ELLIE HAS A SECRET

In this cautionary tale, Bothe brings to vibrant life the allure and alarm of keeping a not-so-nice secret.

Unlike the other kids at school, Ellie loves it when recess is rained out; she enjoys the opportunity to sift for treasures in the classroom sandbox. While doing so one day, she discovers a perfect little cowrie shell; in a fit of greed, she takes it. When she examines it later, an odd creature crawls out of the shell, introducing itself as her Secret. Initially, Ellie is charmed and begins lugging the Secret around like an oversize puppy wherever she goes. As the day progresses, however, the Secret increases in size, crowding Ellie out of her own life. A metaphor for hurtful secrets, the creature is simultaneously endearing and malicious, initially peering up from inside the stolen shell in a nicely nightmarish fashion. Though the Secret has some qualities in keeping with the dragons of Eastern mythology, its long wormlike body twisting and curling around Ellie, it is clearly a product of the creator’s imagination. Alas, the narrative, which proceeds at an even pace throughout, comes to an abrupt ending once Ellie confesses her crime; still, on the whole, this empathetic and cleverly imagined tale will resonate with anyone who’s been in Ellie’s situation. The protagonist presents white; her classmates are diverse.

A smartly wrought allegory for what happens when we give our secrets power over us (and how to take that power back).