plot all while the author incorporates history, family values and new friendships formed. Bell's characters are well defined and believable.

If looking for an interesting and entertaining read, look no further as this one is sure to please. I give it 4 plus stars.

Armchair Interviews says: A real page-turner.

The age old issues of racism and slavery along with the current sensitivity to bullying are all tough topics for kids. Rarely are they handled so well with such sensitivity as they are in this novel.

The story opens in a small town in Western Kentucky where Steve and Kendra can hardly wait for school to be out for the summer in another week. Everyday as they walk up and down a hill on the way to the school bus, they pass an old cemetery. Kendra often stops at the grave marker for her sister Moniqa. They also stop and look at a grave for a child that is set far away from all the others. The two middle school aged children have nicknamed it "the lonely grave." A grave that someone has suddenly started placing fresh flowers on with no explanation.

As the school year ends, the kids realize that someone is placing the flowers on the grave in a regular cycle. They hatch a plan to find out who is doing it and why. Catching the person who is placing the flowers is relatively easy. The real question then becomes why is the grave so far away from the others?

What follows is an entertaining story written primarily for young teens that deals tactfully with divorce and bullying as well as slavery, racism and the legacy of this nation's history. Steve, who is white, and Kendra, who is African-American, are forced to confront what their ancestors may have done long before they were born as well as their relationship with each other in today's America. Both are also forced to deal with bullying and why some children bully. The result is an entertaining read that delves deep into the past while teaching compassion and caring.


Kevin R. Tipple (copyright)2007