The Wizard in the Tree [Paperback]

Lloyd Alexander (Author), Laszlo Kubinyi (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

Mallory notices there's something funny about an old oak tree, takes a closer look, and before she knows it, she's broken a magical spell. Arbican the wizard has been trapped in the oak for thousands of years, and his powers are gone. Will he get them back in time to save Mallory's village from greedy Squire Scrupner? Deft storytelling.[Full of] quotable bits of wisdom about the real nature of magic. --Booklist, starred review

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014038801X
• ISBN-13: 978-0140388015
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,077,882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Few writers have inspired as much affection and interest among readers young and old as Lloyd Alexander. At one point, however, it seemed unlikely that he would ever be a writer at all. His parents could not afford to send him to college. And so when a Philadelphia bank had an opening for a messenger boy, he went to work there. Finally, having saved some money, he quit and went to a local college. Dissatisfied with not having learned enough to be a writer he left at the end of one term. Adventure, he decided was the best way. The United States had already entered World War II. Convinced that here was a chance for real deeds of derring-do, he joined the army -- and was promptly shipped to Texas where he became, in disheartening succession an artilleryman, a cymbal player in the band, an organist in the post chapel, and a first-aid man. At last, he was assigned to a military intelligence center in Maryland. There he trained as a member of a combat team to be parachuted into France to work with the Resistance. "This, to my intense relief, did not happen," says Alexander. Instead, Alexander and his group sailed to Wales to finish their training. This ancient, rough-hewn country, with its castles, mountains, and its own beautiful language made a tremendous impression on him. But not until years later did he realize he had been given a glimpse of another enchanted kingdom. Alexander was sent to Alsace-Lorraine, the Rhineland, and southern Germany. When the war ended, he was assigned to a counterintelligence unit in Paris. Later he was discharged to attend the University of Paris. While a student he met a beautiful Parisian girl, Janine, and they soon married. Life abroad was fascinating, but eventually Alexander longed for home. The young couple went back to Drexel Hill, near Philadelphia, where Alexander wrote novel after novel which publishers unhesitatingly turned down. To earn his living, he worked as a cartoonist, advertising writer, layout artist, and associate editor for a small magazine. It took seven years of constant rejection before his first novel was at last published. During the next ten years, he wrote for adults. And then he began writing for young people.Doing historical research for Time Cat he discovered material on Welsh mythology. The result was The Book of Three and the other chronicles of Prydain, the imaginary kingdom being something like the enchanted land of Wales. In The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen Alexander explored yet another fantastic world. Evoking an atmosphere of ancient China, this unique multi-layered novel was critically acclaimed as one of his finest works. Trina Schart Hyman illustrated The Fortune-tellers as a Cameroonian folktale sparkling with vibrant images, keen insight and delicious wit. Most of the books have been written in the form of fantasy. But fantasy, Alexander believes, is merely one of many ways to express attitudes and feelings about real people, real human relationships and problems

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I liked the many twist and turns of the various plots and ad, December 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wizard in the Tree (Paperback)

In this fantasy tale the main character Mallory notices something strange about an old felled oak tree and discovers a tattered old wizared trapped in the oak for thousands of years. The wizard realizes that he has lost his magical powers and enlists Mallory to help him get back to his home where the magic folk live. Together they discover that the village villainous Squire plots to own the entire village and by working with each other they manage to save the village from the greedy Squire. This story has many plots with lots of twist and turns that keeps the reader laughing at their many adventures. It's a great book for the young adult.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Lacking the magic, August 24, 2001

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wizard in the Tree (Paperback)

I never thought I'd give two stars to a Lloyd Alexander story, but sadly this story is far below his usual fare. After reading the similar "Cat Who Wished To Be A Man" I expected excellence from this book. I was somewhat disappointed.

Mallory is a young girl who loves stories about magic and wizards and so forth; she also lives in a village ruled over by the repulsive Squire Scrupner, who is milking the people for money while masking it under faux benevolence. But when she notices an oddity about an old oak, she finds a real live -- and very cranky -- wizard inside!

Arbican was a powerful wizard who broke a certain law, and ended up sealed inside the tree. Thus, he hasn't been able to follow his fellow wizards across the sea, and his magic has gradually seeped away. Mallory agrees to keep Arbican a secret from her shrewish inkeeper and her spineless husband, and especially from Squire Scrupner.

But soon Arbican is revealed to the Squire--who uses him as a scapegoat for the death of the old squire. Mallory and Arbican end up in a perilous situation, with the squire determined to commit murder again.

It took me a while to understand why I disliked this book. Finally I figured out why: the story just lacks what we expect from Lloyd Alexander. With the greedy squire/mayor sapping money from the townsfolk, and the intervention of a magical being, it is similar in some respects to "Cat", but lacks what made that other book so appealing.

It lacks the supporting characters that Alexander does so well, and thus we get a rather stifling view of this invented land. His trademark humor and wit are rather underdone, as the only person with wit is Arbican and his seems to be a rather malicious one. Also, most of the characters other than Mallory are completely unsympathetic: The squire is detestable, so is the fawning woman that Mallory lives with, her husband is a first-order wimp, the farmer is a thief and child-abuser, his son is about the same, Arbican never apologizes for his snappishness or really does much at all, and only really shows much graciousness at the end.

The story gets two stars for being written in Lloyd Alexander's excellent style, and also for featuring the nice, fantasy-fed heroine Mallory.

Unfortunately Mallory cannot save this tale. I can only speculate that Alexander was experiencing a rather dreary view of humanity while writing this story, and scoot on to something else.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best!, February 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wizard in the Tree (Paperback)

Finally a book that tells how magic really works! Mr. Alexander is well-spoken in magic and in this book he reveals that having magic powers isn't all it is cracked up to be. The author makes a few wise insights in this book. With a good lesson and an even better ending this book tells it how it is about the world of magic.