Benjamin McTish and the Door Through the Grandfather Tree

Benjamin McTish #1

by June M. Pace Schneider

One day Benjamin watches from behind the Rhododendron as a mysterious little woman steps out of a taxi in front of the cream colored house with the forest green trim next door, and in one synchronistic moment their eyes lock and a series of visual snippets of unfamiliar events unfold in his mind’s vision. His razor sharp sixth sense allows him the freedom to explore the extrasensory messages coming at him like a derailed freight train.
And when Benjamin finds a peculiar relic of a key in his grandmother’s garden shed, he could never know his world was about to change forever.

There is local legend in the small town of Grandlochcheshire that has been passed down for a 100 years about the mysterious disappearance of the Chickering family, that trails on the coat tails of the equally shocking abduction of the children belonging to the owner of the Skeffington Union Rails. The circumstances that follow this notorious tale enter into the modern world of Benjamin and his two best mates.

Annabel and Mathilda, two sisters who have moved to Grandlochcheshire from America, have become more than mere friends to Benjamin, they have all become the three Muskydeers (Mathilda’s mispronounced version of Musketeers, which was a huge laugh and of course it stuck), as they are plunged head first into this curious journey.

In the Gilley Forest they discover that the path they have chosen is inundated with many obstacles as well as intrigue. Alliances are made with the Forest clan of Gnomes and with the aid of the Vila sisters, the three friends take on the test that is the Grandfather Tree. They must stay on the pre ordained Path of Prophecy, whose ancestry comes from the home of the oldest living beings on the planet, the Elves of the Darmon. However, this is no easy task for the Muskydeers as they have the foulest of sorcery hunting their every move, the powerful dark beauty, Tar Vigorn…who will stop at nothing to gain entrance into the Great Tree.

Through the Door and beneath the enchanted Gilley Forest lies the ever magical land of Coranim...a place of insight, thought and possibilities, with wondrous sites and magic galore. Once in Coranim the children make the acquaintance of the greatest Medicine Elder alive, Esmerelda Fet. A most powerful Light Sorceress with a brazen in your face attitude, and a thick Irish brogue, who guides the trio on their Path of destiny.

However, dear reader, a path can change in the blink of an eye.

Genres: Fantasy

388 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2013

About the author

June lives with her husband, and best friend, Ray..along with their myriad of critters in Santa Cruz Ca. Their three adult children (plus mates and grand babies) live respectively in LA and Atlanta.

After the pandemic three years ago, the decision to leave their immense 7 acre Oak filled 'forever' home; with June's massive tomato garden and beloved orchard, chickens, ducks and a myriad of hydrangeas, roses and landscapes was forced upon them, and so they started a new life in a little cottage in the Santa Cruz mountains.
She and Ray are still bringing the run down property and home into full lush whimsy (which is their nature). A new tomato garden is in the works, along with a tiny orchard. And the special addition of a yoga studio with a huge hundred year old French warehouse window that looks out into the majestic Redwoods that surrounds them on the crest of the mountain.

She is well known for her black and white contemporary paintings of Rock Legends. Her days used to be spent between the farm and writing...her biggest passions. However, life took a left, and now after many years she is back to her writing desk, finishing the final book in the McTish series.

This series of work, the McTish characters, are a part of June in every sense of the word. "This work brings a deep sense of joy for me in a very profound way, like nothing else that I do."

Reviews

[Epic YA Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read the entire Harry Potter Series (more than once), and I have to say that Benjamin McTish and the Door Through the Grandfather Tree is every bit as much of an adventurous read!

Like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, Benjamin McTish is a story about the power of friendship. And also like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, there's a world to be saved. June M. Pace does a fantastic job of building that world fresh and new with mystical creatures, wondrous magic, valiant heroes and evil villains galore, and it all begins with a key . . .

I loved the characters in this book, especially Benjamin McTish and Annabel and Mathilda Wickcliff - How cool are those names!?!

Benjamin McTish and the Door Through the Grandfather Tree is a great story for kids of all ages, and I'm going to give the book an Epic 5 Star Review!

[June Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, this series, is written for YA's, for pre-teens who want a fun fantasy adventure. Loads of adults who enjoy this genre' are reading this book and the reviews have been tremendous…more than I could hope for. Every now and then someone is not going to appreciate this work, that's what happens…it's okay…if I have 18 people who loved it and 1 who hated it and maybe a couple who thought meh…well, I'll take those numbers.

This first book introduces the characters and sets up the fantasy world and gets us into the magic. The little American girls speak like American girls speak these days, and the Magical Kingdom has their own language, as it should. This is an extremely visual book…you can watch it unfold in your mind without effort…I'm an artist, I write what I see.

This is big fun and well rounded characters...and the series just gets better...which is reflected in the reviews as well. Have fun!



August 2024....read even better than when first written...so happy it's still holds up...will finish the last book very soon...

August 2025...looks like this is a habit of mine...a really surprising one I have to say. Because once again, it read so well for me (minus the glaring misspells and grammatical issues, geez), however, I intend to finish the fourth book and life simply has taken way too much of my personal time away these past years, and I need to read the series to carry me into the flow of the final book (which has been started and the ending is clear in my mind, just need more of the in between bits and tying up some loose ends. I don't mean to sound full of myself, but this is a really fun read! I'm a wordsmith and it shows, in my humble opinion.

[Kj Partridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a terrific romp through a wonderland of imagination. A story no one could dislike, as it paints a picture that the mind’s eye cannot help but see as we read along. I cannot wait for my grandson to get older so I can read it to him a chapter at a time to teach him a love of awesome books. And Benjamin McTish and the Door through the Grandfather Tree is one of the most wondrous I have read in a while.
I recommend this book highly, I think that it can be read by a 10 year old easily, and as an adult I really enjoyed it. Benjamin, Annabelle and Mathilda are brought to vivid life as well as the many characters in the book are by the author June M. Pace. She makes a world that is so rich, you can smell the flowers, touch the trees, and feel the wind blow. I am a huge fan if you can’t tell, this book should be read and read again just for the sheer enjoyment. I give this book 5 stars.

[Cindy Esperanca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story immediately caught and kept my attention. This is a story of courage, friendship, and a quest to save the world from destruction by evil forces. It takes you to a fairy - tale world where things are familiar, yet this is a new world all it's own with enough differences to keep you guessing.

It is about three friends, unlikely heroes, who must use their unique talents to solve some old mysteries and save the Earth from destruction. With help from the elves, gnomes, and other magical beings who inhabit this alternate world, they must travel through the enchanted Gilly Forest secretly to reach the hidden city of Coranim where they will learn and fulfill their destinies.

The end leaves me anxiously awaiting the next book!

[Rickie Hinrichs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was one of the best I've read in a while. Elves Brownies a whisperer gomes and all the sights and sounds of the underworld. Who would of thought it could only happen in jolly ole England. And a little magic to boot. It just came to life for me.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's true, this book is extremely magical. It starts out a bit slow, going through the life of Benjamin McTish and then jumping back 100 years in time to a family that lived in his English town a century before... and disappeared. The time jump confused me a little. But it works out well in the end. Though I think it also would have worked if it started out 100 years in the past and moved to the present so as not to jump back and forth.

The plot mostly covers Benjamin, Annabel, and Mathilda's journey to Coranim, starting in Grandlochcheshire. It takes lots of brains and logic and some magic to figure everything out and get to outwit the evil Queen Tar Vigorn and get to Coranim.

Tar Vigorn is a scary, evil, powerful villain. In The Door Through the Grandfather Tree, she doesn't seem to show her true motives aside from being power-hungry. Maybe those are her motives for being evil. I'll have to wait until the second book to find out. But it is shown that she does care for the forest. Which is something that you wouldn't necessarily expect from an evil, power-hungry villain. And it gives her character depth. This makes me believe that she has other reasons for being what she is, and all will be revealed eventually.

Dunston is an amusing character that serves as a sort of narrator. He's truly met in the story far near the end. But his voice is throughout the book. And his affinity for going on tangents made me laugh a lot. I liked most of the characters. Mathilda was probably my least favorite.

Since this book seems to be compared to Harry Potter a lot, here is one comparison. Imagine Colin Creevey being one of Harry's close friends, having a larger part in those books. And yet, he still is the same Colin Creevey doing pretty much all the same things he does already. Sure he does a few things that are pretty cool, but for the most part, he's just an annoying side character that becomes beloved because he's not overused. But imagine him being much more involved, and yet not any more important than he already is. That is how I feel about Mathilda. She is kind of annoying with her bursting out shouting things, impatience, etc. And she does do things for the story. But a lot of those could be done by someone else. It didn't have do be done by Mathilda. I feel like she was supposed to be funny and silly. But she just annoyed me.

The Door Through the Grandfather Tree ends on a really intriguing cliffhanger. And I'm excited to read the second book in the series.

What did I think overall?
I really liked it. It's been said before, but I think if you liked the Harry Potter series, you'll probably like Benjamin McTish. I would definitely recommend it for fans of Ya fantasy.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and that in no way changes my opinion of this book!

[Chris Meads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. And I think most kids would too.

It's about 3 children, Benjamin, who has special powers to see things, Annabel, who is really smart, and Mathilda, Annabel's younger sister finding the Grandfather tree of Coranim (actually underneath the tree).

It starts out with the two girls moving in next door to Benjamin (he lives with his grandparents and his parents has been gone for over 3 years). He spots the nanny the girls have, and she gives him strange looks. His mind becomes full of bits and pieces of events he doesn't know anything about. His favorite place is the shed where his grandmother stores things. There he finds an old key. The two girls become friends with Benjamin and they call themselves the Three Muskydeers (Mathilda's words. Between them, they have the key and old maps that Annabel finds.

They find themselves in the Gilley Forest and meet the Set (forest clan of gnomes) and with the aid of Sethina and Morel, two sisters of the Vila, they go to the Grandfather tree. The three children take on the test to open the door of the tree. The biggest obstacle they have is the dark and
powerful beauty, Tar Vigorn.

Tar Vigorn and her army of blunts try to find a way into the tree and will stop at nothing to get there.

Meantime, the children go down in the tree and meet Esmerelda Fet, a great medicind elder. She guides the children on their path and tells them " Thar be nothin ya can’t accomplish. Ya just need ta be placin all yer carage inta tha middle of yer core whar yer Spirit shines...an ya can do anythin!"


They meet Dunston at the World Library of Identity and he shows them the books of their lives. Dunston tells Benjamin "according to what I see here now, this very minute, whatever it is that you are seeking will show itself today and change your Path immediately. It will put you into a whole new dynamic as they say."

Benjamin and the girls head out and see the floral shop. Benjamin goes inside and sees something that might just change his life.

Follow the three kids into Coranim and find out as they delve into the mystic land.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always wary when a book is compared to greats like Harry Potter, but this one did remind me of it in some ways. Benjamin is a nice, everyday (well, pretty much) boy living in England. Like Harry, he does have an unexplainable 'power', a type of heightened perception. Anyway, he's very curious about the new American neighbors and especially, their nanny.

I found the opening very sweet and enjoyed the small sprinkles of American vs. British (multi-cultural!) Benjamin and his two friends are enjoyable characters with just the right amount of humor. They definitely grow on you through the story until you don't want to let them go at the end. Although they tend to solve their problems easily in the beginning, they're struggling and growing with their experiences by the last chapters.

I have to admit, I was surprised that this is marked as a YA. Not only do the character ages put in more at an upper middle grade level, but the humor, reactions and story itself seem to fit this lower age group better. The writing, however, was a bit too complex for middle grade. The first few chapters had a little more background information than necessary, but still, the adventure started right up.

In general, I enjoyed this. The story is fun, the world realistic, and there were tons of spots where I caught myself smiling or wrinkling my brow with concern for Benjamin (yes, this can happen). I can definitely recommend this - especially for reading rats.

[Ruth Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I began reading this book, I knew instantly that this was my daughter's kind of book. So even though this book was not my typical genre, I read the book with my 11-year-old, fantasy-loving daughter in mind. I hope one day to encourage her to read it because there it doubtless would fascinate her.

The first one hundred pages of the story were probably my favorite (not that the rest was bad--it was just more fantasy-oriented). I was intrigued with the Benjamin and his two friends. Their adventures were quite involving and exciting, and my daughter would probably be glued to the action. And the conclusion will leave you wanting more--there is a sequel, after all. Sometimes the action and characters were a bit confusing, but my daughter probably would not have had that problem.

My only real caution is that the book is written in UK English. That is possibly one thing that would cause my daughter a bit of strife, but she had no trouble with "Harry Potter." I am grateful that the profanity is practically nonexistent. It contains more than a young adult book should, in my opinion, but that does not affect my perception nor opinion of this tale.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

[Tammy Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a magical story full of true friendship, courage, and love. As soon as I picked up the book I was hooked. I was completely spellbound to my seat and intrigued by it's contents. Benjamin and his "mates" Annabel and Matilda other wise known as Bellie and Tildie are such wonderful characters you couldn't help but become attached to them from the very beginning. As they set out to embark on a journey that will take them to places never even imagined you can't help but follow along needing to know like them where they will end up and what will they do once they get there. I found Benjamin McTish and the Door Through the Grandfather Tree to be an exciting well told story with so many fascinating elements to it. This book had me on the edge of my seat more than once and never did my attention to the story fade. I was fearful at first as the story was compared to the likes of Harry Potter but there was no fear after I dove into the book. This adventure will leave you wanting to know more and how it will all play out for the three muskydeers (miss pronounced by the wonderful Matilda). I know I for one am looking forward to the next part of the series as it needs no comparison to any other it hold enough magic of it's own to become fabulous!

[Allana Kephart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benjamin McTish and the Door Through the Grandfather Tree is the first book in the Benjamin McTish series by June M. Pace. It is a middle grade/YA fantasy novel that follows Benjamin and his two friends, Annabelle and Mathilda, through many trials and adventures.

The plot flows nicely and the characters are believable. You are pulled right into the story from the very beginning and it holds your attention all the way to the end. The plot was complex but not overtly so, and I like that while it could very easily be read by kids as young as 8-10, there was still enough grown-up portions to keep someone older enthralled.

I can see why this story was compared to Harry Potter--I would very easily put them on the same shelf. They are both magical series' with a lovable set of characters you can't help but love. I loved going on adventures with Ben and the girls and I am so happy I got to read book 2 immediately! This book has everything you could possibly want--action, humor and suspense. I definitely recommend this to young readers and even seasoned book addicts.

[Ray Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous read! Not quite sure what the 2 star rating reviews read, if they read it at all, but I can tell you this; this story is an epic tale of adventure, courage, friendship in a quest to save the planet. The young protagonists are clever, funny, insightful and just fun to watch, that’s right WATCH. This descriptive tale is so beautifully crafted that you actually see the characters leap off the page. Forget the premise of the story for a minute and enjoy all the wonderful interactions of all the characters. I agree with M.S.; it’s Harry Potter meets the Celestine Prophecy. Get on board because it’s a wild ride. Can’t wait for Book 2 in the series. Frankly, I can’t wait for the movie to come out.

[Dalene · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I would like to thank the author June M. Pace for giving me this book for an honest review. I enjoyed reading this story. I will be reading it soon to my grandchildren. I have a few that so far have grandma's love of fantasy. The characters are well developed and written. The story-line is good. The world building is great. I am looking forward to reading the next book.

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doesn't this title sound like something from Enid Blyton? Like a spinoff to The Faraway Tree series or something? But it's not. It's really the first in a fantasy series aimed at children.

Benjamin McTish follows the titular protagonist and his two best friends Mathilda and Annabel. They find out that they're the three of a prophecy and must save the forest from the evil Queen Tar Vigon.

The story itself is interesting. I like the world, and the backstory (there are characters with a backstory). The only part of the story that felt weird was the bit where two characters (grown ups) are told they are in love (ok, one character is told), since there were no hints to the reader otherwise.

In addition, while I liked the three main characters, it seem at first, that things came to them too easily. One understands the script of the fairies all-too-easily, another figures out the puzzles quickly. But as the book went on and they came to trials that were at last too great for them to solve in an instant, I began to like Benjamin, Mathilda and Annabel a lot more.

My biggest complaint about the book would be about the narrative style. The book seems to be mixing simple English with the fantastical language of the fantasy. Me having read G.K. Chesterton recently, and the fact that this book is aimed at kids makes me feel that the language should have been a lot simpler. Take out all those fancy highblown prose and make it simple. It would be an excellent contrast to the intricate world and characters and make them stand out even more.

The other thing I noticed about this book is that it's a little heavy handed. Sentences like "He had witnessed the power of Loyalty, Love and Trust generated from three tiny beings from another world" is not only telling instead of showing, it's making sure we don't miss the point. But since the entire book is about the power of friendship (I think that's it anyway), all these was unnecessary. There are quite a few of these instances (enough that I started getting annoyed before I was even halfway done), and I think the book would have been better if the story was just spun instead of telling the reader how to interpret it as well.

In conclusion, this book is interesting, and if the style and language were improved, it would be a really gripping book for both children and adults. I see that there's a sequel, so I'm looking forward to how this series develops.

Disclaimer: I got this book free as part of Buy the Book blog tours in exchange for a free and honest review.

This review was first posted to Inside the mind of a Bibliophile