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Lois Ruby
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The Secret of Laurel Oaks Mass Market Paperback – September 29, 2009

by Lois Ruby (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 30 ratings
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A haunting historical mystery based on real life events, told in the alternating points of view of a contemporary girl and a 19th century slave accused of a horrible crime.

When Lila and her family visit Laurel Oaks Plantation in Louisiana, her parents and brother scoff at the claim that the house is haunted. But secretly, Lila suspects there are ghostly presences willing to communicate with her, and her alone. One spirit eager to tell her story is Daphne, a slave girl at Laurel Oaks in the 1840s, who was blamed for the poisoning deaths of two girls and their mother. Daphne's spirit senses that Lila is the very person she's been waiting for, the one who can prove her innocence so her spirit can rest at long last. Shifting back and forth from Lila's world in the present to Daphne's world in the past, the true story of what really happened that fateful night finally comes to light.

Laurel Oaks is a thinly disguised version of the legendary Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana, which is on the Smithsonian's list of the ten most haunted places in America. This middle grade novel was inspired by the author's visit to the plantation and her experiences there.

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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    10 - 14 years
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    5 - 9
  5. Lexile measure
    850L
  6. Dimensions
    5.22 x 0.82 x 7.7 inches
  7. Publisher
    Starscape
  8. Publication date
    September 29, 2009
  9. ISBN-10
    076535229X
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0765352293
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A genuinely spooky and engrossing ghost story.” ―Jennifer Armstrong, award-winning author of The Dreams of Mairhe Mehan

“YAs will enjoy the characters' struggle between reality and myth in this innovative ‘ghost story' overflowing with the power of love, friendship, and courage.” ―KLIATT

“This plot-twisting ghost story is full of history, friendship, romance, betrayal, and jealousy.” ―School Library Journal

“The bits of truth that Lois Ruby weaves into the story are what make it mysterious and chilling. This is a great book for learning about plantation life, but reading it at night will definitely give you the creeps.” ―Bookloons.com

“If you read this book late at night, as I did, in a dark and quiet house, as I did, you may feel the same chill I did--the someone-is-looking-over-your shoulder chill. The heebie-jeebies. The creeps. This is a genuinely spooky and engrossing ghost story, filled with fascinating historical detail.” ―Jennifer Armstrong, award-winning author of The Dreams of Mairhe Mehan on The Secret of Laurel Oaks

“Lois Ruby's The Secret of Laurel Oaks is an intriguing mystery that takes the contemporary heroine (and the reader) on a spirited journey back and forth from a haunted house to the slave-owning family that once owned it....We are in capable hands with Ruby's deft story telling powers and her devotion to historical truths. A terrific read.” ―Sonia Levitin, award-winning author of Strange Relations, The Goodness Gene, and Dream Freedom

About the Author

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. Ruby now spend most of her time writing and leading creative-writing workshops. She and her husband live in Albuquerque, NM, and are the parents of three grown sons.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Starscape; First Edition (September 29, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 076535229X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765352293
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 14 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 850L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.22 x 0.82 x 7.7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 30 ratings

About the author

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Lois Ruby

Lois Ruby

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
30 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

elirosieny
5.0 out of 5 stars Spooky from beginning to end
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2016
Verified Purchase
The Secret of Laurel Oaks is a ghost story based on stories about The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana.
The author’s main purpose for writing this novel is to entertain readers. It is suspenseful, mysterious, and spooky from the beginning to the end.
The theme of this book is to not believe all the rumors you may hear. In the book, a young slave girl was accused of poisoning her master’s wife and two daughters. She was hanged for it despite any evidence proving she committed these crimes.
This book was written using the rhetorical mode of narration. The narrators of the story alternate between chapters. One narrator is a rebellious teenage girl named Lila from the present day. The other narrator is a teenage girl named Daphne. Daphne was a slave who lived and died on the Laurel Oaks plantation two centuries ago. During Lila’s family vacation to the haunted plantation, Lila would see Daphne and other ghosts around the house. In the next chapter, Daphne describes seeing Lila to the reader.
Using the style of narration is effective because it shows differences between modern times and the hard times of slavery. Alternating between narrators allowed the readers to experience a story through different perspectives. For instance, during a tour of the house, Lila looked in a mirror and saw Daphne. Then in the next chapter, Daphne describes how intently Lila was looking back at her in the mirror. Daphne knows she’s a ghost and only a few people have ever seen her. She hopes Lila is the one person she can trust to tell about the secret she’s been keeping for two hundred years.
I loved this book and was very intrigued by the ghostly plot. The characters were interesting and even included a wise, talking tree! I did not dislike anything about this book. However, if I could change anything about this story, I would have Lila confide in her parents what she was seeing in the house. She didn't have a very good relationship with them. But all in all, I loved the book.
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Charlotte
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfection
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2016
Verified Purchase
I loved this book. It was awesome. My friend recommended it to me saying she loved it, so I bought it, read it, and loved it! The chapters change perspective from Daphne who is a slave in the 1800s to Lila a girl in the present trying to solve Daphne's mystery. This book is a mystery novel that is perfect.
One person found this helpful
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Shelly Reed
4.0 out of 5 stars New Orleans flavor with a spooky twist
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2019
Verified Purchase
I was looking for a good NOLA read and this YA book didn’t disappoint. It is told from two sides: modern day Lila and past Daphne. A little spooky because there are ghosts in it. The truth becomes revealed about Daphne’s death in the end.
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Philip and Melissa Knight-Fitzgerald
3.0 out of 5 stars Another book based on the lies of Myrtles Plantation
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2013
I grew up loving the story of Chloe so I was glad to find this. But years of reading what I can I know that the stories promoted by the Myrtles is nothing but lies. Its a wonderful story but I am tired of it being stated as truth. That is why the low rating because Lois Ruby states that the story of Chloe is real. Just some digging will show that the real story is just as tragic and deserves to be told. This book is fiction and based on fiction!
2 people found this helpful
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Barbara Madrigal
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved the availability of the products!
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2020
Verified Purchase
I love to read ghost stories and murder suspense books. Loved that they come in within a week!
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Kimberly C Tomlinson
5.0 out of 5 stars The Secret of Laurel Oaks
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2012
Verified Purchase
This is a very good read for young adults and the young at heart. There are many twists and turns. This is the second book we have read by Lois Ruby and have enjoyed both.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2016
Verified Purchase
This was a surprise for my daughter and once again Lois Ruby knocks it out of the ballpark!
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Roxy
4.0 out of 5 stars A creepy ghost story
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2012
This was a really good book. It wad scary and had a little mystery in it. I love that combination. I like how it goes back and forth from Daphne's history to Lila's modern life. And I actually really like how it's based on one of the most haunted places in America. I suggest you buy this book.
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Top reviews from other countries

Swapna
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in India on February 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
This is a wonderful story in which Lois Ruby has interwoven the Myrtles Plantation story with 2 siblings from the present day who visit it. It transports you to the 19th century where you get a glimpse of the life of slaves and their families working on plantations and how they were treated. The author also gives you a completely different view of the incidents that occurred.
Highly recommended for anyone over 13 years!
One person found this helpful
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