The Healing Spell

by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Book Overview

Critically acclaimed author Kimberley Griffiths Little brings to life a sweeping and heartfelt story set against the lush backdrop of the bayou. Twelve-year-old Livie is living with a secret and it's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0545165601
• ISBN13: 9780545165600
• Release Date: September 2011
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
• Length: 354 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.2" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Filled with mystery and old Southern charm, this book has serious heart. In THE HEALING SPELL, Livie is trying to cope with her mother's current state. She is in a coma. Also, she has a secret so big it threatens to consume her if anyone were to find out. Livie would do anything to get her mother back, which leads her to seek the help of a voodoo healer. And it is this healer who sends her on a journey she will never forget. As mystical and breathtaking as the bayou itself, Kimberley Griffiths Little's story about the unspoken love between a mother and her daughter is sure to move you. With characters full of personality and life, you will easily find yourself falling in love with this struggling family. This really is a perfect read. Reviewed by: Monica Sheffo

Bayous, Alligators, and Secrets

This book weaves a complex story of family and secrets set against a fascinating, true-to-life setting along the bayous of Louisiana. The heartfelt emotions of 11 year old Livie ring true and her flaws render her as an interesting, unique character who thinks she doesn't fit in very well. The ending isn't spelled out, but holds enough clues to let the reader know what happens--at least in her own mind. This book is for middle grade readers, but I found I couldn't put it down. It's a good story with a turn at the end that stays with you a long time.

Better Than I Expected

This was a really good pre teen novel. I don't see it being the next Old Yeller or Black Beauty being passed generation to generation but I enjoyed it and I think young adults will enjoy it also as well as learn a few things from it. Livie is eleven and her summer vacation is going to be spent taking care of her mother who is in a coma from an accident that Livie had some vague involvement in. Livie is carrying around a burden of guilt and hopes to redeem herself by using a healing spell to make her mother wake up. Meanwhile, she is suffering feelings of "in between sydrome." Being a middle child, Livie doesn't always feel like she is a part of her own family. She is also a tom boy and feels stuck in between the worlds of green hair ribbons and catching frogs. Livie also feels in between the worlds of childhood and adulthood. She no longer sits at the kiddie table, but is she ready to take on the responsibility of caring for a bedridden mother? A very good read but the time frame was very vague. The family lives in a bayou and the children boat to school, the older sister is getting married at 17, kindergarten is not required, and an uncle is traumatized from the war but there is no mention of which war. I found it hard to believe people may be living like this in 2010 and I came to the conclusion the setting may be the 1960s... Who knows? A good read about guilt and forgiveness. Children that read this will twice before sticking their tongues out at their mothers and declaring, "I hate you!" Will Livie's mom wake up? If she does, will she forgive Livie? An even bigger question is will Livie forgive herself?

A Healing Experience

Livie has a frightening secret; her mother is in a coma and she's responsible for it. She's terrified her mother might die, and even more terrified her family will hate her if they find out her secret. She already feels so alone that losing their love would be unbearable. Burdened with the truth, Livie tries to come to terms with her guilt, but guilt isn't the only weight on her eleven-year-old shoulders. She's trying to find her own place in the world. Unfortunately, her world is changing and she's not sure which way to turn. Her older sister is supposed to be getting married and leaving, her little sister cries at everything, and her father quit his job to care for his wife. Circumstances are forcing Livie to adapt, and she isn't very good at it. After deciding her best hope at redemption is to heal her mother, Livie visits Miz Allemond, a traiteur, and gets a healing spell. The spell isn't full of magic words and instant results. Instead, it forces Livie to take a closer look at the world and people around her, including herself. I loved THE HEALING SPELL! Though not my usual fare of fantasy or paranormal, this book captured me from the start. It was easy for me to feel connected with Livie as she struggled to find her place in her family and the world around her. Livie reminded me what it was like to be eleven; that in-between age where you're no longer a child, but not a teen either. Her loneliness and longing reached through the pages of the book and grabbed the lonely, longing child within me. With a firm hold on my inner child, Livie took me on an adventure of self-discovery. I shed more tears while reading this book than I have in a long time and felt better for the catharsis. Through Livie, I rediscovered my eleven-year-old self and gained a stronger understanding of the woman I am today. THE HEALING SPELL is more than a book; it's a salve for the soul, a balm for the burdened, and an enjoyable read for everyone. THE HEALING SPELL does more than heal the characters, it heals the reader!

A very moving and profound book

The Healing Spell by Kimberly Griffiths Little is a surprisingly wonderful book. Although written for the middle graders, all the adults that I know who have read it have found it moving, engaging, and deeply satisfying. I started it on one day and couldn't put it down until I finished it late into the night. The story grabs you and pulls you along. Livie lives in the bayous of Louisiana with her family. Her mother has been injured and is in a coma. Her father brings her home to hopefully recover, although the hospital doesn't give her much chance. Eleven year old Livie is a middle child who doesn't feel like she fits in her family and is carrying a terrible secret about her mother's injury and feels she must do something to help her recover from her "sleeping sickness." It is a story told through Livie's eyes and mind. It is about a family's healing, loving and reaching out to each other. The characters are fully drawn and realistic and the settings are lush. Every character is one you can understand and sympathize with, no stock bad guys or wicked stepsisters here. The book deals with universal truths and feelings and draws you in beautifully. The author shows great skill in the storytelling, revealing the plot in natural and intriguing ways. Brief descriptions are woven naturally into the story vividly enough you can visualize everything and the narrative never lags. You will cry at the end of the book but not out of sadness but because you have been touched so deeply and profoundly. It may even help you heal and understand yourself. It is a book about family, faith, healing, and reconciliation. There is a healing spell in it, but it is really about the magic in love and faith and commitment. Youths will identify with it but even more so do adults. It would also make a good read aloud book for the family. I couldn't recommend it more highly.