The Time Tree (Young Childrens Fiction) - Softcover

Enid Richemont

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0744514479 ISBN 13: 9780744514476

Publisher: Walker Books, 1990

Synopsis

Rachel and Joanna are in their last year at primary school. At their special place, a tree in the park, they come into contact with a mysterious young girl who was born over 400 years before. Her name is Anne and she is deaf. Through her struggles, the two modern-day girls make some discoveries.

About this title

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-- In this British time fantasy, ten-year-olds Rachel and Joanna encounter Anne, a deaf girl from Elizabethan times, in their secret tree house. The two best friends meet in a large tree in the park to play and gossip; Anne retreats to that same tree (a sapling in her time) to escape the taunts of those who call her insane or bewitched. When Rachel and Joanna realize Anne's disability (at first they think she is speaking a foreign language), the girls decide to teach her to write. The use of short episodes, smoothly shifting back and forth in time, keeps the story moving well and will hold readers' interests. The contrast between contemporary life and the Elizabethan era is brought out in both dialogue and description. Even though the story is clearly purposeful, its message is well integrated into the plot. With its simple language, this short, accessible fantasy is a good choice for reluctant readers, as well as for lovers of time-travel tales. --Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly

Set in present-day London, this quiet novel combines the themes of middle-school friendship, literacy and time travel. One day, while sitting in their favorite tree in the park, Joanna and Rachel encounter a strange girl named Anne. The two modern girls quickly realize that Anne is a traveler from the past and they understand that she is no village idiot, but a clever deaf girl. Persecuted by people in her time, Anne finds safe haven in the tree with Joanna and Rachel, who, in turn, teach their new companion to read. Once Anne has learned to communicate through writing, the cross-time link dissolves. Richemont's gently resonant tale has the ring of truth. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Walker Books
• Publication date: 1990
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0744514479
• ISBN 13: 9780744514476
• Binding: Paperback