Working together with Franklin and Caroline, Elise begins opening each room to discover important things about herself, her life, and her father’s hopes for her life. Each key will unlock a door on the off-limits second floor of the barn above Uncle Hugh’s workshop. As it turns out, Elise will be given eight keys over the next few months.
In the letter, however, Elise’s father explains that she will soon come into possession of a key to another surprise. Elise is devastated to learn her twelfth birthday letter will be her last letter. He encourages her to keep up with her homework, for example.Įach year at her birthday, Elise receives a letter from her dead father, having been written when he was dying of cancer nine years before. Uncle Hugh reminds Elise that as she gets older, with each year her responsibilities will be increasing. Elise’s twelfth birthday then rolls around. Caroline explains that she doesn’t know why Amanda is being so mean, because she never was that way before. At school, Elise begins to befriend a girl named Caroline, who turns out to be the longtime best friend of Amanda. At first, Elise is very hesitant to say anything, because she is embarrassed and doesn’t think her family will understand. Things are only complicated when Aunt Annie and her baby, Ava, move into Uncle Hugh and Aunt Bessie’s house.Įlise’s Uncle Hugh and Aunt Bessie worry about Elise, because they know something is wrong. In particular, Elise struggles to keep up with her homework and falls far behind. Elise also struggles with school itself, for middle-school kids have greater responsibilities than elementary school kids. She slowly begins to put distance between herself and Franklin, telling him things like they are too old to play pretend anymore. Franklin doesn’t care that Amanda - or anyone else - makes fun of him, but for Elise, this is troubling and painful. Amanda makes fun of Elise for her legs and for playing pretend with Franklin. When school begins, Elise is immediately targeted by her lockermate, Amanda, who is pretty, dresses stylishly, and is also very mean. She worries how she will look and how she will fit in at school the next day as a result. While playing Knights, Elise falls and cuts up her legs. She and her best friend, Franklin, spend hours playing in the fields and woods of their farms. Elise is eleven and just finishing up summer vacation. When the novel begins, Elise lives with her Aunt Bessie and her Uncle Hugh, because her own parents have long been dead.
“Eight Keys” is a children’s novel by Suzanne LaFleur that follows the struggles of Elise Bertrand as she begins sixth grade, deals with a bully named Amanda, and does her best to make new friends while keeping old friends.
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