Forest [Library Binding]

Janet Taylor Lisle (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

The town of Forest is really two towns. Lower Forest is home to Amber, her family, and neighbors; in Upper Forest, Woodbine and his fellow squirrels reign. For years, the two sides have tolerated each other-until the day Amber climbs a tree and Woodbine sees her. Soon Upper Forest has declared war on Lower, and the only two who know are Amber and Woodbine.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the tradition of E. B. White and George Selden, the author of Afternoon of the Elves and The Lampfish of Twill spins a fanciful animal yarn that conveys universal aspects of human nature while tracing how misguided fears lead to war. The residents of Upper and Lower Forest have led parallel, relatively peaceful lives until a 12-year-old human, Amber Padgett, unknowingly trespasses on squirrel territory when building a hide-out in a tree. As the "mink-tails" congregate to discuss the threat of invasion, Amber's father launches an untimely "search-and-destroy" mission against the squirrels. Caught in the middle of this territorial battle are Amber, her younger brother Wendell (both of whose sympathies lie with the squirrels) and two young mink-tails they have befriended. Lisle's mink-tails are as well developed as her human characters; the common frailties, vulnerabilities and strengths of the two dissimilar societies are effectively conveyed. This expertly crafted promotion of open-mindedness and tolerance is sure to hold its audience's attention. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-Furious with her father, Amber Padgett, 12, climbs a giant white oak to think about things and sees a squirrel in what the creature would call the "Upper Forest." Woodbine is intelligent, but sadly, is as vulnerable to the same fears and power-seeking types as the humans in Lower Forest. Bellicose Barker leads most of his fellow mink-tailed squirrels into a war by showing that people are too dangerous to be ignored. Amber's father, an impossibly stupid man, does everything he can to show that Barker is right. People line up to shoot squirrels and squirrels rise in giant numbers to attack them. Only Amber, her younger brother, and a dreamy, curious squirrel named Woodbine, plus his sister and best friend, are clearheaded enough to seek a new understanding. This is an unusual, witty, and thought-provoking satire, with children proving far more intelligent than most adults-a little like all of those students now being raised in ecologically oriented classrooms who must face adult compromise and backsliding-but with one unusual scientist who's willing to listen. The clear-eyed Amber, though a wee bit too adolescent and sure of herself, and her intuitive brother provide a dauntless pair of heroes well matched by Woodbine. Quick repartee, genuinely interesting details about an unknown species, and clear and infuriating guidelines to letting fear lead us into battle add up to a great read-aloud and discussion starter.
Sara Miller, Rye County Day School, NY
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 150 pages
• Publisher: Rebound by Sagebrush (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613359453
• ISBN-13: 978-0613359450
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,999,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Squirrels VS Humans, February 27, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Forest (Paperback)

Forest
by Janet Taylor Lisle

Forest is about a town that consists of Upper Forest and Lower Forest. Upper Forest is home to lots of mink tail squirrels, but Lower Forest is home to humans. The story is about one mink tail that thinks war is the answer to a situation where the dad of a family goes to bring down the very large squirrel population. This squirrel is obviously wrong. A few squirrels and the children of the dad have to stop this other squirrel and most of the squirrel population.

I found this book very good, although it took a while for me to get into it. One thing that I really enjoyed about the book was that even though the squirrels could speak their own language neither the humans nor the squirrels could understand each other. So, the two groups had to find another way to resolve their issues with each other. I would recommend this book to people who like weird things. If you like page-turners, this is another great reason to read Forest.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forest, February 16, 2006

By 

Anna M. Ligtenberg "AnnaLovesBooks" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Forest (Paperback)

ISBN 0590486802 - Way better than I expected! Chapters alternate viewpoints, sometimes told from the view of Lower Forest, sometimes Upper Forest. This adds a unique chance to look at certain moments from both sides, especially since neither side can actually understand the other's language.

Amber Padgett lives in a small town named Forest with her mother, her father and her brother Wendell. She's become horrified with the way people behave - killings, wars, etc. She's run away before; not far and not for long, just away. But this time, when she's missing, her father over-reacts and assumes she's been kidnapped by someone. Obviously someone NOT from Forest, because the world is a terrible place and Forest is not. She's actually just climbed a tree. At the top, she finds another world and she is curious about it.

This world is Upper Forest, and the residents are mink-tailed squirrels. Except for Woodbine, who is equally curious about Amber, they are not happy to see this "alien" in their trees and Barker, like Mr. Padgett, over-reacts, convincing the squirrels to declare war on Lower Forest. Meanwhile, on the ground, Mr. Padgett convinces the people to declare war on Upper Forest. Amber and Wendell set out to put a stop to things before they get any further out of hand.

There are moments, as one reviewer pointed out, that the story is a bit dark. They pass quickly and serve a purpose. Mr. Padgett does nearly shoot his daughter and I think this is a large part of the point of the book. Amber almost becomes collateral damages in her father's irrational squabble with some squirrels! There's so much more to this book than you would think and it's more than worth your time.

- AnnaLovesBooks

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Animal Adventure Story, December 19, 2001

By 

One Of Us (Olympia, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forest (Paperback)

I read this book in fourth grade, four years ago, and thuroughly enjoyed it. I found it an interesting story, and more complex and enjoyable than most books that elementary students are able to read. I apreciated being able to see more than one side of the story, and the fact that the characters and their lives were not displayed as perfect. I would reccomend this book to anyone able to appreciate the lighthearted and the more suspenceful or more sad moments. Overall I enjoyed the balance of the story, and that fact that it was about animal and human interaction, but I'm not sure if the younger readers, say before second or third grade, would be able to completely grasp all of the concepts.