The Midas Tree

by Lesley Phillips

Joshua lives in the Garden Of Color and Light, an idyllic paradise where he is always playing and having fun. Each day is like any other, until he finds a magical golden acorn that enraptures him and propels him on an incredible adventure.

After being guided to chase the acorn as it flies through the garden, Joshua discovers a door at the base of a tree, and once he enters his life changes forever.

“Now it is time for you to go on a journey.
You may forget the garden for a while.
Follow this golden acorn wherever it takes you.”

Joshua is transported into a mysterious realm within “The Midas Tree.”

Desperate to return home, he sets about exploring this unfamiliar environment. He encounters sticky situations and meets wily characters along the way. Fortunately he does not have to face them alone. His guides are the mystical creatures that live inside the tree, called Devas. They are keepers of ancient secrets that can help Joshua to cope with the obstacles he encounters and the challenges he meets.

Joshua learns from the Devas that if he wishes to return home, he must first transform himself – and “The Midas Tree”.

The Devas are fairylike nature spirits, who love “The Midas Tree” and live to keep it happy and healthy. Each Deva presides over a different realm within the tree and lovingly passes on their knowledge of their territory and the mysteries it holds.

Joshua’s quest is to uncover the spiritual secrets of the tree, overcome challenging situations, and oust his inner turmoil to finally fulfill his destiny. He is taught different techniques and skills that help him cope with the trials he encounters. The processes that the Devas expose him to begin a path of revelation where he learns the truth about himself.

This spellbinding story overflows with challenges, magical creatures and mystical superpowers, which you too will discover along the way.

“The Midas Tree” is a spiritual adventure novel aimed at a middle grade to Young Adult audience; although all the adults who have read it like it too.

The Midas Tree has many teachings. It is an adventure story, a guidebook for personal spiritual unfolding, and even includes lessons about biology and nature.

It is a book that parents can enjoy reading with their children, or that teachers can share with their classes to introduce them to internal self-awareness.

The Midas Tree is a book of light that offers techniques that can help all people cope when they are going through difficult times in their lives; as well as illuminating the path to personal enlightenment in a fun and entertaining way.

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 10, 2012

About the author

Dr. Lesley Phillips says her path is to empower others to take charge of their lives by teaching them to meditate and develop their intuition. She is the author of Intuition and Chakras, a book that helps you work with energy to safely open your unique profile of psychic abilities. She wrote her first book, The Midas Tree, to make learning how to meditate fun for everyone, including kids. Lesley grew up in the UK and Australia and has lived in Canada since 1998. Before becoming an author and spiritual teacher, she was a biologist and a businesswoman.

Twitter: @DrLesleyP
https://www.drlesleyphillips.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/awake...

Reviews

[Freda Mans-Labianca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute.
Though told to be a young adult book, I actually find it acceptable middle-grade reading.
A story about a different kind of fairy basically, called Deva, and my impression of Mother Nature... A.K.A. Morfar, and this boy's journey in a magical place.
Did I love it? No, but I did think it had something special about it. These lessons Joshua learned throughout. Really well-crafted and stuff you would want your kids reading.
The end of this book is what I could have had come together better. It felt rushed and not quite complete. At least no lessons were waiting to be completed, so that made the ending bearable, but not lovable.
Not bad for a debut book though! I'd read more by this author.

[Monty · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful way to teach children various meditation techniques. Each chapter left something to look forward to in the next chapter. The illustrations were fun, and the website activities referred to in the book have the potential to enhance the learning of the readers (or listeners, if read to by parents). I found that the techniques also served as a refresher for the simple yet powerful meditation tools.

[Lesley Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a summary like this one provided on amazon.com, I don’t have to write my usual one as it would be nothing but redundant. When I was approached to read this book I thought it sounded like a fun and enlightening read. I was not disappointed at all. This book is one to be enjoyed by all readers of all ages. It is easy to follow and understand for the middle to young adult readers, and yet in depth enough if you read more into it for the adult readers too. I loved the fantasy concept of the book very much and all the different characters and Devas that were created for this book. The characters help “make” the book for me. I loved the talking insects and also how they weren’t just talking insects, they had true facts about them too. Such as the talking Bee that tells Joshua his theory on the missing bees by not only talking to him, but showing him how bees communicate by dancing out the gist of what they want to communicate. The Devas were amazing! The reminded me of fairy godparents by how they are there to help Joshua explore and learn what is needed to go back to the world he is familiar with outside the “Midas Tree”. I must say I agree with the comparison of the story seeming somewhat comparable to “Alice in Wonderland” or “Through the Looking Glass”. The spiritual messages that come through in this book are truly amazing too. You don’t even realize you are learning as you read this fictional story, but you are. I found myself “transforming” like Joshua was as he learned from the Devas and all the other wonderful characters. I stopped to reflect on his lessons myself as I was reading through the book.

I read bits and pieces to my son also who is ten years old as I was reading if he was home. He also enjoyed the parts I read to him. His favorite was the Black Widow Spider “lesson” and part of the story. I was impressed to hear him voice the lesson back to me too that he thought Joshua learned before the spider told Joshua what the lesson was. I felt this book was written in such a way that he was intrigued enough to pay attention, but also he was learning without even realizing it. He reflected to me even, that he was like Joshua in that lesson and he needs to do things more in the way of how the spider taught Joshua. You need to focus on things in front of you without being brought to distraction by worry and other issues not pertaining to the problem at hand. He also learned some fun facts about the black widow spider, which thrilled him to no end as a nature kid.

I usually am not “moved” by a book, but this book really hit home for me and made me feel as though I was truly learning lessons to improve myself and my outlook on life just like Joshua was. I feel that I left this book a better person with a greater understanding of the spiritual aspects in my life and myself. I also must say that I was reading this book during a rough patch in my own personal life and found this book to be comforting to me and a help to me to get back in sync. This book could not have been read by me at a better time.

I highly recommend this book to anyone of any age to read or read with a parent or adult. I think a lot can be taken from this book to use in our real lives. Very enjoyable and inspiring book and a MUST read!!

5/5 Stars!!!!!

This book counts toward my following challenges: 100 Books Read, and 1 Million Pages Read.

By Angela Krause
Mommy Blogger
Creator of http://angiesangelsrkids-furkids.blog...

[J. Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently finished the book, The Midas Tree, by Dr. Lesley Phillips, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

The first thing that struck me about this novel was how beautifully the book captures the essence of spiritual growth without being preachy or religious (not that I have anything against religious books, but since this book is meant for younger children, I liked the idea of teaching spirituality and leaving the teaching of religious beliefs to parents). I was immediately taken with Joshua, his curiosity and his innocence. As soon as he enters the secret realm of The Midas Tree, I knew I was in for a very special treat.

I am usually not one for talking animals in books, but in this case, they are necessary and endearing. Not only do they speak, but they teach us about who they are and their connections to the universe. The Midas Tree is a wonderful exposition on the most purest, spiritual level of how we all are intertwined with one another, and how one single deviation from our natural course can set off a domino effect that has long lasting effects on our lives and our world.

The Midas Tree is not only inhabited by these wonderful creatures, but also by Devas: fairy-like creatures who have separate but equally important roles to play in teaching Joshua about the spiritual connectivity of all life. They are probably my favorite characters in the story.

Throughout Joshua's journey, I also encountered the spirituality in myself, and I learned a few things about tuning in and connecting with my spiritual self. For someone who is fascinated with chakras, astral traveling, meditation and the laws of attraction, this novel gripped my spirit and led me down paths of understanding without realizing it.

Children and adults alike will enjoy this book for its wonderful lessons and unique and very special characters. If The Chronicles of Narnia and Alice Through the Looking Glass are some of your favorite books, you will adore The Midas Tree. It is definitely a book to add to your permanent collection for a lifetime of reading.

I give this book 5 stars out of 5.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lesley Phillips built a story around meditation techniques and adventures through a natural environment. The tale is told simply, so that even children with an interest could enjoy this book. I also enjoyed the artwork, both on the cover and the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. Several nature elements provided lessons for Joshua, both as teachers and as quests. The Devas act as guides, often leading Joshua, but sometimes giving him a push, in the direction of his next life lesson.

At first the meditation bits were intriguing to me, being a part of the way of life in the Midas Tree. Such ideas as grounding your self, removing energy blocks, and connecting with your personal cosmic energy all started off as background to the larger story. However, towards the end it became a little preachy and I found myself skimming over those bits to get back to the main story line. I enjoyed the Devas; each of the main Devas had main tasks to keep the tree healthy. Through them, Joshua got to explore the tree from root system, to trunk, to the topmost tree canopy. Often, there were natural animals to help him along such as a spider, a woodpecker, a bat, and a grub. Some of the lessons involved Joshua assisting another to learn their lesson.

The overall tone of the book was simple, easy to read. In fact, most of the chapters could be read individually, such as a bedtime story to an interested child. Each of the main characters had their own personalities that did not blend together as the story went on. However, there was one Deva, Devalicious, who’s character sometimes dropped into that for a more mature audience; her flirtatious behavior jarred with the rest of the novel. In the end, while I can appreciate the craft that went into this novel, many of the concepts did not ring true to life for me and I found myself loosing interest.

[Spenser Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Novel is a Fantasy story with rich characters that are educational and whimsical. Beautifully illustrated, It is a refreshing departure from any other “spiritual” book I have read. I just love the scavenger hunt that you can download, it is a great way to stay engaged and be even more immersed in the story. This book is a fun way to talk about spiritual ideas and teachings to younger ones, and would definitely be an adventure you can go on together if you read parts of it at bedtime. Even for a well read adult in this genre, it is a unique way to incorporate things you may already know, such as grounding and visualization, mindfulness and acceptance of the present moment, creating your own reality with each choice, and blasting limiting beliefs and negative thoughts. All in a creative way that keeps you entertained. I highly recommend this work of art, all ages will benefit!

[Tofts Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about a boy named Joshua who finds an acorn in a river that takes him to a tree. The Midas Tree is filled with creatures called devas and each and every one of them is different. The character Joshua is brave, scared, and strong and never backs down.

I think the book is amazing and really adventurous. I loved it.

I recommend this book for children ages 8-17 years old.

Hannah, age 9

[Emily (Heinlen) Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the book had great pictures, I just couldn't get into the story. The writing didn't pull me in and the characters weren't engaging. Also, a formatting note, when you use block paragraphs, you do not indent the first line.

[Heather Westing · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely tale of exploration and fantastic worlds, I found this book very readable as an adult, but I know that children will love it too. I'd liken it to the Narnia series, and I hope Lesley Phillips has more adventures to tell in the future.