Tree Girl - Hardcover

Barron, T. A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399234578 ISBN 13: 9780399234576

Publisher: Philomel Books, 2001

Synopsis

Rowanna's stern caretaker has warned her again and again not to go near the trees that surround their seaside cottage. But Rowanna is drawn to the forest-especially the High Willow on its faraway hill. Are the trees really forest ghouls, as Mellwyn says? Or could they possibly hold the secret to Rowanna's past and the mother she can hardly remember? If only she could get near the High Willow, Rowanna feels certain she would understand. . . .

With its timeless forest setting and charming, whimsical characters, Tree Girl is a perfect introduction to fantasy for young middle-grade readers.

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Review

Like a mythic, more mystical Island of the Blue Dolphins, Tree Girl tells the tale of a young girl's struggle to survive under challenging conditions--and to answer even harder questions about who she is and where she came from.

Tightlipped Master Mellwyn won't say precisely who Anna's parents were, or how he came to care for her, but he emphatically warns Anna not to look for answers in the dark groves that border their lonely beachside hovel. (The forest ghouls within will "claw ye to bleedin' shreds, they will. Or crush ye, bones and all, with their graspin' feet!") But when the master leaves to fish everyday, Anna's growing curiosity can't be quelled. Especially when the distant High Willow seems to call to her, promising to reveal the mystery behind her missing mother.

Fans of T.A. Barron's other magical fables (such as the excellent Lost Years of Merlin series) will quickly get caught up in Anna's story, as she flirts with new discoveries, makes new friends, and learns the forest's most important lesson--that whatever we look for, be it good or bad, we'll inevitably find. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes

About the Author

T.A. Barron is the award-winning author of fantasy novels such as The Lost Years of Merlin epic—soon to be a major motion picture. He serves on a variety of environmental and educational boards including The Nature Conservancy and The Land and Water Fund of the Rockies, and is the founder of a national award for heroic children. Following a life-changing decision to leave a successful business career to write full-time in 1990, Barron has written seventeen books, but is happiest when on the mountain trails with his wife, Currie, and their five children.

About this edition

• Publisher: Philomel Books
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0399234578
• ISBN 13: 9780399234576
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144