A Secret Shared

Newbery Medal–winning author Patricia MacLachlan paints a moving portrait of what it means to be a family, the power of love, and the importance of bringing the truth out into the light, in this beautiful and profound story about adoption.

Nora and Ben’s younger sister Birdy loves to keep secrets. She surprises her family more than once: She hides a kitten in her room. She writes a beautiful poem. One day Birdy watches her mother spit into a tube, ready to send it off to find out more about herself and where her family came from. Birdy spits into a tube, too, when no one sees her.

But when the test results come back, they are a surprise. Birdy is seemingly not related to Nora and Ben’s parents. But if she is adopted, how could that have happened without the children knowing?

Nora and Ben must learn when to keep a secret, and who to go to for help—and eventually, how to solve this secret for the entire family.

How do you protect a secret that isn’t yours to keep?

• An Adoption Story: When a secret DNA test reveals their younger sister isn’t biologically related to them, Nora and Ben are plunged into a family mystery.
• Sibling Relationships: Follow a protective twin brother and sister as they navigate a discovery that could change their family forever, testing their bond in unexpected ways.
• Truth and Love: A gentle and moving exploration of what it truly means to be a family, proving that love is more important than biology.
• Heartwarming Contemporary Fiction: Perfect for young readers who love emotional, character-driven chapter books from a Newbery Medal-winning author that feel both timeless and true.