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3rd out of 100 books
—
36 voters
The Healing Spell
by
Kimberley Griffiths Little (Goodreads Author)
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 crushing her. She knows she is responsible for her mother's coma, but she can't tell anyone. It's up to her to find a way to wake her momma up.
Stuck in the middle of three sist...more
Twelve-year-old Livie is living with a secret and it's crushing her. She knows she is responsible for her mother's coma, but she can't tell anyone. It's up to her to find a way to wake her momma up.
Stuck in the middle of three sist...more
Hardcover, 368 pages
Published
July 1st 2010
by Scholastic Press
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A really great book is a one that makes you feel more complete for having read it. I only finished reading The Healing Spell last night and yet I already feel like it has changed my life for the better. As I was finishing the book I cried for Livie, then I cried with Livie, then I found myself crying for myself and my own faults and the things in my own life that need healing. I felt uplifted to know, that like Livie, I am still loved by those I hurt and that through faith and love I can overcom...more
This book was recommended by a good friend so when I finally got it after searching for it in all the bookshops around, I couldn't wait to start reading. It didn't disappoint. It was truly spellbinding.
Livie reminded me so much of myself when I was her age - my fears, my anxiety, my closeness to my father and differences that I had with my mother and that I had to work on...and still working on even now that I am an adult. It also reminded me of the time when my mother was taken to the hospital...more
Livie reminded me so much of myself when I was her age - my fears, my anxiety, my closeness to my father and differences that I had with my mother and that I had to work on...and still working on even now that I am an adult. It also reminded me of the time when my mother was taken to the hospital...more
This is one of those close-to-my-heart stories that I just never gave up on, although I wondered at times if I should just stick it in a drawer already. I guess I'm more stubborn than I realized because I worked on it for nearly 7 years and got lots of rejections (although lots of *very close* rejections) before finally snagging my #1 choice agent and then watching with utter shock as she sold it within weeks - in a 3 book deal to Scholastic! So I'll take a purple star sticker for every dozen re...more
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I have to admit, I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did. I stupidly thought it would just be a sweet middle grade book that I whipped through and would say, “Aw, that was nice.” I can be a dork like that. But honest to freaking greatness, I bawled at the end of this. I was so absorbed, and when that climactic moment came, I was sitting on the edge of my seat, reading as fast as I could—and yeah, I gasped and felt a tug in my chest. So, not your average middle grade book. And there we...more
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...more
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...more
The summer is off to a horrible start for eleven-year-old Livie Mouton. Her mother is in a coma after an accident on the bayou near their home. Only Livie knows what really happened - it was all her fault and she can't tell anyone or they'll hate her more than they do already. Livie goes down to the traiteur, a Cajun healer who lives all by herself in the middle of the bayou, to get a healing spell for her mother. But only after Livie has forgiven herself will the spell begin to work.
Kimberley...more
Kimberley...more
Reviewed by Monica Sheffo for TeensReadToo.com
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...more
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...more
Genre: Relitsic Fiction
Pages: 368
Auther: Kimberley Griffths Little
Date Started: November 29
This book is about a young girl whos mom has been in a coma for a long time. The young girl thinks that its her fault her mom is a coma. Each night she cries her self to sleep because she thinks she has done one awful thing to her mother. As the girl is walking around the river she saw a sigh that read "The Healing Spell This Way" she went that way and found an old run down house. She decided to come back...more
Pages: 368
Auther: Kimberley Griffths Little
Date Started: November 29
This book is about a young girl whos mom has been in a coma for a long time. The young girl thinks that its her fault her mom is a coma. Each night she cries her self to sleep because she thinks she has done one awful thing to her mother. As the girl is walking around the river she saw a sigh that read "The Healing Spell This Way" she went that way and found an old run down house. She decided to come back...more
Livie’s mama lies in a coma inside their little home near a Louisiana bayou. While Livie’s daddy and her sisters can help care for her mama, she can’t bring herself to touch her. And Livie holds a powerful secret inside herself about the day of her mama’s accident. When Livie starts a quest to find a way to heal her mama, she finds that she must first heal herself.
The Healing Spell by Kimberley Griffiths Little is a story of love and forgiveness and the complicated relationships mothers can have...more
The Healing Spell by Kimberley Griffiths Little is a story of love and forgiveness and the complicated relationships mothers can have...more
***I read an Advance Reader Copy****
The book begins with Livie's Pa bringing her mother home from the hospital- in a coma.
While Livie's sisters care for her Mother and the home, Livie is busy catching frogs at night with her Pa, poling around the bayou in her pirogue, and risking the wrath of her Aunt to do anything but touch her Mother.
Livie's got a secret, and the weight of that secret, as well as her complicated feelings based on her being a tomboy and not understanding her "girlie" mother or...more
The book begins with Livie's Pa bringing her mother home from the hospital- in a coma.
While Livie's sisters care for her Mother and the home, Livie is busy catching frogs at night with her Pa, poling around the bayou in her pirogue, and risking the wrath of her Aunt to do anything but touch her Mother.
Livie's got a secret, and the weight of that secret, as well as her complicated feelings based on her being a tomboy and not understanding her "girlie" mother or...more
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 s...more
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 s...more
Eleven year old Olivia or “Livie” has a secret that’s greater than the whole bayou in which she lives. Her mother’s in a coma and only Livie knows the real reason why. But she can’t tell anybody, so she waits for the secret to swallow her whole. Maybe she’s better off that way anyhow, as she tries to find her place as one of three girls. Not young and girly, like the oldest, Faye, and not small and cute, like the youngest, Aimee (or Crickett, as she’s better known). Livie would rather go froggin...more
Each of us carries secrets, sometimes those secrets become burdens so large it feels as if the world may come crashing down on top of us. For Livie her biggest secret revolves around her mother, not only that but the circumstances surrounding her mother's coma. With a house full of people to constantly pester her and watch her every move Livie's only escape is the bayou and a wonderful little pet alligator. In her desperation she seeks outside help in the restoration of her mother, but at what c...more
This is a beautifully spun tale of healing and forgiveness. Was that healing facilitated by magic or a miracle, faith or a spell? Or was it simply that a wise teacher used a simple, mysterious string as an object to set a girl on a journey of self discovery?
Having been raised in similar southern backwaters, with rural healers in my own family, this story takes me back to the simplicity and faith of my childhood. Why an herb worked better to heal someone when placed on a silver dime first, who kn...more
Having been raised in similar southern backwaters, with rural healers in my own family, this story takes me back to the simplicity and faith of my childhood. Why an herb worked better to heal someone when placed on a silver dime first, who kn...more
Recommended Age:
9+
Overall Review:
It took me a few chapters to really get into The Healing Spell, but once I did, it wove its magic around me! This book unfolds like a sweet, rich Louisiana afternoon. I was impressed by the wealth of pitch-perfect detail about life on the Bayou and Cajun culture; Kimberley Griffiths Little's world seemed so real that sometimes it was hard to remember that I was reading a book on my couch in Utah and not poling along the bayou with Livie. I was pleasantly surpris...more
9+
Overall Review:
It took me a few chapters to really get into The Healing Spell, but once I did, it wove its magic around me! This book unfolds like a sweet, rich Louisiana afternoon. I was impressed by the wealth of pitch-perfect detail about life on the Bayou and Cajun culture; Kimberley Griffiths Little's world seemed so real that sometimes it was hard to remember that I was reading a book on my couch in Utah and not poling along the bayou with Livie. I was pleasantly surpris...more
REVIEW
The Healing Spell takes the reader on an emotional journey. Livie’s struggle to save her mamma is inspiring and full of hope. A tomboy to-the-extreme, Livie captured my heart as she desperately searched for and used The Healing Spell.
Little’s descriptions of the Louisiana bayou are realistic and vibrant. Even the book’s cover depicts the green and swampy setting where people get around in boats. Only in this setting would a pet alligator feel at home.
Grab a box of tissues before you start...more
The Healing Spell takes the reader on an emotional journey. Livie’s struggle to save her mamma is inspiring and full of hope. A tomboy to-the-extreme, Livie captured my heart as she desperately searched for and used The Healing Spell.
Little’s descriptions of the Louisiana bayou are realistic and vibrant. Even the book’s cover depicts the green and swampy setting where people get around in boats. Only in this setting would a pet alligator feel at home.
Grab a box of tissues before you start...more
This is an incredible book! Though listed as a YA book, it is appealing and satisfying for any age, even me, a grandmother. Though the book is about an 11 year old girl, the emotions that she is dealing with ring true and speak to any age.
One of the best things about the book is what it does not contain. There is no stock or stereotypical characters, no wicked stepsister types or absent or clueless adults which are so common in adolescent books. As a matter of fact there is no bad person, every...more
One of the best things about the book is what it does not contain. There is no stock or stereotypical characters, no wicked stepsister types or absent or clueless adults which are so common in adolescent books. As a matter of fact there is no bad person, every...more
It is early summer in the bayou, Livie's mother is in a coma. She has a gash across her forehead and is completely unconscious. Livie is wracked with guilt, certain that she is the cause of the coma. Mamma is home, the family is caring for her, but Livie cannot bring herself to tend her mother. She is tortured, prickly and at odds with everyone.
In desperation Livie poles up the river to the perilous Mirage Allemond's house for a healing spell. She goes alone into the traiteur's house and convers...more
In desperation Livie poles up the river to the perilous Mirage Allemond's house for a healing spell. She goes alone into the traiteur's house and convers...more
This is one of those books when I found myself thinking, WoW as I read though it.
I'd heard great things about this novel, but I was hesitant to read it because when I was 14 years old, my mother fell down the stairs and landed in a coma for weeks. I knew this book would drudge up memories. And it did. Near the end of the book, something happens that I'd forgotten about, and I burst into tears.
But beyond my own personal experiences, this book is brilliant. The characters and their complex relatio...more
I'd heard great things about this novel, but I was hesitant to read it because when I was 14 years old, my mother fell down the stairs and landed in a coma for weeks. I knew this book would drudge up memories. And it did. Near the end of the book, something happens that I'd forgotten about, and I burst into tears.
But beyond my own personal experiences, this book is brilliant. The characters and their complex relatio...more
Why I read this: I felt drawn to this book for a reason. It may have been the description or the interesting setting of the book that made me want to read it and I'm definitely glad I did.
Plot: This story centers around Livie - an 11 year old girl who carries a terrible secret inside of her after her mother has an accident and goes into a coma. She believes herself at fault and searches for a way to ease her guilt and to make things right by her mother, hoping to wake her up. But it's so much mo...more
Plot: This story centers around Livie - an 11 year old girl who carries a terrible secret inside of her after her mother has an accident and goes into a coma. She believes herself at fault and searches for a way to ease her guilt and to make things right by her mother, hoping to wake her up. But it's so much mo...more
The books premise intrigued me. I enjoyed the ambiance of this novel. The Louisiana bayou conjures up images of gaters, snakes, and danger, yet Livie and her family live in harmony with their environment. The setting and the little clips of a different lifestyle were charming.
By the end of the first chapter, I knew that tumultuous times were ahead and I wanted to watch it unfold. Livie added to her preteen angst with a secret known only to her about her mother's accident. I felt Livie’s anxietie...more
By the end of the first chapter, I knew that tumultuous times were ahead and I wanted to watch it unfold. Livie added to her preteen angst with a secret known only to her about her mother's accident. I felt Livie’s anxietie...more
I have wanted to read this since I first saw the cover. Usually that is not what draws me in. However, when I learned it was set in the bayous of Louisiana, that was another reason to read it. I have a wonderful friend from Louisiana that I will be lending this book to.
Livie's mother has been brought home from the hospital in a comotose state. The family is going to care for her. Livie can't seem to go near her mom. She hides a secret about her mom's accident and feels so guilty that it is eatin...more
Livie's mother has been brought home from the hospital in a comotose state. The family is going to care for her. Livie can't seem to go near her mom. She hides a secret about her mom's accident and feels so guilty that it is eatin...more
This is a powerfully written novel that traces the coming of age of 11-year-old Livvie who lives with her family in a Louisiana bayou. The middle and more difficult sister in the family, Livvie has stronger connections to her father than to her mother, which has caused friction in the past. Now, though, Livvy's mother has been brought home from a hospital while still in a coma, and Livvy cannot bring herself to touch her mother. She's carrying a lot of secrets, and decides to seek out the help o...more
I finished The Healing Spell by Kimberly Griffiths Little and I thought it was really good. It is about this girl named Livie and her mom is in a coma. So she goes to a traitor and finds out how to make a healing spell for her mom. She has to tie 7 things on a string that remind her of her mother. After that she has to make 6 prayers. Then she has to remember 8 good memories about her mom. So her and her sister's have to help taking care of her mom. Livie can't even barely touch her mom because...more
I truly enjoyed this book and would buy the hard cover to add to my library. A story of hope, love and family.
Ms. Little is a master of descriptions in world setting and characters. I loved all the people in the book, even the bratty cousin and the baby alligator. Strange, I know but that is how well the author placed me in her story. And I felt like I had visited the bayou though I've never been.
My favorite part was the healing spell and what Livie was willing to do to heal her mamma. I found m...more
Ms. Little is a master of descriptions in world setting and characters. I loved all the people in the book, even the bratty cousin and the baby alligator. Strange, I know but that is how well the author placed me in her story. And I felt like I had visited the bayou though I've never been.
My favorite part was the healing spell and what Livie was willing to do to heal her mamma. I found m...more
I read The Healing Spell in one sitting.
Kimberley Little hones in on exactly how it feels to be twelve with the weight of an emotional burden too big to bear. The lush yet sometimes menacing Louisiana bayou provides the perfect backdrop for Livie to come to terms with the frustrations of being a middle child who doesn’t fit in, and overcome the tormented certainty of knowing that she is the one responsible for tearing her family apart.
With “faith and love entwined” evident throughout, The Healin...more
Kimberley Little hones in on exactly how it feels to be twelve with the weight of an emotional burden too big to bear. The lush yet sometimes menacing Louisiana bayou provides the perfect backdrop for Livie to come to terms with the frustrations of being a middle child who doesn’t fit in, and overcome the tormented certainty of knowing that she is the one responsible for tearing her family apart.
With “faith and love entwined” evident throughout, The Healin...more
A beautiful powerful story of love, forgiveness, healing, faith and miracles. I cried throughout the book and fell a better person for reading it, the story stays with you, even after it has ended.
"I didn't want nobody to know the truth about Mamma's accident, my daddy most of all"
"I knew deep down down in the blackest part of my heart that I'd caused Mamma's sleeping sickness."
"Be a peacemaker =, not a rabble-rouser."
"I figured my own mother should love me......but most days I wasn't sure she e...more
"I didn't want nobody to know the truth about Mamma's accident, my daddy most of all"
"I knew deep down down in the blackest part of my heart that I'd caused Mamma's sleeping sickness."
"Be a peacemaker =, not a rabble-rouser."
"I figured my own mother should love me......but most days I wasn't sure she e...more
The first word that came to my mind to describe this was "rich." The book was rich in emotion, rich in culture and setting, and rich in characters. Watching the family pull together and break apart through Livie's eyes took me through a myriad of emotions. The characters are so deftly drawn that they became real to me, heightening that emotional connection.
The landscape of the book-- the Lousiana bayou-- is delicious. I'm a sucker for stories with a strong, unique setting, and this one was perfe...more
The landscape of the book-- the Lousiana bayou-- is delicious. I'm a sucker for stories with a strong, unique setting, and this one was perfe...more
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We picked this book up at the Scholastic Book Fair and my 8 year old daughter read it in a matter of a few days. She loved it, but some of the things she'd say about the story made me wish I'd read it first. It seemed like heavy stuff for an 8 year old, so I quickly got my hands on it to check for anything I should have been concerned about. I read it in about two days. It was very very good. Well written and captivating. It is a heavy subject and there is a lot of emotion in the book, but its s...more
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I'm represented by Adams Literary Agency and thrilled to be publishing four novels with Scholastic Press. THE HEALING SPELL is now out in paperback with a *perfect* new cover. It won the Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel of 2010 and is a Bank Street College Best Book of 2011.
CIRCLE OF SECRETS launched October 1, 2011 with a *starred* review in School Library Journal. WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME rel...more
More about Kimberley Griffiths Little...
CIRCLE OF SECRETS launched October 1, 2011 with a *starred* review in School Library Journal. WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME rel...more
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“Sometimes you just gotta let some tears out or you'll burst. -Miz Allemond”
—
8 people liked it
“Forgiveness was sweeter than I'd ever imagined. Hope was turning into faith. In fact, they were so close they could almost be the very same thing. Or they could be, if I let the tiny seed keep growing inside me. I realized that faith could fix a broken heart. Faith was the glue that held it together. That was part of the miracle.”
—
3 people liked it
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