Books with title Secrets in the Attic

Lions and tigers and bears really don’t scare me. Not after goblins and dragons and trolls. I’ve seen strange, beautiful, and terrifying things in Chimera — the land created by magic hundreds of years ago, existing just outside our space and time. Where myths and legends from our world moved to be safe from their deadliest enemy; the Mundane. You know, regular human beings, like me and my friends. This year we’re exploring the forest, though we’ve sworn not to enter the Dark Side. Lucky thing, since there’s a dragon in there, and Doug keeps insisting he’s going to ride it. Even though he’s been warned it’ll just eat him. So now I get to worry about man-eating dragons, the psycho-boy the bullies are trying to recruit, and the monsters that just keep getting creepier. We’re all feeling the strain as things get worse and worse, especially my friend Faith. She’s more scared than the rest of us combined! And the fact that magic has begun to spill into our world? That may be the most frightening thing of all…

"The powerful story of one girl's indomitable spirit after surviving a land mine in war-ravaged southern Africa." It is the wise old woman of the village who teaches young Sofia about the secrets in the fire. Within the flames hide all things past and all things yet to be. But not even old Muazena can see the horrors the fire holds for Sofia and her family -- not the murderous bandits who drive them from their home, and not the land mine that takes Sofia's legs. In her long journey toward recovery, Sofia must still deal with growing up. Along the way, she discovers friends, and foes, in places she'd never expected. Through it all, Sofia draws on a strength she never knew she had, a fire of her own that's been a secret all along. Real-life land mine victim Sofia Alface is the inspiration for Henning Mankell's stunning novel which puts a very human face on the suffering in Africa. Key Features: Land mines, an important, high-profile issue A gripping, dramatic page-turner and a story full of hope Readers will relate to the spirited Sofia