Secret of Laurel Oaks » (First Edition)

Lois Ruby is a versatile and accomplished novelist who has written books for middle-graders and young adults. Among the many awards she has won are: ALA Best Book for Young Adults and New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age for Arriving at a Place You’ve Never Left (1977); ALA Best Book for Young Adults, New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age for Miriam’s Well (1994); Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies and the IRA Young Adult Choice selection for Steal Away Home (1995). A former young adult librarian, Ms.

Lila

When thirteen-year-old Lila and her family visit Laurel Oaks Plantation in Louisiana, her parents and brother scoff at the claim that the house is haunted. Lila isn’t so ready to dismiss the idea. Ever since her friend Roberto died, she’s been hearing his voice in the middle of the night. But there are no such things as ghosts, are there? Maybe here, at Laurel Oaks, Lila will find out for sure….

Daphne

Daphne was alive once, long ago. She was a house slave to Judge Nethercott at Laurel Oaks Plantation. She met her end in the wintry waters of the Mississippi when she was accused of poisoning her master’s wife and two little girls. For two centuries, Daphne has been waiting—waiting for the one who can discover the truth and set her spirit free. Could Lila be the one?

KLIATT

When Lila's mother asks her to make reservations for their family's trip to Louisiana, Lila picks the Laurel Oaks Plantation because of its claim to be haunted. Her family scoffs at the idea, but after a creepy, nighttime tour of the plantation, Lila thinks the spirits might actually be trying to communicate with her. One particularly eager ghost is a slave girl named Daphne who worked at the plantation in the 1840s. Daphne had been accused of poisoning, and killing, the wife and daughters of her master. Daphne's spirit senses that Lila will believe her long-kept secret as Lila digs deep into Laurel Oaks's history to unveil the real story of what happened that fateful night many years ago. Lila's search for the truth leads her to talking trees, voodoo magic, and hidden treasure. This YA novel shifts back and forth between Lila's voice in the present and Daphne's voice in the past, showing how two lives centuries apart connect in a deeply moving way. YAs will enjoy the characters' struggle between reality and myth in this innovative "ghost" story overflowing with the power of love, friendship, and courage. Ashleigh Larsen, Teaching Asst., English, Reviewer: Gordon College