Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
award-winning book, December 19, 2007
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.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Meaningful & Entertaining, September 18, 2007
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.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read and Great Classroom Tool, October 2, 2007
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.
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