Embedded Files
by Lori Ann Stephens
by Lori Ann Stephens
My secret sits at the back of my throat like a balled-up spider.
I don’t like it there. Who would?
Spider secrets are the worst.
For a whole year, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get this one out, but I’m afraid if I move, that secret might stretch out its legs and crawl down my throat, all the way to my stomach where I’ll never be able to reach it.
Shy Novalee starts the fourth grade determined to make friends. When her mom finds her grandfather’s violin, Nova decides to take fiddle lessons to impress her classmates. To her surprise, she’s a natural musician, and she even makes a few friends.
But Nova’s world soon tumbles out of control. Her violin teacher makes too many demands, and before long, she’s keeping secrets that threaten her universe. She must find the courage, voice, and persistence to confront the spider secret, but how can she?
“Nova’s spider secret is universal, a web of silence our society has been stuck in for far too long; stuck in the web, children and adults aren’t so different. The book empowers and enlightens, and Nova’s narrative voice makes it all a poignant experience.” — Matthew Vesely, Reviewer, Glassworks
“At first I was enchanted with Stephens’ language. It was clear and appropriately sophisticated for middle graders. Best of all, it was dotted with lovely metaphors. As the story developed, I became more and more intrigued by the plot. The tone, the issues, and the resolution are all right on target. Stephens is a skilled writer with a knack for telling stories that young people need to hear. Get a copy for your grandchild or her/his teacher. It’s a great conversation starter as well as an effective and important story.” — Story Circle Book Reviews
“A lovely and profound story. Nova is charming and sweet and real—you’ll feel her sense of yearning.” — Samantha Mabry, author of All The Wind in the World
“A heartbreaking and redemptive tale of the secrets children feel they must keep and the courage they must find to tell.” — Amy Plum, international bestselling author
Details
Details
Dragonfeather Books
150 pp. ● 5×8
$10.95 (pb) ● $8.95 (eb)
ISBN 978-1-945805-86-8 (pb)
JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Sexual Abuse
JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Friendship
Publication date: October 2018
In addition to Novalee and the Spider Secret, Lori Ann Stephens is the author of Blue Running (published in the UK, 2021), Some Act of Vision (winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award), and Pierre François: 5th Grade Mishaps. Her award-winning short stories have also been published in Glimmer Train Stories, The Chicago Tribune, and several literary journals. She loves listening to operas, remodeling her house with reckless optimism, and holding anyone’s babies. She lives just outside of Dallas with her family and teaches at Southern Methodist University.
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