Customer Reviews

Tree Girl

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a heart-wrenching book (based on a true story) that not only shows us how strong young people can be, but also how the US involvement in other country's problems is not always what we think it is.

I found this book inspiring and educational. I loved the description of life as a young Mayan girl and her family. This book also demonstrates the strengths that good teachers give to their students, especially those teachers that listen to their students' ideas. The book also gives a personal peak into life in a refugee camp.

I spent 2 years in Guatemala in the Peace Corps just as the war was breaking out. I could easily picture every scene in this book. However, this book has some graphic violence that would not be suitable to young readers yet is educational to the rest of us.

OK, this is a really good book, very well written. However I would not recommend this for anyone under 15. They say ages 9-12. But I am sorry, this book deals with very serious issues that would really frighten children of that age. This book is very graphic and includes, torture, killing, and rape. These are things that are described in detail. I would not recommend this book to anyone under 15. Otherwise this is a very good book for older teens and adults.

This is a compelling story of a girl who loses most of her family to the brutality of soldiers. She then witnesses the murder of an entire Guatemalan village, and decides to make her way to a refugee camp in Mexico.

I always enjoy Ben Mikaelsen's work, but this story was especially captivating.

I read this book and im 13 and i don't think i should have read beacuse the book was very graphic about killing ect. i would not recommend this book to anyone under 13. besides that the storyline was ok. I would only read this book on a rainy day.

~*~shelby~*

This book brought my ninth grade classroom together in a way I never thought would happen. Discussing the massacres in Guatemala and all the historical actions and inactions that have led to genocide, my students made so many connections to their own lives and to injustice in the world now. The violence of the novel was difficult for them to read, but kept them emotionally tied to the plot. This book would tie into curriculm for English, social studies, or spanish classes.

I think that this is a good book for teenagers. It had a lot of good points. It shows a lot about real life. It tells a story about a little girl that has lost he family. and has to make it on her own.

I was horrified to discover that my 10 year old daughter had found this book in the juvenile section (under 12) of our public library. She was halfway through the book when I realized what it was about. I am upset with myself that I have not been more diligent to look at what she is reading. While well-written, honest, and thought-provoking this book has graphic scenes of rape and murder that even many adults would find troubling. There are also several references that the US Gov't had trained, armed, and basically knew but did nothing about these genocides and of American citizens one quote is "Most Americans don't know what their government does. Most don't want to know." I do believe that as citizens of a free & priviledged country we have a responsibility to find out about and try to right wrongs - however not all Americans are this callous. I could say more, but will leave it at that.

Teacher Review: (SEE STUDENT REVIEWS BELOW)
I was hesitant at first to read this book. Even though I am a teacher, I have a hard time getting into books and am very picky. I need books with high energy and details that paint a picture.

After reading this book, I was surprised I waited so long to begin it. Wow. From the moment the main character showcases her strength as a young girl, which doesn't happen as often as we would like, to the tenacity she showcases overcoming all her obstacles, I was hooked.

This story is a true account of a young girl's first person involvement in genocide. I couldn't imagine living through her experience to tell the tale. This book defines bravery in every choice made. The author was a very lucky author to come across a story such as told in Tree Girl.

Be prepared though, it is sad at the same time. The young girl witnesses events NO young person should ever experience. There is so much action in the book; the ending doesn't follow the same pattern. Like going on a roller coaster ride and being slightly relieved when the ride slows to a stop, this book comes to a calm ending, which disappointed some of my students. If using this with students, you must reiterate this is real life, told from the source, and if any other ending came of it, we might not be reading it. It isn't often in life people go through events like this and stand tall and shake it off as nothing happened. The book ends with a character having her head slightly above her, which is a great place to begin sorting through the events that happened.

Head any lower, we wouldn't have a story. Head any higher, it wouldn't be realistic!

Student Review 1 (Sadie)
This book was great. Ben Mikaelsen has truly a wonderful writer and I might just as well read some of his other novels. I to would not recommend this book to young teenagers under 15 do to the cruel and violet actions. Tree Girl was a very brave and strong girl who lived to tell her story. I couldn't imagine going through any of her experiences and was very surprised that Gabi's (Tree Girl) actions. Her knowledge helped her survive through this awful genocide in her hometown. Tree Girl's point of view was always different from everybody else's and she always took in consideration of her parents, teachers, and ancestors teachings. This emotional novel reminds you, in reality that anything can happen and sometimes its not always great.

Student Review 2 (Jena)
Before reading this book, it didn't really interest me, all because of the title "Tree Girl," but it also left me questioning it, what is a "Tree Girl?" After we started getting into it more and more, it left you at the end of the day speechless, wanting to read it some more. I definitely got into the book the more I read it each day, and I caught myself saying the over-used cliché "Never judge a book by it's cover." It is a little graphic, and I think only for kids who will take these kinds of events seriously, and maturely. The ending kind of disappointed me, but also brought me some happiness, it is a good book, even for those kids who say they don't like to read!

Student Review 3 (Shane)
Overall I thought this book was a well write story. It was well written and kept you on the end of your seat for the most part. This story was very gruesome and shouldn't be read by any child under the age of 14. She goes through pain and trouble that no human being should ever have to go through. But overall it was a great learning experience.

Student Review 4 (Sophia)
The book, Tree Girl, was very gory and overwhelming. The story of a girl who fights for her life within cross fire during war in Guatemala tells of climbing trees to keep alive. Her story of struggle and death around her intrigues the reader to keep going farther into the book. The paperback itself is very eye catching, but once you've read on, you will want to know what happens subsequently. I recommend this book to many people who: find true stories captivating, love happy endings, can't resist putting the book down when interesting, and someone who just needs a little enlightenment. I don't recommend it to anyone under the age of 13, because of all of the horrific scenes.

Tree Girl, written by Ben Mikaelsen, is truly an amazing book! I am 10 years old and I suggest you may want to be a liitle older because some things may not be appropriate for kids of that age, I am in an accelerated reading class and some people who have higher reading levels sometimes cannot find hard enough books to read which are appropriate for their age and this book is definitely a good book for those whose parents give them a little more leash. I think this book is written with great wording and detail. It is about a native american girl, gabriella, who is just trying to live a normal life while war is going on. The trees, which she climbs, are her sanctuary where she can just leave the world for a little bit and just think. Her mom tells her that when she climbs the trees, she is closer to heaven. Then things start going dreadfully wrong and soldiers come asking questions and everything is messed up. Eventually she learns that after her father and mami`die, she has to hoist all the responsibility on her shoulders, to take care of her younger siblings. this story is very emotionall- it made me cry- bust it is one of the best books I've ever read. I certainly recommend it. I will probably try 'touching spirit bear' next. Is that good? I am glad to be going to a young writer's conferance and seeing Mikaelsen in person! He is such a talented author!