Stella and The Secret

Marie Oskarsson, Madeleine Bernadotte , illustrated by Stina Lövkvist

Her Royal Highness Princess Madeleine of Sweden makes her debut as children’s books author, as part of her involvement with the World Childhood Foundation.

To stand up for yourself or for someone else isn’t always easy. How do you find the courage to speak up if something doesn’t feel right? When 9-year-old Stella and her dad move to Sweden, everything feels new and strange: the language, the school …

It takes some time to get used to everything and even more time to pluck up the courage to get new friends. Especially when Stella’s mom is still living in the US.

One day Stella’s new friend Elena tells her about a terrible secret. Stella promises not to tell a soul! But Elena’s secret is heavy and aching inside Stella. What should she do? How do you help a friend in need?

Stella and the Secret is an everyday story to read together and also a book tackling important issues. At the end of the book there is advice on how to talk about questions related to integrity, trust and self-confidence. There’s also a separate teacher’s manual for those who want to delve further into these delicate issues.