Secret Behind Locked Doors — Connie Griffith

Meet Tootie! She's a lively thirteen-year-old with loads of energy, imagination, and enthusiasm. Often she's headstrong and takes matters into her own hands. The story of Tootie and her family is set in the 1920s.

Secret Behind Locked Doors
Dr. Dunn, the smooth-talking director of a nearby asylum for mentally ill children, persuades the McCarthys that Buddy, their son who has Down syndrome, will receive excellent care in that facility.

Not only is Tootie heartbroken because Buddy is left there, but she and her friend Joey also see some suspicious things happening behind locked doors and windows. So, of course, they go back at night, climb over the fence, and promptly get themselves in trouble for their determination to rescue Buddy.