Girlwood [Hardcover]

Claire Dean (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 19, 2008

Polly Greene has always been considered strange, a girl who can see a person’s true colors, a thirteen-year-old more comfortable foraging in the woods with her eccentric grandmother than hanging out with friends. But all that is about to change when Polly’s older sister, Bree, vanishes into the woods. The only one who believes Bree can survive, Polly begins to leave food in the woods for her sister and finds a hidden grove she names Girlwood, where she believes Bree is burning a fire each night. Along with an odd but endearing group of friends, Polly clings to the hope that she can see her sister through the harsh, snowy winter. And, in the process, she discovers the cruelty, bounty, and magic of the woods. Will Polly save her sister? And even if she does, will Girlwood survive?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6–8—Twelve-year-old Polly is beset by trouble in her rural Idaho home. Her parents have divorced, and her punk and probably pregnant older sister, Bree, has run away. Her former friend's father is bulldozing the majestic larch trees of the old forest to "make the woods more accessible" to rich dwellers in a new gated community. But, Polly can see auras; understands the herbal teachings of her New Age grandmother, Baba; and uses her talents as best she can to forestall the inevitable destruction. Believing Bree is hiding in the forest, she leaves offerings throughout the winter. Herbal teachings—some dangerous, with warnings for would-be experimenters—begin each chapter. But Baba uses herbal teas to drug Polly's overwrought mother several times, and with few exceptions, adults behave abominably and stupidly. The natural details may ring true but the stereotypical narrow-mindedness of the rural community is unchallenged and the New Agey tone will put off many readers.—Susan Hepler, formerly at Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Dean’s intriguing first novel twines together a mystery about a girl’s runaway sibling with an Idaho community’s conservation debate. When news arrives that plans for a subdivision threaten a beloved patch of wilderness, the grief 12-year-old Polly feels amplifies her anxiety for her troubled, missing sister, who Polly believes has taken shelter in a grove within the threatened wilderness. Too many subplots crowd Dean’s storytelling, with the illness of Polly’s herbalist grandmother adding unnecessary weight, and the unsatisfactorily (though not unhappily) resolved mystery strand doesn’t entirely work. It’s Dean’s celebration of the earthy, living magic that exists “everywhere, in everything, all the time” that will lure YAs, who may be especially fascinated by the deepened experience of the world Polly gleans from her ability to glimpse others’ auras. Dean even includes training instructions for readers hoping to see auras, too. Offer this to readers drawn by Wiccan spiritualities—never mentioned here by name, but which seem to inform Dean’s richly green-tinted storytelling, rooted in the connections between wild places and womanly strength. Grades 6-9. --Jennifer Mattson

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; None edition (May 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618883908
• ISBN-13: 978-0618883905
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #839,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, March 30, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Girlwood (Hardcover)

One night, Polly is awakened from a sound sleep to find her older sister, Bree, kissing her. As Bree's blood red aura trails behind her like the tattered wings of a ruined fairy, she tells Polly that she's leaving for the woods, so that she can try to be alright again. Half asleep, and not sure if she's really seeing her emaciated, drugged out sister or an actual fairy, Polly lets her go, with no argument over how much Bree has destroyed since she started using drugs.

No one believes her when she tells them Bree has run to the woods, so it's up to Polly to provide everything her sister will need. Winter is almost there, and a developer is coming soon to trade out the trees for a housing development. Following the guidance of her grandmother, Baba, Polly knows that she could rely on herself to survive alone in the forest, and, with her help, so can Bree.

Luckily, Polly finds that she doesn't have to be alone. Others may not be able to see the colorful bands of light around each other that display exactly who they are inside, but they will believe her. Under the protection of the hidden grove that Baba has shown her, Polly and her friends will learn that, with a little magic and a little faith, anything is possible.

Beautifully written and with vibrant imagery, this book will strike a chord with anyone who has found magic and solace in their own secluded spot of wilderness. The explanations that head each chapter of the different wildflowers and their medicinal uses are also fascinating, as is the descriptions of various auras and what they mean. The back cover states that the author wrote this as a gift for her daughter, and she will be writing one for her son next. I'll be looking forward to reading that.

Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Endorsed by Jane Goodall, April 9, 2008

By 

David Schnavid (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Girlwood (Hardcover)

I came across this endorsement of Girlwood by Jane Goodall. I've been an admirer of Goodall's environmental work for many years. After reading the quote below, I had to buy a copy of Girlwood. It's an enchanting and magical book that teaches reverence of our sacred earth, as well as empowerment of the individual. I'll be giving my copy to my 13-year-old niece, who I'm sure will love it.

"This is exactly the kind of book I would have loved as a teenager. It emphasizes the healing power of animals and nature which has helped so many young people cope with their problems all over the world. It will help young readers to understand that it is okay to be different. And that every individual can play a role in making this a better world."

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE
Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute
UN Messenger of Peace

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A magical coming of age must read for moms and daughters!, April 9, 2008

By 

Shawna (Boise, Idaho) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Girlwood (Hardcover)

I couldn't put Girlwood down. I am sharing it with my daughter who is almost thirteen. Because Girlwood touches on many issues that mothers and daughters face such as the push and pull of letting go and coming back together, mistakes, peer pressure, love, insecurity, accomlishment, finding oneself, coming of age..., it is the perfect book to read together to open the many conversations that begin during this volatile and beautiful time of our lives. It is real, and it is fanciful. It is empowering and it is beautiful!