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Choose Your Own Adventure: Young Readers #36
The Owl Tree
During a hike through the nearby woods, the reader stumbles upon a mysterious tree inhabited by magical, talking owls, in a multiple-plot fantasy adventure
50 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
42 people want to read
About the author
R.A. Montgomery
156 books121 followersRaymond A. Montgomery (born 1936 in Connecticut) was an author and progenitor of the classic Choose Your Own Adventure interactive children's book series, which ran from 1979 to 2003. Montgomery graduated from Williams College and went to graduate school at Yale University and New York University (NYU). He devoted his life to teaching and education.
In 2004, he co-founded the Chooseco publishing company alongside his wife, fellow author/publisher Shannon Gilligan, with the goal of reviving the CYOA series with new novels and reissued editions of the classics.
He continued to write and publish until his death in 2014.
In 2004, he co-founded the Chooseco publishing company alongside his wife, fellow author/publisher Shannon Gilligan, with the goal of reviving the CYOA series with new novels and reissued editions of the classics.
He continued to write and publish until his death in 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 3, 2025
Certain Choose Your Own Adventure books by R.A. Montgomery perfectly encapsulate his writing style: Space and Beyond, House of Danger, The Island of Time, Project UFO, The Haunted House, and yes, The Owl Tree. Though they are eccentric mixtures of juvenile adventure and transcendental philosophy, one nonetheless tends to reflect fondly on these books after years of familiarity with them. It was a lucky day when you found the mystical owl tree in a wide clearing. The owls led you on numerous adventures, and today you're bringing your friend Sally to show her what they can do. The owls stare silently at you from the tall, gnarled tree, awaiting your next move.
Do you want to know the future? Ask the owls what you'll be when you grow up, or about the fate of earth. They're thoughtful, discerning birds, but not every secret of tomorrow is theirs to tell or know. If you inquire of the tiny saw-whet owl, he might insist you complete a quest before he answers you, but his description of gathering raspberries in the land of Illnoor among the Great Zoonies may not match up with the reality you find there. Even magical owls have biases, and you will be best served by greeting the unknown with an open mind.
Instead of speaking to the owls, you can wait until one flies away, and follow him to a magic kingdom. An owl in flight is hard to follow over forest terrain, but you'll find a few options for adventure if you make the attempt. You might ride a boat on rough currents, unable to control what direction you're headed, or climb a stone wall that grows higher as you go, providing a soaring vantage point over the Kingdom of Gollop, a town built around a castle where the Gollops are readying for war with the Evil Fotons. You never get more than that brief glimpse in this book, but the possibilities tease the mind. Rather than ride the boat or climb the wall, you can walk the trail where you last saw the owl you're following, but he's no easier to keep up with than before. You might meet the spirit of the forest in the form of a deer, willing to grant you a single wish, or just wander the paths with Sally in search of deeper meaning. Whatever you choose, most of the owl tree's secrets will remain a mystery by the end.
This is a flighty book in more ways than one, but Leslie Morrill's detailed illustrations are outstanding, and there's an undefinable quality to the story that I like. Almost nothing happens, but maybe that's the point: we remain on the outside looking in at a metaphysical mystery we barely begin to understand in these pages. The larger story is merely hinted at. I'd rate The Owl Tree one and a half stars; it isn't among the better Bantam Skylark Choose Your Own Adventures, but it's an interesting story to revisit every once in a while. R.A. Montgomery's gamebooks tend to be like that.
Do you want to know the future? Ask the owls what you'll be when you grow up, or about the fate of earth. They're thoughtful, discerning birds, but not every secret of tomorrow is theirs to tell or know. If you inquire of the tiny saw-whet owl, he might insist you complete a quest before he answers you, but his description of gathering raspberries in the land of Illnoor among the Great Zoonies may not match up with the reality you find there. Even magical owls have biases, and you will be best served by greeting the unknown with an open mind.
Instead of speaking to the owls, you can wait until one flies away, and follow him to a magic kingdom. An owl in flight is hard to follow over forest terrain, but you'll find a few options for adventure if you make the attempt. You might ride a boat on rough currents, unable to control what direction you're headed, or climb a stone wall that grows higher as you go, providing a soaring vantage point over the Kingdom of Gollop, a town built around a castle where the Gollops are readying for war with the Evil Fotons. You never get more than that brief glimpse in this book, but the possibilities tease the mind. Rather than ride the boat or climb the wall, you can walk the trail where you last saw the owl you're following, but he's no easier to keep up with than before. You might meet the spirit of the forest in the form of a deer, willing to grant you a single wish, or just wander the paths with Sally in search of deeper meaning. Whatever you choose, most of the owl tree's secrets will remain a mystery by the end.
This is a flighty book in more ways than one, but Leslie Morrill's detailed illustrations are outstanding, and there's an undefinable quality to the story that I like. Almost nothing happens, but maybe that's the point: we remain on the outside looking in at a metaphysical mystery we barely begin to understand in these pages. The larger story is merely hinted at. I'd rate The Owl Tree one and a half stars; it isn't among the better Bantam Skylark Choose Your Own Adventures, but it's an interesting story to revisit every once in a while. R.A. Montgomery's gamebooks tend to be like that.
September 16, 2019
Certain Choose Your Own Adventure books by R.A. Montgomery perfectly encapsulate his writing style: Space and Beyond, House of Danger, The Island of Time, Project UFO, The Haunted House, and yes, Owl Tree. Though they are eccentric mixtures of juvenile adventure and transcendental philosophy, one nonetheless tends to reflect fondly on these books after years of familiarity with them. It was a lucky day when you found the mystical owl tree in a wide clearing. The owls led you on numerous adventures, and today you're bringing your friend Sally to show her what they can do. The owls stare silently at you from the tall, gnarled tree, awaiting your next move.
Do you want to know the future? Ask the owls what you'll be when you grow up, or about the fate of earth. They're thoughtful, discerning birds, but not every secret of tomorrow is theirs to tell or know. If you inquire of the tiny saw-whet owl, he might insist you complete a quest before he answers you, but his description of gathering raspberries in the land of Illnoor among the Great Zoonies may not match up with the reality you find there. Even magical owls have biases, and you will be best served by greeting the unknown with an open mind.
Instead of speaking to the owls, you can wait until one flies away, and follow him to a magic kingdom. An owl in flight is hard to follow over forest terrain, but you'll find a few options for adventure if you make the attempt. You might ride a boat on rough currents, unable to control what direction you're headed, or climb a stone wall that grows higher as you go, providing a soaring vantage point over the Kingdom of Gollop, a town built around a castle where the Gollops are readying for war with the Evil Fotons. You never get more than that brief glimpse in this book, but the possibilities tease the mind. Rather than ride the boat or climb the wall, you can walk the trail where you last saw the owl you're following, but he's no easier to keep up with than before. You might meet the spirit of the forest in the form of a hybrid owl-stag, willing to grant you a single wish, or just wander the paths with Sally in search of deeper meaning. Whatever you choose, most of the owl tree's secrets will remain a mystery by the end.
This is a flighty book in more ways than one, but Gabhor Utomo's illustrations are pleasant, and there's an undefinable quality to the story that I like. Almost nothing happens, but maybe that's the point: we remain on the outside looking in at a metaphysical mystery we barely begin to understand in these pages. The larger story is merely hinted at. I'd rate Owl Tree one and a half stars; it isn't among the better Dragonlark Choose Your Own Adventures—and I prefer the original Bantam Skylark edition, illustrated by Leslie Morrill—but it's an interesting story to revisit every once in a while. R.A. Montgomery's gamebooks tend to be like that.
Do you want to know the future? Ask the owls what you'll be when you grow up, or about the fate of earth. They're thoughtful, discerning birds, but not every secret of tomorrow is theirs to tell or know. If you inquire of the tiny saw-whet owl, he might insist you complete a quest before he answers you, but his description of gathering raspberries in the land of Illnoor among the Great Zoonies may not match up with the reality you find there. Even magical owls have biases, and you will be best served by greeting the unknown with an open mind.
Instead of speaking to the owls, you can wait until one flies away, and follow him to a magic kingdom. An owl in flight is hard to follow over forest terrain, but you'll find a few options for adventure if you make the attempt. You might ride a boat on rough currents, unable to control what direction you're headed, or climb a stone wall that grows higher as you go, providing a soaring vantage point over the Kingdom of Gollop, a town built around a castle where the Gollops are readying for war with the Evil Fotons. You never get more than that brief glimpse in this book, but the possibilities tease the mind. Rather than ride the boat or climb the wall, you can walk the trail where you last saw the owl you're following, but he's no easier to keep up with than before. You might meet the spirit of the forest in the form of a hybrid owl-stag, willing to grant you a single wish, or just wander the paths with Sally in search of deeper meaning. Whatever you choose, most of the owl tree's secrets will remain a mystery by the end.
This is a flighty book in more ways than one, but Gabhor Utomo's illustrations are pleasant, and there's an undefinable quality to the story that I like. Almost nothing happens, but maybe that's the point: we remain on the outside looking in at a metaphysical mystery we barely begin to understand in these pages. The larger story is merely hinted at. I'd rate Owl Tree one and a half stars; it isn't among the better Dragonlark Choose Your Own Adventures—and I prefer the original Bantam Skylark edition, illustrated by Leslie Morrill—but it's an interesting story to revisit every once in a while. R.A. Montgomery's gamebooks tend to be like that.
November 30, 2018
I remembered reading this as a kid, so I checked it out and read it again. The premise was interesting of following an owl to a magical kingdom, but I was disappointed because of how anti-climatic the endings were.
January 5, 2019
Popsugar 2019 #42 - cute book! Easy to check off the task list.
January 13, 2020
This book lacks any meaningful adventure - its perfectly good premise and superior illustrations are wasted.
May 6, 2012
Our oldest has been bringing home various You Choose books from her elementary school library. And now at our local library we've discovered some of the books from the original Choose Your Own Adventure series that I read when I was a child. I remember loving books like this in my childhood and I am excited that our girls are discovering them as well.
This is a CYOA book for younger readers and it takes you on a fairly tame, but interesting adventure featuring a tree full of owls and a mythical kingdom. It's a fun story with colorful illustrations and we enjoyed reading it together, taking turns following different paths.
This is a CYOA book for younger readers and it takes you on a fairly tame, but interesting adventure featuring a tree full of owls and a mythical kingdom. It's a fun story with colorful illustrations and we enjoyed reading it together, taking turns following different paths.
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October 2, 2007Montgomery, R.A. PB
June 28, 2011
For my review, go to http://www.geekmom.com/2011/06/choose...
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews