Books like Secret Place

Perhaps the soft spot I have for this book is because it’s another story about rescuing a wild animal and giving it a further chance.

Every day at the park, Theo makes sure the slow bird with the raggedy wing gets some of the birdseed he throws to the younger, quicker birds. But when a dog runs at the birds, Theo learns that old Pearl, as he names her, can’t fly. He saves Pearl and brings her home, and he and his grandma take care of the bird. Theo’s heartfelt concern allows Pearl to live the rest of her life out of danger, and she and Theo become close companions. But with animal friends, there will come a time to have to say goodbye...

Told in lyrical language, two children wander through their city, looking for “wild” and finding it in motion, size, sounds, touch, and smell.“It leaps and pounces and shows its teeth.” The words dance around, hinting at flora and fauna, using adjectives and verbs to suggest and evoke. This journey arouses awareness of the natural world that lives all around us in the city. Young readers will enjoy guessing what is being hinted at. This is such an original way to talk about the urban wild!  

I love fairy tales and this is a fairy tale for our time. Surrounded by skyscrapers, Tokyo wishes his home could be surrounded by nature, just as it was when his grandfather was a boy. When a mysterious woman hands him three wishing seeds, a magical transformation brings. Trees grow taller than buildings, wildflower meadows cover cement, the river flows through the city, and all manner of wildlife romp and climb. When Tokyo’s mother has to take a rowboat to work. Grandfather worries about how they will handle the inconveniences. But Tokyo, whose wish has come true, has words of wisdom: “I think….that we will just have to get used to it.”

A true story about my favorite cougar. P-22, (Puma 22) became famous when he miraculously managed to cross four freeways and make his home in a big city park near downtown Los Angeles. His fame inspired a campaign to build a wildlife crossing between two mountain ranges, over one of the world’s busiest highways. This book tells of P-22 and the scientists who are creating a better future for wild creatures and the humans who love them. I’ve been a fan of P-22 for many years and was thrilled to read this wonderful book about him. 

Beginning with a single flake falling from a gray sky, the magic and excitement of the first snow are captured perfectly in illustrations and words. Every child reader will join sides with the boy and dog who are certain there is more snow coming despite the declarations to the contrary from adults on the street. Even the predictions from the radio and television of “No snow,” are soon forgotten as the magical transformation of the whole gray city becomes reason for dancing and swirling and twirling through five enchanted spreads of wondrous snow. Every time I read this book, I look out my windows in autumn, wanting to be the first one to see that first snowflake.

This book is set in Mexico City, when a little girl takes her dog for a walk through her vibrant neighborhood, suddenly there is an earthquake! Everything goes completely silent, and then she sees the people race around and help friends and neighbors who are in trouble. She looks down to discover the baker’s little dog, alone and afraid. She scoops him up and decides to help him home.

Such an enchanting book. The illustrations are spectacular and detailed and so incredibly appealing, and the story mixes in some Spanish words, but it’s done in a way that makes it easy to follow. The flow of this book is absolutely flawless and perfectly captures life in Mexico City.

Charles de Lint is one of my favorite authors, and this book of short stories is set in Newford, his fictional city. It’s a fully-formed universe where there's always more to discover. You can read any of his books at any time; there’s no order they must be read in. I guarantee that the more you learn of his worlds—and especially Newford—the more you’ll want. I read Pixel Pixies (my favorite short story of all time) to my mom and dad when my mom was dying of cancer. I could barely read the last paragraph for wanting to cry; not because the story is sad, but because it's so beautiful, so hopeful, so abso-freaking-lutely wonderful. I still get teary-eyed thinking about that evening of reading that story to my mom and dad.

That’s what de Lint does. He transports you not only to a world, but indelibly marks the feelings… show more.

I recommend this book because, to me, it is unique–I’ve never read a book like it. It’s an interesting plot, end-of-the-world stuff, with some very unlikeable, low-life characters. It’s set in a very dark version of London that I know and love, in a pub environment similar to the one that I grew up in.

There is murder on the cards throughout the story, but the author still manages to squeeze in some humor. It’s just a different style of writing that I think people should give a try.

I met Lauren Groff at a book festival soon after this short story collection was released.

I was surprised that these dark and often jarring stories could come from the smiling, friendly women I encountered. As a Florida native, I love that she gets the descriptions and the scenery right. The weather and the wildlife are just as alive in these stories as the struggling humans. I’m thrilled that Groff is now living in Florida and has opened a bookstore in Gainesville.

This is a collection of wonderful short stories, not a novel. It was my introduction to de Lint’s Newford, the setting of many of de Lint’s later novels and collections, a fictional composite of the best aspects of several North American cities, where beings from different mythologies co-exist with humans and interact with those who believe in them. It's such a fascinating setting, and feels so real, that I wish I could live there.