Everything you need to understand or teach Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi.
The power of secrets is a prevalent theme in Stones from the River. Trudi is a secret stealer—she barters for and uncovers people's secrets, which she then weaves into stories and spreads around the town. Some secrets are good secrets, like the identity of the "Unknown Benefactor"; even Trudi does not know who he is. Some secrets are known to all but not spoken about out of respect for the family...