橡樹森林的秘密

by C.C. Harrington, C.C. 哈靈頓, 黃筱茵 (Translator)

一九六三年二月，英國迎來十年罕見的冬末大雪。

西南部康沃爾郡僅存的古老橡樹森林，雪花紛飛，靜謐如夢境。松鼠、獾、灰林鴞自在穿梭林間。小雪豹朗帕斯，因為不夠馴化需要特別照料，被無情地遺棄在鄉間。懵懵懂懂地在飢餓與玩耍時光中度過。陌生的樹林，從未見過的世界，老橡樹的樹洞是他唯一能夠喘息，得到一絲溫暖與庇護的地方。

小女孩瑪姬，因為說話結巴，日常生活是一連串的痛苦、窘迫和絕望，她在課堂上極力避免發言、降低自己的存在感，卻因此被老師視為麻煩、不服從，學校最終拒絕接納她。再次轉學、到特殊機構？未決定前，她前往與外公佛瑞德同住。獨居已久的祖父是附近小鎮的醫生，他喜歡收藏橡實、樹葉與貝殼，橡樹森林是他極力守護的地方。他讓瑪姬隨心自由自在到森林裡探險。
　　　
儘管，瑪姬仍陷入說不出話的掙扎與困頓，但在祖父的寬容與呵護下堅強轉變。她來得及表達內心所想，為了因捕獸夾受傷、無助，後來又遭到村民謠言中傷、圍捕而危機重重的朗帕斯挺身而出嗎？她是否能夠為即將被出售的老橡樹森林、為自己爭取不去特殊機構的機會發聲，去擁抱屬於自己的那一份勇氣和希望？

全書以瑪姬與朗帕斯兩個視角交替呈現，層層堆疊著他們在命運困境中彼此扶持，尋找生存之道的深厚情誼。

本書特色

　　✧ 根據真人、真實事件改編創作，向保育先驅致敬
　　這部引人入勝的作品，靈感來自一則憾動人心的真實事件：1969年，一隻名為克里斯蒂安的小獅子，被兩位背包客從倫敦的「寵物王國」帶走，牠從馴養到野放的過程，充滿艱辛和挑戰，後被拍成紀錄片而廣為人知。作者更融入了動物保護學家艾倫‧拉賓諾維茨的自身經歷，他童年時與人交流有口吃，卻能與動物自在溝通。這份獨特的生命體驗，與克里斯蒂安的故事產生共鳴，激發了作者的創作靈感。本書，同時也是向珍古德、瑞秋卡森兩位保育先驅致敬的誠意之作，展現作者對動物、環境福址的深切關懷。

　　✧ 勇氣、歸屬感、找到自己的聲音、自我價值實現
　　瑪姬，一位堅韌而善良的自然守護者，以她獨有的方式，默默守護著這片土地。故事並未著墨於她口吃的缺陷，而是細膩描繪了她如何與內心的掙扎搏鬥，如何為那些同樣無法發聲的生命，勇敢追尋屬於自己的聲音，如何在這個複雜的世界中找到自己的聲音、自己的位置。

　　✧​ 雙重視角，交替呈現兩個孤單生命的碰撞
　　命運的安排，讓瑪姬與朗帕斯相遇，兩個截然不同的生命，在陌生的環境中，各自展開了一場探尋之旅……祖父佛瑞德更成為他們之間的橋樑。瑪姬挺身而出，不僅要捍衛這片森林，更要保護與自己有著相似命運的雪豹。瑪姬、朗帕斯以各自的視角，帶領讀者瑪姬、進入一個充滿歸屬感與希望的世界，感受生命的溫暖與力量。

　　✧ 對自己溫柔一點，做人本來就不容易
　　本書傳遞「生而為人並不容易」、「人與自然一體不可分」的重要訊息。作者在字裡行間，充滿了對生命的關懷、對自然的敬畏，以及身為人類並不容易，因此要對自己溫柔些、寛容些。故事也與土地開發者的野心、鄉村生活艱難、戰後創傷的時代背景交織在一起。或許不容易，但世界或許如我們所盼望的那般神秘、美好而充滿可能。

得獎紀錄
　
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好評推薦

　　● 特別推薦
　　黃宗慧｜作家、台灣大學外文系教授
　　馬大元｜知名精神科醫生

　　● 為自己發聲推薦
　　李貞慧、黃愛真、歐玲瀞｜繪本、青少年閱讀推手
　　黃淑貞｜小兔子書坊店長
　　漢妮｜蒲公英閱讀推廣協會秘書
　　
各界好評

　　「哈靈頓在她這部令人深刻印象的《橡樹森林的秘密》中，雖然提出了許多發人深省的議題，但最令人難以忘懷的，莫過於她細膩描繪了兩個來自不同物種的年輕生命，如何在這個充滿敵意的世界中，彼此扶持，共同尋找生存之道的深厚情誼。」——柯克斯評論

　　「《橡樹森林的秘密》讓我們相信，這個世界或許如我們所盼望的那般神秘、美好而充滿可能⋯⋯或許那些深重的創傷——戰爭的創傷、屈辱的創傷、驕傲的創傷——終將得以克服。」——Gary Schmidt ｜紐伯瑞得奬作家

　　「這個溫柔而充滿希望的故事，以魔幻與寫實的筆觸，輕聲提醒讀者每個人都在與某些事情奮戰。C.C. 哈靈頓的散文優美動人，她的文字洋溢著對自然世界的深情。」 ——Pam Muñoz Ryan｜紐伯瑞得獎作家

　　「這是一部引人入勝的作品，字裡行間流淌著溫暖的情感，細膩描述和令人心跳加速的畫面躍然紙上。瑪姬是一位堅韌而善良的自然世界守護者。作者真實地描繪她說話時結巴的困擾，將其融入故事成為重要的主題：當唯有發現自己的自我價值，才能找到為無法發聲者發聲的勇氣。讀者將跟隨著瑪姬與朗帕斯從相遇到交會相知的過程，為他們從試探到接納、信任的情感歡呼，並跟隨著他們進入一個勇氣與歸屬感交織的世界，這個世界將深深觸動你的心靈，並在你的記憶中留下深刻的印記！」——Nancy Tandon MA｜知名作家

　　一個口吃小女孩對雪豹的溫柔心意，灌溉了他們共同存在的這片土地——雪豹朗帕斯在人類惡待下的不堪處境，成為女孩瑪姬堅強的理由；當原本也因身為「異類」而飽受身心煎熬的瑪姬為朗帕斯挺身而出時，讀者必定能感受到本書所傳遞出的，給予的美好與愛的力量。——黃宗慧｜台灣大學外國語文學系教授

　　這本書是談論永續發展的最佳文本，更是孩子展現力量的佐證。一旦森林資源消耗到超過環境所能承載的極限，不僅限縮野生動物的生存空間，人類的命運可能也會隨之影響。書中以瑪姬與小雪豹視角，交替堆疊彼此的生存困境，每個字句都嘗試喚醒蟄眠於我們心中的良善，提醒著我們是有力量為環境，為野生動物再多一些的。——黃淑貞｜小免子書坊店長

　　自然生態會說話，動物也會說話。你曾經傾聽牠們想要傳達的意思嗎？
　　外公佛瑞德家附近的威達克森林，英國西南部最後僅存的原始森林，即將被砍筏殆盡，建設大型商場；從竉物百貨公司、到被棄置在威達克森林，最後被送到蘇格蘭野生動物庇護中心安置的雪豹朗帕斯⋯⋯他們有各自的故事，女孩瑪姬聽得見也想為自然說故事，然而面對人類開口說話就口吃。為什麼只有在人類面前，沒有辦法好好說話?
　　這是一則透過改編的故事，若你意猶未盡，還可以上網追尋他們的事跡。——黃愛真｜教育部閱讀推手
　　
　　深信這本書能夠帶給成長中的青少年寶貴的啟發，特別是在面對生命中的困境與瓶頸時，它將引導他們透過文字與思考，挖掘出自身深藏的韌性，並重新認識生命的壯闊與多樣的可能性，使他們在挑戰中不僅找到力量，也能懷抱希望勇敢前行。 ——歐玲瀞｜童書、繪本閱讀推手

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Animals, Audiobook, Childrens, Nature

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2022

About the author

Christina grew up in the English countryside, mostly barefoot. She loves the natural world and believes that stories, much like the roots of an ancient forest, connect readers and listeners in essential ways. She graduated from Oxford University with a degree in English Literature and has since worked for a national newspaper, studied printmaking and taught literacy to children with learning differences. She now lives in Maryland with her family and a dog who loves to eat manuscripts. WILDOAK is her first book.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this dear and lovely book! It has everything you want in a story. Lush prose, gorgeous characterizations, an entirely unique and original coming-of-age narrative, and an important and lovingly drawn message about our connection to the natural world. When Maggie’s father grows frustrated by her persistent stutter, he sends her to Cornwall to stay with a grandfather she hardly knows. There, Maggie is drawn to Wildoak Forest, where she comes upon a snow leopard named Rumpus, abandoned in the woods after being received as an unwanted gift from the exotic pet department at Harrods. What ensues is nothing short of magical. C.C. Harrington has painted – in the dual perspectives of Maggie and Rumpus – a beautiful picture of a child finding her voice and learning to use it to save something precious. I can’t recommend this one highly enough. My thanks to the author and to Scholastic for the ARC.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This book took me a while to get into, but once I did I really enjoyed it. I loved Maggie and Rumpus both. It was a bit fantastical but sweet nonetheless.

Audio book source: Hoopla
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrators: Camilia O'Grady
Narration Rating: 3.5 stars
Genre: Middle Grade
Length: 6h 29m

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a debut book whose cover I fell in love with and so decided I needed to read it ASAP. I wasn't disappointed.

The story centers on Maggie - a young girl growing up in England in 1963. Maggie has a stutter that has required her parents to move her from one school to another. Maggie always finds it easier to speak to animals. Her stutter disappears when she is speaking to her many animal friends (this is important to the plot). When Maggie injures herself to avoid reading in class, her mother decides Maggie should go stay with her maternal grandfather in Cornwall.

While in Cornwall, Maggie takes long walks in Wildoak - the forest that abuts her grandfather's property. It is in this forest that Maggie spots a snow leopard. The snow leopard is named Rumpus. How he ended up in the forest is better left to the reader to find out for themselves. The important part is that Maggie finds him and the two share a special bond.

I loved watching Maggie grow into her own. I loved that nature plays such a central role here. I loved Maggie's grandfather and how patient and loving he is with her. I loved this book! This definitely is an author to watch.

[Totoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

خیلی قشنگ بود 😭😭🥹
کاش ما هم بیشتر از جنگل هامون مراقبت کنیم 💝🥺🥹😭
ریویو در یوتوب
https://youtu.be/AgZHXITl4vA?si=etQ7n...

[Laura Hook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Hard to believe this is the author's debut novel. I loved the two main characters, Maggie and Rumpus. I enjoyed the alternating chapters told from each of their perspectives. A great story about finding your voice, speaking up even when it's hard & the magic and strength you can find from nature.

"Be gentle with yourself. It is hard to be human."

"We do what we can, in our own small ways, and sometimes that's enough to make a difference. Not always, but sometimes."

This will be a book I will definitely be rereading and recommending widely.

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 3 out of 5]

WILDOAK
● 1963
● Maggie (11)
● has a stutter
● parents send her to visit her estranged grandpa
● while staying with her grandpa she finds a snow leopard (named Rumpus)
● Maggie finds it easier to talk to animals than it is to people

Audiobook source: Hoopla
Narrator: Camilia O'Grady
Length: 6H 29M

[Milton Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is dual point of view--told by Maggie, a girl who is struggling with her stutter and Rumpus, an abandoned snow leopard. The two find each other in the woods near Maggie's grandfather's house. The leopard helps Maggie learn to speak up for herself, and Maggie helps the leopard survive in the forest. Perfect for fans of Pax...this book was delightful!

Find it in our SHARE Catalog today!

Jayme A. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL

[Aimee LaGrandeur · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sweet. My younger animal-loving, little environmentalist self would’ve loved this. I really appreciate that Maggie isn’t just speaking up for Rumpus & the forest, but also for herself; C.C. Harrington’s depiction of Maggie’s stutter is well done. Maggie and her family realize her stutter isn’t something to overcome, but something to grow more confident in. I loved the epilogue we got of an older Maggie as naturalist and public speaker with her stutter.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah this was such a lovely, sweet story. The writing was atmospheric and I applauded Maggie’s character. This recently won the Schneider award. This would be a great read aloud but I especially loved the audio. The narrator was fantastic.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 slower paced than I expected. And I didn't care for the animal perspective.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s 1963, London, young Maggie is alone and ostracized because of her stutter. She is sent to stay with her grandpa while her parents decide a course of action for Maggie’s future. While there, she meets a snow leopard cub who has been abandoned and is alone. When the cub’s very existence is threatened, Maggie is challenged to find her voice, thereby giving him one too. Told in alternating voices, this story shares a love of nature, animals, and conservation of our existing forests. A beautiful story of finding one’s voice and using it to make a difference.

“Everybody has something about themselves they want to change, Maggie. Whether it’s the way they look, the way they sound, where they’re from, what they own, or what they don’t. He paused. “Some of us feel it more than others. But, the truth is, and I believe this with all of my heart, there’s room in this beautiful, complicated world of ours for all of us. Just as we are. In fact, there is a need for it.” P. 299

[Mitzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's difficult to know how to best describe this book. Suffice it to say that Wildoak is an absolute treasure! There are so many wonderful middle grade books out now that address diversity, challenges and perseverance but this is somewhat of a fresh take since it addresses the challenges that come with stuttering. (Even Maggie's father wants to 'fix her' so her parents send her off to spend time with her Grandfather near the Wildoak Forest and there the adventure begins!) Additionally, Wildoak also addresses the importance of our natural world and the impact that we each can have upon it. A description on Amazon says it well: "Wildoak shimmers with beauty, compassion, and unforgettable storytelling as it explores the delicate interconnectedness of the human, animal, and natural worlds." As I mentioned, it's a treasure!

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5!

A really beautiful look at finding your voice and having a voice for the voiceless.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wildoak is a middle grade book about a young girl sent to stay with her grandpa for a bit in hopes of her stutter improving. It is told in dual POV from the girl and a snow leopard. It is mostly set in the rural UK by a forest. The setting sounds lush and inviting despite the snow on the ground. This book is so beautifully written and is so unique. I love the relationship between Maggie and her grandfather and also Maggie and her animal friends, including the snow leopard. Wildoak also addresses conservation. I recommend reading this book and the audio was fantastic. I'm going to buy this book for my daughter.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for fans of One and Only Ivan, and Pax. Possibly the best junior fiction book I've read this year! Touches upon so many areas perfectly without feeling like the author is cramming too much in. Special shout out for the gorgeous cover art.

"Everything speaks... Just not the same language." ❤

Key Elements
*children who stutter
*effects of war on family members
*family estrangement
*resilience
*coming of age
*animal welfare
*environmental impacts
*historical setting (60s)
*alternating voice between human girl Maggie, and snow leopard Rumpus

[Amy Hesterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Put this in the hands of children who:
-need encouragement to adjust, accept, and overcome an obstacle
-have a passion for animals
-are isolated and could use a friend
-are being positively impacted by a caring adult
-seem to crave a book that “reads like a classic”

Two of my favorite authors, Gary Schmidt and Pam Munoz Ryan, both endorsed this middle grade novel and I can definitely see why. It is one that I will be recommending to kids for years to come.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my! Completely and utterly delightful. Thoughtful. Compelling. Beautiful writing. Great character development. Even a little bit of magical realism. Middle grade novels—or any novels—don’t get much better than this. Definitely a kid’s book club choice for next year. LOVED it.

[Tanya Prax · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet story about a girl who finds a snow leopard in rural England. Highly recommend if you need a middle grade book!

[Pam Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

A combination of a story set in the 1960's about a young girl with a stutter who is sent to her grandfather's home (because the fresh air may cure her stutter!) and her discovery of a snow leopard that is found in the nearby forest. The snow leopard being in the woods in Cornwall seems unlikely until you discover that exotic pets were sold at Harrod's in London at that time. This poor animal is released into the wild after being purchased as a pet. The interesting themes kept me captivated and readers will root for both Maggie and Rumpus!

[Winona Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quisiera mostrarle a todo el mundo este HERMOSÍSIMO cuento!!

Que historia más tierna y dulce la de Maggie y Rumpus (por cierto, quiero tener otro gato para llamarlo Rumpus y que me recuerde siempre a Wildoak). Dos corazones que se encuentran y se ayudan a sanar el uno al otro.

"Be gentle with yourself. It is hard to be human"

Maggie, una niña tartamuda en un momento de la historia humana donde la mínima diferencia a los otros te hacía estar "enfermo" y necesitar ayuda. Rumpus, un leopardo de nieve abandonado en una tierra que no es la suya. Se necesitan. Ella necesita algo que la obligue a encontrar las palabras, a encontrar su razón para hablar, incluso cuando nadie quiera oírla. Él necesita que alguien diga lo que él no puede decir en palabras, que lo vea por lo que es.

"But the truth is, and I believe this with all my heart, there's room in this beautiful, complicated world of ours for all of us. Just as we are. In fact, there is a need for it."

Y qué mejor que una niña, un bosque, un leopardo y un abuelo inventor/doctor para hacer de esta historia, la más dulce que leí en mucho tiempo? Acompañar a Maggie mientras encuentra su voz (y la de quienes no pueden hablar) estuvo lleno de frases hermosas, paisajes, aventuras, pero sobre todo, de la necesidad de ayudar, como ella, a esa pequeña parte del mundo que no puede hablar.

"It was hard to be human, she thought. But it was also beautiful, so beautiful."

[Shaina Seideneck · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[read with me(lissa) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be gentle with yourself. It is hard to be human. 🤍

[Jacqui · Rating 3 out of 5]

Be gentle with yourself. It is hard to be human.

Soft as butterfly wings.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family read aloud. Kids enjoyed. Sweet book. Encouraging.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic elementary-middle grade (2+) book!
Great vocab, historical/realistic fiction, empathy building, environmental book.
Would be good companion book to One and Only Ivan.
Would make for a great STEM Bookclub book!

[Jamie Dacyczyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mmm....this book was just OK for me. I can see why it's won so many awards, because it checks off a lot of boxes for children's literature prizes: a main character that's disadvantaged in some way, a cute animal, and a heavy-handed message.

The plot gist: girl with a severe stutter goes to live with her grandfather in the countryside, finds a snow leopard (which had been set loose by it's owner) wounded in the woods nearby. They become friends, the locals are frightened by sightings of a monster in the woods, and eventually the girl saves the leopard and makes everyone experience some empathy for the first time.

It was fine, but I found myself speeding up the audiobook toward the end. I just wasn't as charmed by this as I thought I was going to be. The audiobook narrator was good, and I think audio really helped to emphasize the difficulty of the main character's stutter (which you could just skip over on paper).

Throughout this book, I kept trying to put my finger on what it reminded me of....and I've decided that it basically has a bunch of Disney-esque characters, and that's why it feels familiar. We've got our main character who really relates to nature and immediately bonds with cute animals. She has a harsh father who doesn't understand her. We've got the jolly but eccentric grandfather, who builds crazy inventions out in his shop. You've got a bunch of fearful, angry villagers. You've got a rich landowner who is cartoonishly sinister, who whips the villagers into a mob with an urge to kill the beast. Heck, at one point the snow leopard sees two men driving a truck through the woods, loaded with scary apparatus, and the two men are described as a tall thin one and a short fat one...Ok, COME ON, tell me those aren't the two henchmen from 101 Dalmatians?

Subconsciously trying to match up the characters in this book with Disney characters ended up feeling like a distraction. Was the grandfather more like Belle's father in "Beauty & the Beast", or like Amy's dad in "Fly Away Home" (which was, granted, a Sony Pictures film, not Disney). Eccentric and old=Belle's dad, crazy old Maurice. But building a flying machine and being an activist trying to prevent clear cutting=Amy's dad, Thomas (played by Jeff Daniels). Hmmm....

...See? Distracting. I should have been sucked into the story instead of going, "What does this remind me of?" the whole time. Sure, all art of derivative, but this felt especially so.

This book will probably be fine for the middle readers it's intended for, but I don't think it's one of those true gems that transcends age differences.

[Alexei Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired to read this book after staying in Annapolis at the author’s home.

“Be gentle with yourself. It’s hard to be human”

[Abigail Singrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This charming, sweet, sensitive middle grade book is perfect for animal lovers of all ages.

Maggie's ashamed of her stutter, and her father's thinking of sending her off to a special school, much to both Maggie and her mother's horror. Instead, her mother sends her to spend some time with her long-lost grandfather, Fred, a quirky doctor and wanna-be inventor who lives in a small town in Cornwall.

Meanwhile, a wealthy family purchases a snow leopard as a gift, but quickly regrets it, releasing the half-tame Rumpus into the wild in Cornwall. When he gets caught in a trap, Maggie gets him out and bandages his paw, but no one believes her about Rumpus until it's almost too late.

The chapters alternate between Maggie and Rumpus's point of view, and Rumpus's chapters brought both comic levity and shone a spotlight on the bond between an animal and those who care for them. This book made my animal-lover heart happy.

Maggie's struggle with her stutter was brought to a realistic, sensitive conclusion. This book handled the issue well, with Maggie learning that her stutter did not define her. Instead, she's defined by her fierce, courageous love for Rumpus and all her animal friends.

Thank you to Scholastic for the Advance Review Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Brooke Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good!! I had all the feels: empathy, sadness, hope, worry, joy… At 50% this story becomes a page turner in a race to save a snow leopard and I could not stop listening. If an animal is in danger, in need to know what happens!!

Maggie has a stutter, and in 1962 it is not as widely acceptable or treatable. After literally hurting herself to avoid speaking in class, she is sent to love with her grandfather in the woods. Maggie has an adorable collection of pets- her only friends 🥺. In Wildoak, she befriends an abandoned snow leopard and learns to use her voice to advocate for him - Gah 💙.

One of my best middle grade book recommenders is Katie Proctor, a middle school language arts teacher. She is also the author of one of my favorite books, “My Storied Year.” If you love middle grade, give her a follow!

Rating: Loved It