Holly's Secret

By Nancy Garden

A new town and new classmates, but the same family -- with two moms Dear Diary, ...Until today I was Holly Lawrence-Jones. But starting tomorrow I'm going to be Yvette Lawrence-Jones. My family doesn't know that yet, but I'll tell them tomorrow, and that's the name I'll tell the people at school, too. Yvette's going to be sophisticated and grownup-feminine enough to have white ruffled curtains, and maybe even a boyfriend. She's also going to have a NORMAL family. Kids are not going to make jokes about her and say mean things, because there won't be any reason for them to do that... The reason for "The Plan," as Holly refers to the creation of her new self, is primarily to hide from the schoolmates in her new hometown the fact that she has two mothers who are gay. But trying to hide something so big proves to be a daunting task. Nancy Garden has written a novel infused with humor, but one that also tackles prejudice and reinforces an old saw: Honesty is the best policy.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374332738
• ISBN13: 9780374332730
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 132 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.8" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Holly's Secret

Holly & her younger brother Will were adopted as babies by their two mothers. They were raised understanding that their moms loved one another and them. Although they faced teasing in their home in NYC the family was very close and happy. And Holly had her best friend Kelsey by her side. When the family moves to Harrison Mass. Holly & Kelsey create a plan in which Holly will become "Yvette" and won't have lesbian parents. As she starts school Holly finds that being "Yvette" is both hard work and hurtful to her family. In the end she does the right thing with her new friend and her first boyfriend by her side (as well as her family). Once again Garden has chosen lesbianism as her subject, but unlike past works the main character is not gay herself. The story is sweet and the plan of a new start perfectly reasonable, but Holly's moms are too understanding for me. A good read for young teens on a subject rarely approached well for children.