A Green Velvet Secret - by Vicki Grant

Book Synopsis

Letters from beyond the grave and a green velvet dress reveal a secret about Yardley's beloved grandmother; for fans of The Parker Inheritance and The List of Things That Will Not Change and ages 10 and up.

It's always hard to lose a friend, but for Yardley O'Hanlon it's devastating. Her best friend is her wild and wonderful grandmother Gidge. They're two fashionable peas in a quirky little pod. They spend all their time together sewing and crafting and creating beautiful things -- until Gidge dies, and Yardley loses her for good.

Or does she?

Yardley isn't convinced. Gidge was a big believer in reincarnation. She promised she'd never leave Yardley, and Gidge always kept her promises. So when a stylish older woman walks into the Over Easy Vintage Emporium where Yardley is helping out, Yardley is sure it's her grandmother, back from the dead. But her happiness doesn't last long, as the woman runs away in terror and no one else believes she was Gidge reincarnated. It's only with the help of a beautiful green velvet dress, a series of letters from "the other side" and an irritating twelve-year-old buttinsky named Harris that Yardley discovers there's more to the mystery woman -- and Gidge -- than she ever imagined.

Review Quotes

A Quill & Quire Favourite Young Readers Title of 2023

PRAISE FOR A Green Velvet Secret:

"Quirky, fully fleshed characters and a tender third-person narration accompany themes of grieving, making amends, and living a full life in this winning novel." --Publishers Weekly

"There's heart and hope in this slightly zany book that sensitively deals with death and grief. . . . This unusual, heartfelt novel illustrates the grieving process in all its messy and emotional stages." --Kirkus Reviews

"A Green Velvet Secret introduces the subject of assisted death while helping young readers learn something about "the wondrous adventure called life." Told with sensitivity and humour, this is one of those rare books that can make you laugh and cry at the same time." --Ildiko Sumegi, Quill & Quire

"Vicki Grant's A Green Velvet Secret is rife with quirky characters navigating pre-adolescence, friendship, family, and grief the best they can. The chaos of their attempts is not only entertaining but an affirmation that it is okay to grieve in your own messy way." --Young Adulting

About the Author

VICKI GRANT is the author of seventeen books, including 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You (which has been sold in twenty-two territories and translated into seventeen languages), The Puppet Wrangler, Quid Pro Quo, Dead-End Job and Not Suitable for Family Viewing. Her books have consistently garnered her recognition from the American Library Association, the Canadian Library Association and the Canadian Children's Book Centre. Quid Pro Quo was shortlisted for an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America and was included as a "best book" by the New York Public Library, Bank Street College, and The Canadian Children's Book Centre, and won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile Crime fiction in Canada.