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

From Publishers Weekly
Barron's (The Lost Years of Merlin) unevenly paced fantasy centers on nine-year-old Anna, who lives with a crotchety old man in a cottage near the forest. In answer to her repeated inquiries about her past, her guardian, Master Mellwyn, tells her only that he found her as an infant nestled in the roots of a willow tree. He forbids her to go into the woods, warning that evil "ghouls" live there. At the same time, she is repeatedly drawn to the sight of the High Willow, which towers over the other forest trees: "Something about this tree spoke to her aye, called to her." The chapter that chronicles the heroine's softening toward her master and her immediate about-face moves too swiftly for readers to find her abrupt changes of heart credible. The upshot is that Anna befriends a forbidden bear who suddenly transforms into a boy and announces that he is a "tree spirit." As the two bond, readers will likely piece together the lass's identity, rendering anticlimactic the moment when she discovers who her mother is. The story's confusing internal logic (Why does Anna bear a striking resemblance to the Master's late daughter, for instance?) and predictable denouement diminish its effect. Ages 8-12. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Gr 4-7-Barron is a wonderful storyteller, a maker of myths and fables who creates magical places where characters learn wisdom and power. Here, nine-year-old Rowanna is determined to discover her past and find her mother. She lives in a lonely cottage by the sea with a fisherman, old Mellwyn, who rescued her as a baby from beneath the High Willow tree in a forest that is haunted by tree ghouls. In time, Anna befriends a bear/boy who is a tree spirit. When the protection Mellwyn offers begins to feel like a restraint, the girl makes her way to the High Willow with her friend on High Hallow Eve. On that day, spirits emerge from the trees and dance through the night. Anna learns that there are no tree ghouls, and that she, too, is a tree spirit, the daughter of the High Willow. The message is clear: if we are fearful, we will see frightening things around us, while if we are positive in our outlook, we will be open to the world around us. As in the author's previous novels, magic and the supernatural are used to reveal the interconnectedness of all living things and to convey a deep respect for nature. Stylistically rich and lyrical, this novel weaves themes of self-discovery, family, loyalty, and friendship into an imaginative tale.Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, MECopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-8. Nine-year-old Rowanna lives in a cottage by the sea with Master Melwyn, an old fisherman who has raised her from infancy and warned her repeatedly to watch out for the vicious, bloodthirsty ghouls in the forest. Lured by High Willow, the great tree at the top of the forest, and a playful bear cub who befriends the lonely child, she begins to venture into the forbidden forest. There, Rowanna learns to look beyond her preconceptions and understand the magical reality of the forest and the secret of her parentage. Though the character of the old fisherman seems stereotypical, Barron portrays the shape-shifting bear with subtlety and originality. The age of the protagonist and the simplicity of the telling suggest a middle-grade audience, but this short fantasy may ultimately have more appeal to teens, who will respond to its underlying themes of self reliance, rebellion, and the search for self-knowledge. For larger collections. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
A nine-year-old girl searching for her roots must face a forest filled with tree ghouls-and her own deepest fears.

Card catalog description
Nine-year-old Rowanna is drawn to the forest and a huge tree, despite the warnings of the old man with whom she has always lived at the edge of the sea--especially after she befriends a bear who is much more than he seems.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

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.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Barron's (The Lost Years of Merlin) unevenly paced fantasy centers on nine-year-old Anna, who lives with a crotchety old man in a cottage near the forest. In answer to her repeated inquiries about her past, her guardian, Master Mellwyn, tells her only that he found her as an infant nestled in the roots of a willow tree. He forbids her to go into the woods, warning that evil "ghouls" live there. At the same time, she is repeatedly drawn to the sight of the High Willow, which towers over the other forest trees: "Something about this tree spoke to her aye, called to her." The chapter that chronicles the heroine's softening toward her master and her immediate about-face moves too swiftly for readers to find her abrupt changes of heart credible. The upshot is that Anna befriends a forbidden bear who suddenly transforms into a boy and announces that he is a "tree spirit." As the two bond, readers will likely piece together the lass's identity, rendering anticlimactic the moment when she discovers who her mother is. The story's confusing internal logic (Why does Anna bear a striking resemblance to the Master's late daughter, for instance?) and predictable denouement diminish its effect. Ages 8-12. (Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

A lonely child looks for a mother. Starved for affection, she struggles through nearly insurmountable odds, making up a life, talking to animals, trees and birds. The premise is a familiar one, and requires from the author a new viewpoint, new struggles and a new "something" to keep readers from skipping 50 pages and missing nothing, or simply closing the book without finishing. Barron has found that "something." The brave, resourceful character, Rowanna, called Anna, has been raised by the old man she calls "Master," and she knows no other parent. He says he found her at the foot of an enormous willow tree deep in the forest, and that her mother was killed moments before by the ghouls that haunt the woods. That is why he confines her to the cottage; although there are trees and hills right outside, she is forbidden to visit them. She makes a tree-friend, "Burl," and imagines his branches hug her, tease her, smack her. She rescues a tiny bird and calls him "Eagle." She wanders farther into the woods every day, looking for the willow that sheltered her. She makes another friend—a bear cub. When the bear communicates that his name is Sash, he seems to become a sandy-haired boy, who says he is neither bear nor boy, but a tree spirit, a drumalo. He can take her on the two-day journey to the High Willow, when the Master is on a fishing trip or if he'll be gone on All Hallows Day, then that's when they'll go. Anna can hardly wait to find out what happened to her mother. In the woods, she feels free for the first time and decides to climb to the Willow on her own. Anna suddenly realizes that is a drumalo too, which is not very surprising to the reader. But the Master has followed her, andas she curls up at the Willow's roots he grabs for her. She must fight the Master now if she really wants to be with the tree, and when he is injured she must decide whether to save his life even though he has threatened hers. A discussion of this story could involve deciding what it means to be human. Fun to read and not frightening at all. 2001, Philomel, $14.99. Ages 10 to 15. Reviewer: Judy Silverman

VOYA

As long as Anna can remember, she has lived in a small cabin near the edge of a forest with a grumpy old fisherman named Master Mellwyn. Curiosity about her roots draws her into the forbidden forest where she meets Sash, a bear cub that guides her to the mysterious truth about her past. This fantasy is recommended for young readers who appreciate descriptive language and a meandering story line. VOYA CODES: 3Q 3P M (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8). 2001, Philomel, 128p, $14.99. Ages 11 to 14. Reviewer: Tasha Bobrovitz, Teen Reviewer

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-Barron is a wonderful storyteller, a maker of myths and fables who creates magical places where characters learn wisdom and power. Here, nine-year-old Rowanna is determined to discover her past and find her mother. She lives in a lonely cottage by the sea with a fisherman, old Mellwyn, who rescued her as a baby from beneath the High Willow tree in a forest that is haunted by tree ghouls. In time, Anna befriends a bear/boy who is a tree spirit. When the protection Mellwyn offers begins to feel like a restraint, the girl makes her way to the High Willow with her friend on High Hallow Eve. On that day, spirits emerge from the trees and dance through the night. Anna learns that there are no tree ghouls, and that she, too, is a tree spirit, the daughter of the High Willow. The message is clear: if we are fearful, we will see frightening things around us, while if we are positive in our outlook, we will be open to the world around us. As in the author's previous novels, magic and the supernatural are used to reveal the interconnectedness of all living things and to convey a deep respect for nature. Stylistically rich and lyrical, this novel weaves themes of self-discovery, family, loyalty, and friendship into an imaginative tale.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews