Shakespeare’s secret by Elisa Broach is a nominee for the 2007-2008 William Allen White award.

Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader Hero becomes interested in exploring this unusual connection because of a valuable diamond supposedly hidden in her new house, an intriguing neighbor, and the unexpected attention of the most popular boy in school.

Shakespeare’s Secret is a fun book that keeps you guessing until the very end.  I really enjoyed the suspenseful search for the diamond and the historical mystery that unfolds as Hero finds more clues.  But this book is more than a detective story.  Hero’s relationship with her family, her growing friendship with a reclusive neighbor, and her interactions with hottest guy in school all make this mystery even more intriguing.

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