The trees have spirits.
Every now and again, my daughter hands me a book that she says I absolutely MUST read. Tree Girl by T. A. Barron (author of The Lost Years of Merlin series) was one of these must read books.
A chapter book for girls, ages 9-12, Tree Girl throws us into the strange and magical life of a young girl named Anna. Anna lives by the sea in a cottage with an old and cranky fisherman. All Anna knows of her past is that the fisherman had rescued her from some great evil in the forest. Knowing that she should stay out of the forest, Anna feels drawn to an ancient willow tree that she spots in the distance.
Each day is like the last. Anna wakes up in the morning to make a humble breakfast for the fisherman, does her chores, and then spends the rest of her time playing with her only friend, a large tree named Old Master Burl. Each morning, after breakfast, the fisherman leaves and goes fishing out at sea.
Strange things start to happen while the old fisherman is away. Anna’s shoes get moved closer to the tree line. Her basket gets moved and turned over. One day her hat gets blown into the trees.
Slowly, Anna begins to explore the outer rim of trees and discovers a new friend, a bear cub. Together, Anna and the bear cub play day after day until one day the bear transforms into a young boy, Sash.
Anna is still frightened of the ghouls of the forest that the fisherman told her about but, with the help of her new friend, Anna finds out about her past and who she really is.
Tree Girl is a hauntingly beautiful story that will stay with you long after you’ve put it down. This is an excellent book to use for book reports as well as a great gift to young tree lovers.
