The Trouble with Secrets

Fallout from a tragedy opens this affectionate novel, which traces a close-knit Maryland family’s tensions via alternating “Now” and “Before” sections. Readers grow close to each character as Jewish 12-year-old Becky narrates her experiences as the child of a rabbi who, closely watched by congregants, “always had to follow the rules.” But when the young flautist’s father forbids her from auditioning for the Junior All-County Honors Band so she can focus on preparing for her bat mitzvah, she follows her heart instead of the rules, and finds herself keeping secrets—both her own and 17-year-old sister Sara’s—from their parents. Milliner (Super Jake & the King of Chaos) shows well-intentioned Becky, with Sara’s help, figuring out when “maybe, sometimes, rules need to be broken,” as well as juggling various pressures and her fondness for her family against her attempts to follow her own dreams. Offering warmth alongside a detailed account of Jewish traditions, a family trying its best in difficult situations, and a sensitive depiction of grief and its solaces, it’s a rich and complex book for readers navigating new independence. Main characters read as white; a secondary character is of Indian heritage. Ages 8–12. Agent: Liza Fleissig, Liza Royce Agency. (Apr.)