Secrets of the Shopping Mall

Reach for this book when your middle-schooler feels like an outsider or is struggling to find a place where they truly belong. It is a perfect choice for children who daydream about escaping the pressures of school and social hierarchies to create their own secret world. The story follows Barney and Teresa, two eighth grade loners who run away from school bullies and decide to live secretly in a massive department store. While the premise sounds like a whimsical fantasy, Richard Peck uses it as a sharp satire of consumerism and social cliques. As the protagonists discover they are not the only ones hiding in the mall, they must navigate a strange, underground society with its own rigid rules. This book offers a safe space to discuss the desire for independence and the complexities of group dynamics, all within a fast-paced and humorous adventure suitable for ages 10 to 14.