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The Secret Library
Biracial Dally, 11, lives on the family estate with her mom (white), who runs the family business and is already training Dally to take over. Dally hates her mom’s workaholic ways and demanding expectations. Dally’s dad (Black) died years before. More recently, Dally lost her beloved maternal grandfather. When Dally discovers The Secret Library, it’s clear the mysterious librarian, Jennacake, knows who Dally is. Jennacake explains the library rules: only secrets to which Dally has a connection will reveal themselves to her, and she can read just one a day. Each secret transports Dally back to the place and time of its origins. She witnesses her mom and dad’s early romance, when a failed dare led to love that transcended racial and economic differences. And she repeatedly finds herself with the crew of an 1850s pirate ship. It becomes clear that the captain, Eli (white), and first mate, Pete (Black), are life partners, a secret it would be dangerous to reveal, and that they created the treasure map that Dally’s Grandpa cherished. It’s also on the ship that she meets Jack, another crew member and, she later discovers, another time traveler. Jack’s connection to Dally is a welcome surprise, but one that reveals another unsettling truth about race and racism in the past. Dally’s discoveries bring clarity to her family history and identity, as well as her mother’s grief, while setting her on a surprising yet seemingly destined course in this captivating tale. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-12
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Action/Adventure
African Americans
Economic Privilege
Fantasy
Libraries and Librarians
Mothers
Multiracial Characters/Families
Racism
Time Travel
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Publisher:
Candlewick
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 373
ISBN: 9781536230888
CCBC Location: Fiction, Magoon