Secretos Spanish Level 4 Reader

Alexis has a secret about her—er, himself. Well, it’s not really a secret—at least not outwardly—but it hasn’t been expressed aloud to anyone else, except the therapist. He hasn’t told anyone yet, but plans on telling Sofía first, mostly because she lives thousands of miles away in Buenos Aires. Alexis and Sofía have been pen pals since the 6th grade, and since they have never actually met IRL (in real life), Alexis feels more comfortable telling her first.

Sofía, too, has just learned of a secret that her parents have been keeping from her, one that upends her life and changes the way she thinks about everything. In a letter that Sofía inadvertently finds in her father’s desk drawer, she learns that her abuelos—her mother’s parents—are not only not her real grandparents, but who they are and, more importantly, who they were, are in direct conflict with who Sofía is and what she believes.

While Alexis struggles with identity, so too does Sofía. In this story, two virtual friends work together to solve their own mysteries, one intensely personal and the other about how she now relates to her own family as the secrets of the past—the family’s and the country’s—become even more real.

Level 4
Total Words: 11,669
Tense(s): multiple
Glossary: yes

©2019. Spanish. Level 4. High school. 5 x 8 inches. Softcover, 90 pages.

About the Author

Jennifer Degenhardt taught middle and high school Spanish for 24 years. She decided to combine her language skills with storytelling, specifically involving kids and culture. Her books highlight cultural, social, economic, and political themes necessary for continued conversation, both inside and outside the classroom. She hopes her stories will provide a platform for discussion, as anything can be solved—to some degree—with a conversation.