Quicksand Pond

By Janet Taylor Lisle

A hidden pond, a new friendship, and a decades-old tragedy challenge beliefs and trust.

3.6/5 Goodreads · 354 ratings

272 pages· 55,445 words· Est. 6 hour read

$7.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Twelve-year-old Jessie Kettel's summer at Quicksand Pond takes an unexpected turn when she befriends Terri Carr, a local girl with a troubled past. As they explore the mysterious pond, Jessie uncovers secrets of a long-ago tragedy that still haunts the town. With each revelation, Jessie must confront her own judgments and the true nature of her friendship with Terri. Can they navigate the shadows of the past, or will the pond's dark history pull them under?

From the publisher

Newbery Honor winner Janet Taylor Lisle’s novel about a pivotal summer in two girls’ lives explores the convictions we form, the judgments we make, and the values we hold.The pond is called Quicksand Pond.It’s a shadowy, hidden place, full of chirping, shrieking, croaking life. It’s where, legend has it, people disappear. It’s where scrappy Terri Carr lives with her no-good family. And it’s where twelve-year-old Jessie Kettel is reluctantly spending her summer vacation.Jessie meets Terri on a raft out in the water, and the two become fast friends. On Quicksand Pond, Jessie and Terri can be lost to the outside world—lost until they want to be found. But a tragedy that occurred many decades ago has had lingering effects on this sleepy town, and especially on Terri Carr. And the more Jessie learns, the more she begins to question her new friendship—and herself.

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