Closed Doors
*Starred Review* Feisty, young Michael Murray likes to eavesdrop through doors. When his mother arrives home with bruises on her face, he is confused and frightened by what he hears.  Soon after, Michael is shunned by certain schoolmates, and his father becomes a pariah in their small community. But why?  Over the course of several months, Michael manages to piece together the events of that fateful night and learns the secret that is tearing his family apart. Set in the early 1980s on a picturesque island off the coast of Scotland, the novel is told in first person from Michael’s perspective.  O’Donnell wonderfully captures the voice of a precocious (and quite likable) 11-year-old as he grapples with issues and emotions he may not fully understand. The novel asks (and possibly answers) two important questions—to what extent should children be protected from the truth, and does silence do more harm than good? While it deals with disturbing subject matter, this is an engaging page-turner that effectively explores the trials and tribulations of childhood with warmth and humor. --Kerri Price