Rules for Secret Keeping

By Lauren Barnholdt
Rating: 3 3/4 stars

Samantha is excited and nervous about starting 7th grade.  In elementary school, she successfully began a secret passing business, where kids put notes they wanted to send in her locker with $1 and she would deliver them.  She never opened or read the secrets.  Now Samantha is eager to begin her business in middle school.  And then there is Jake.  After a million years of friendship, suddenly she has developed a crush on him.  Does he like her back?  Then school starts and Samantha makes new friends in Emma and Charlie, but is immediately hit with competition for her business from Olivia, who is doing Sam one better by having her business online.  If that isn't enough to deal with, Emma starts passing notes through Samantha to Jake--HER Jake!  And he's passing ones back.  Does he like Emma?  Then Olivia's business is taking off while Samantha's seems to be crashing.  But there are rumors...is Olivia reading the secrets?  Add to this story some home drama, and you have more than enough going on in one 7th grader's life.  Can Samantha find a way to have a happy ending?  There is more than enough young teen angst in here to please every girl who wants to read this book.  A solid school story.