Great MG read. ( )

What an interesting concept, a way to live beyond your years to aid in the development of your daughter even after death. ( )

DNF I'm not going to finish this book because I'm annoyed by the description of the friend's dairy allergy which is dangerously inaccurate. I'm have a child with a life threatening dairy allergies so I want to clarify that lactose free does not mean dairy free. You would send my child to the hospital if you fed him lactose free food products. Also, picking cheese of pizza does not make pizza safe for a kid with dairy allergies to eat it. The oil from the cheese is still there and will cause an allergic reaction. Not only is it frustrating but it is scary to have people who know of my child's allergy say, "I made this. It's safe for your kid to eat." But on questioning, it isn't because they used lactose free ingredients or ingredients they didn't know had dairy products in them because they didn't read the labels.

If anyone is still reading my rant that isn't really a book review, one more random fact- margarine contains dairy. Don't assume otherwise unless is says dairy fee or you know how to read a label.

A good friend is one of the hardest things to keep in this life. Don't forget that sometimes you have to work at it.
--Chapter 19

Sometimes you are friends with someone just because you're used to it, and maybe you forget why it happened in the first place.
--Chapter 9

Trying to figure out why things change is probably even harder than trying to figure out how they started.
--Chapter 9

Elise is starting 6th grade. She is trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be. Both her parents are dead and she was raised by her Aunt & Uncle. When she turns 12, she finds a key to one of the 8 locked rooms above the barn. When she opens the first one, she realizes that her father left the key and the room for her. And, there are 7 more locked rooms, but where are the keys? This is a good time for Elise to find out more about her father. She is having difficulty with school, with bullying and with figuring out how to be a good friend.

This is a cute story and Elise is a nice girl, but she makes some not so nice decisions. Still, she is a likable character. There isn't much new or exciting in this story but it is a enjoyable read. Elise grows and learns a lot during the course of the story about who she is and who she wants to be.

Recommended to:
Young girls in grades 3-6 will enjoy this story. I think it will help them learn more about empathy and how to be a friend. ( )

A sweet story of a girl who gets to know the parents she lost through a series of locked doors they left behind. Elise is being raised by her aunt and uncle after her mother died in childbirth and her father died of cancer not much later. The book opens at the beginning of 6th grade, when Elise starts to question the aspects of her life that she thought were stable, including her friendship with Franklin. Her life goes off the rails for a while, thanks to a bully, and she finds herself struggling with schoolwork, friendships, and her relationship with her family. One-by-one, she begins to receive keys to the eight locked rooms in the barn, and each room gives her a glimpse into her parents. This is a gentle coming-of-age story, perfect for students in 4th and 5th grade. ( )