I love Elizabeth Laird. And Secret Friends was another beautiful read, a heartbreaking story about wanting to fit in, but never quite managing it.
Lucy is the first to tease Rafaella, and this is something she regrets right through her life. Rafaella has enormous ears, and Lucy, unthinkingly, coins the name ‘Earwig’, a name that sticks. When the coolest kids in school adopt the name, part of Lucy knows she should stop them. Why doesn’t she? Why doesn’t she stand up for Rafaella, who, she realises, is as fun and full of ideas as she is? Those are questions that Lucy finds she does not quite want to answer.
So, the two girls remain secret friends. Lucy wants to fit in with the most popular girls, but she secretly likes Rafaella more. It’s to Rafaella’s house that she goes for tea, and with Rafaella that she does the most fun things. It’s only when it’s far too late that she realises that there’s no good in keeping secrets. Sometimes, you need to be brave enough not to hide.
| Title | Secret Friends |
| Author | Elizabeth Laird |
| Tags | Chapter Book, Bullying, Tragedy |
| Rating (out of 5) | 5 |
| Age-group | 9+ |
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