Fall Secrets - Softcover

Dr. Candy Dawson Boyd is a Professor in the School of Education at Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California. Dr. Boyd holds a B.A. in Education from Northeastern Illinois University, a M.A. in Reading Education, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of California, Berkeley. While at Saint Mary's, Dr. Boyd directed both the Elementary Education Basic Credential Program and the Special Education Credential and Masters Programs. She founded, and currently directs, the Masters and Specialist Credential and Certificate Programs in Reading/Language Arts.

Dr. Boyd has lectured nationwide as both an award-winning children's author and a K-12 reading educator, emphasizing literature and culturally diverse learning. She has been a national keynote speaker for the California Reading Association, the International Reading Association, and the National Council of Teachers of English. Her award-winning books for young people include Circle of Gold, Charlie Pippin, and Chevrolet Saturdays.

Dr. Boyd specializes in working with low performing urban schools. As founder of Common Literacy Culture, she is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading and writing for urban children, and has successfully worked with schools in crisis across the nation.

Grade 5-7-As Jessie Williams enters the Oakland Performing Arts Middle School, she must deal with pressure to perform academically, her jealousy toward her older sister, Cass, and the difficulties of working in a small group at school. The girls who make up the "Fours" all have hidden problems that affect their group dynamics, but they manage to work cohesively on class projects, including performing at a local home for senior citizens. Always in the background are the devastating effects of the Oakland/Berkeley fire that both traumatized and mobilized the whole community. Bolstered by her loving family and a boy at school who makes her feel special, Jessie is able to confront her own insecurities. Despite workmanlike writing, stilted dialogue, and some heavy-handed messages, there are some interesting things happening here. The characters are well drawn and, while readers may question the girls' need for secrecy about their problems, they will recognize the pressures of adolescence and exult in Jessie's determination to forge a new relationship with Cass, who's been having her own problems, and her growing pride in her African American heritage.
Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport,
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