"Sometimes Lena walked like somebody broken. When I found myself behind her in the crowded hallway, I wanted to punch her back straight, to yank her head up, to focus her eyes away from the floor. Other times she moved through the hallway like a steel wall, impenetrable and upright. Then I was a little bit afraid that she would turn around, see me behind her, and explode." In Chauncey, where issues of race and class mean everything, twelve-year-olds Marie and Lena seem an unlikely match in friendship. Marie, who is middle class and black, is at first irritated but eventually intrigued by the efforts of Lena, a new girl at her school who is poor and white, to be friends with her. The friendship that develops between them helps Marie deal with the hurt and confusion she feels over her mother's desertion, and gives Lena respite from life with an abusive father. Together, the two girls create a haven - for Lena, it is a place of safety and comfort, for Marie a place to build strength and find courage. For them both, it is also, quite simply, a place to be children a few moments longer. Honor Book, 1994 CCBC Coretta Scott King Award Discussion: Writing. (Ages 11-14)

In Chauncey, where issues of race and class mean everything, twelve-year-olds Marie and Lena seem an unlikely match in friendship. Marie, who is middle class and black, is at first irritated but eventually intrigued by Lena, a new girl at her school who is poor and white. Their growing friendship helps Marie deal with the hurt and confusion she feels over her mother's desertion and gives Lena respite from life with an abusive father. Together, the two girls create a havenâ€"for Lena, it is a place of safety and comfort, for Marie a place to build strength and find courage. For them both, it is also, quite simply, a place to be children a few moments longer.

Twelve-year-old Marie is a leader among the popular black girls in Chauncey, Ohio, a prosperous black suburb. She isn't looking for a friend when Lena Bright, a white girl, appears in school. Yet they are drawn to each other because both have lost their mothers. And they know how to keep a secret. For Lena has a secret that is terrifying, and she's desperate to protect herself and her younger sister from their father. Marie must decide whether she can help Lena by keeping her secret... or by telling it.