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Tree Girl
Despite being warned about the trees near the seaside cottage, Rowanna's curiosity has taken hold of her senses and so she is willing to take the risk to get near High Willow in the hopes of getting answers to questions about her past and her family, in a fantasy for all ages. Reprint.
144 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2001
19 people are currently reading
515 people want to read
About the author
T.A. Barron
72 books1,310 followersT.A. Barron grew up in Colorado ranch country and traveled widely as a Rhodes Scholar. He is the winner of the de Grummond Medallion for “lifetime contribution to the field of children’s and young adult literature” and many other awards. T. A. Barron is the author of more than 30 highly acclaimed books, many of which are international bestsellers. They include The Lost Years of Merlin (now being developed into a feature film), The Great Tree of Avalon (a New York Times bestselling series), The Ancient One (the tale of a brave girl and a magical tree), and The Hero’s Trail (nonfiction stories of courageous kids).
Though he’d dreamed as a young man of becoming a writer, he couldn’t find anyone to publish his first novel. He joined a successful business, eventually became president, then decided to try again. So in 1990, he surprised his business partners by moving back to Colorado to become a writer and conservationist.
In 2000, he founded a national award to honor outstanding young people who help their communities or the environment: the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, which honors 25 highly diverse, public-spirited kids each year. He recently produced a documentary film, Dream Big, profiling seven winners of the Barron Prize. When not writing or speaking, T. A. Barron serves on many boards including Princeton University, where he helped to create the Princeton Environmental Institute, and The Wilderness Society, which recently honored him with its highest award for conservation work. His favorite pastime is hiking, camping, or skiing in Colorado with his family.
Though he’d dreamed as a young man of becoming a writer, he couldn’t find anyone to publish his first novel. He joined a successful business, eventually became president, then decided to try again. So in 1990, he surprised his business partners by moving back to Colorado to become a writer and conservationist.
In 2000, he founded a national award to honor outstanding young people who help their communities or the environment: the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, which honors 25 highly diverse, public-spirited kids each year. He recently produced a documentary film, Dream Big, profiling seven winners of the Barron Prize. When not writing or speaking, T. A. Barron serves on many boards including Princeton University, where he helped to create the Princeton Environmental Institute, and The Wilderness Society, which recently honored him with its highest award for conservation work. His favorite pastime is hiking, camping, or skiing in Colorado with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
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April 14, 2015I don't understand why bears are nice to some people, but not others. In this book, she has a friend who's a bear, but when I tried to talk to one, he was very rude. I guess it depends on the individual bear.
November 20, 2025
hmmm. this is a nice enough fable, but the vast majority of the book is spent gearing up for a rather brief adventure.
the title is a bit of spoiler for the book's big reveal, and i wish there was more resolution to rowanna's eventual self discovery. there's so much buildup, and very little payoff. i did love learning about drumalos - these tree spirits are a fantastic piece of fictional folklore.
i also loved the piratey dialogue, filled with fun seaside idioms: rotting ravens, sure as seafoam, close as a clam to its shell, thundering thumbnails, barnacles for brains!
the title is a bit of spoiler for the book's big reveal, and i wish there was more resolution to rowanna's eventual self discovery. there's so much buildup, and very little payoff. i did love learning about drumalos - these tree spirits are a fantastic piece of fictional folklore.
i also loved the piratey dialogue, filled with fun seaside idioms: rotting ravens, sure as seafoam, close as a clam to its shell, thundering thumbnails, barnacles for brains!
October 9, 2012
Although this is not a typical sci-fi/fantasy story, the story is absolutely relevant to the middle grade student. Every person must answer questions of heritage, belonging, and existence, and middle school is the time to start hearing those questions. Many students may be able to relate more explicitly to Anna's not knowing her mother, but others will be able to know the feeling of not getting along with parents/guardians, or just wanting to know some answers to the question "Where am I from?" The only draw back to this book is that it would be widely accepted and loved among the female students, but boys may not be able to get into this book as much. There is no doubt of relevance, but just based on the cover or title a boy might count this out immediately. I think this book would be perfect as a choice read, a supplemental summer-reading book, or a book to have on my classroom bookshelf for students who get their work done early or during sustained silent reading time. Facilitated discussion may not be as necessary for this book as for others in the science fiction/fantasy genre, but students who participate in choice read book circles can help each other understand the implications of certain parts of the story. For example, the presence of Master Mellwyn, the night that Anna dances with the tree spirits, or the transformation of Sash are all events that have major parts in the story, but are sometimes vaguely explained, thus making them hard to infer about for the young middle grade student. I have seen this book recommended for 3-6th grade. Because the "middle grades" in Georgia are 4-8th, it is highly likely to appear on a lower middle grade ELA classroom bookshelf.
October 20, 2017
I needed a light middle-grade book to cleanse my pallet and this fit the bill. A sort of folk tale about tree spirits and a girl who lives with an old man who found her in the forest when she was a baby.
I did find it odd that Anna calls her old man Master Mellwyn, or just Master. Maybe it's me being weird? But....I didn't like it.
I wasn't blown away, but if you're in the mood for a quick fairy tale this should suit you fine.
I did find it odd that Anna calls her old man Master Mellwyn, or just Master. Maybe it's me being weird? But....I didn't like it.
I wasn't blown away, but if you're in the mood for a quick fairy tale this should suit you fine.
May 20, 2019
This was a book I must have really liked as a kid since I named one of my Webkinz after it. Not after the main character, (Row)Anna, no. I named my Webkinz "Tree Girl." Still better than my first one "Unicorny" I guess...
Anyway, I'm going to split this review up into the good and the bad.
The Good:
The concept is really interesting and I still love the idea of (spoilers) a tree spirit character who doesn't know she's a tree spirit but eventually gets reunited with her roots (pun intended).
You cannot tell when or where this story takes place. There's not really any technology or landmarks that indicate the setting of this story, and I think that that makes the book really timeless in a way.
There wasn't much there in the good I guess, but I do want to emphasize that the concept of the story still holds my heart and I really do love the concept. Anyway,
The Bad:
The story feels way too long and could have been over much more quickly. I understand that perhaps Barron is trying to build the mystery and anticipation but the continued emphasis on how Rowanna wants a mother and the danger of the forest just gets kind of annoying.
The ending! I felt pretty disappointed in the ending. It's good and all, but after all the anticipation that was built, it felt lackluster. (Spoilers) I just really wish Rowanna and her mother willow talked or sang together or something. I wish they had a literal conversation about love and how much her mother missed her for nine years. I didn't like how it was all just commentary on the normalcy that developed after Rowanna returned home. Perhaps I would have been okay with that if we got to see the moment Rowanna and her mother reunited beforehand and got to have all that mother-daughter love stuff that Rowanna has been craving for the entire book.
Some warnings for this book:
There is some abuse, I would call it that anyways. (Spoilers I guess) Mellwyn throws sand in Rowanna's face and he's kind of a jerk to her the whole time.
I found this fairly scary, reading at night. The tree ghouls and the writing about that gets pretty spooky but if your kid/you are into that, then I guess that's okay.
There is some gory stuff, I guess is how I would describe it. It's not really illustrated too in-depth but (spoilers) Mellwyn goes to cut down this willow tree and he actually falls on the ax and starts bleeding from his chest. It's pretty wild. I wanted to mention that plot point since I thought it may deter some of you from wanting to read this with your kid. However, since I'm already in spoiler territory, I will say that Rowanna goes back to Mellwyn and helps him heal from the injury.
I don't know if I'd actually recommend this book. I still love the plot concept, but the execution just isn't it. The reading level is probably 3rd grade to 5th grade.
Anyway, I'm going to split this review up into the good and the bad.
The Good:
The concept is really interesting and I still love the idea of (spoilers) a tree spirit character who doesn't know she's a tree spirit but eventually gets reunited with her roots (pun intended).
You cannot tell when or where this story takes place. There's not really any technology or landmarks that indicate the setting of this story, and I think that that makes the book really timeless in a way.
There wasn't much there in the good I guess, but I do want to emphasize that the concept of the story still holds my heart and I really do love the concept. Anyway,
The Bad:
The story feels way too long and could have been over much more quickly. I understand that perhaps Barron is trying to build the mystery and anticipation but the continued emphasis on how Rowanna wants a mother and the danger of the forest just gets kind of annoying.
The ending! I felt pretty disappointed in the ending. It's good and all, but after all the anticipation that was built, it felt lackluster. (Spoilers) I just really wish Rowanna and her mother willow talked or sang together or something. I wish they had a literal conversation about love and how much her mother missed her for nine years. I didn't like how it was all just commentary on the normalcy that developed after Rowanna returned home. Perhaps I would have been okay with that if we got to see the moment Rowanna and her mother reunited beforehand and got to have all that mother-daughter love stuff that Rowanna has been craving for the entire book.
Some warnings for this book:
There is some abuse, I would call it that anyways. (Spoilers I guess) Mellwyn throws sand in Rowanna's face and he's kind of a jerk to her the whole time.
I found this fairly scary, reading at night. The tree ghouls and the writing about that gets pretty spooky but if your kid/you are into that, then I guess that's okay.
There is some gory stuff, I guess is how I would describe it. It's not really illustrated too in-depth but (spoilers) Mellwyn goes to cut down this willow tree and he actually falls on the ax and starts bleeding from his chest. It's pretty wild. I wanted to mention that plot point since I thought it may deter some of you from wanting to read this with your kid. However, since I'm already in spoiler territory, I will say that Rowanna goes back to Mellwyn and helps him heal from the injury.
I don't know if I'd actually recommend this book. I still love the plot concept, but the execution just isn't it. The reading level is probably 3rd grade to 5th grade.
November 14, 2017
I found this book a lovely read. It was magical and pulled me into the description of scenery and characters. Not sure if anyone else's brain works as mine did with Mellwyn's voice, but I could picture hearing Robbie Coltrane's voice while reading the dialogue.
September 16, 2018
A beautiful story with a touch of sadness. For people who want their children to love trees.
September 21, 2019
I read this with one of my nieces many years ago. We both liked it, but I'll have to read it again if I want to provide specifics.
March 16, 2008
This is the best book i've ever read. I don't really know why. It's just one of those books that I could read over and over and over again and still enjoy it immensely. If you like books about young girls who live on the beach and are desperate to know her mother, this is the book for you!!!!!
February 21, 2018
Actual rating: 3.5
This might be one of those cases where I am clearly not the target age group for this book, and that is clearly affecting my judgement of it. Mostly because halfway through the book, I found that I was able to predict the big reveal and anticipate the ending. But then again, I'm 28 and I've read plenty, so I probably have 2 decades of reading experience over the intended readers for this book, which makes it easy for me to predict things and guess where the story is going.
That said, I did find it cute, and I think people of any age could relate to Anna's longing for a friend and feelings of isolation. Specifically though, middle school is where kids start growing up enough to entertain questions of where they come from, and what that means for who they are, who they will grow up to be. So in that way, Anna's questions about her heritage will be relatable to the target audience for this book. And while I'm long past wondering about those things, I still totally understood Anna and her quest to get to the tree where she was found in an effort to better understand herself, despite the apparent danger of the forest.
This might be one of those cases where I am clearly not the target age group for this book, and that is clearly affecting my judgement of it. Mostly because halfway through the book, I found that I was able to predict the big reveal and anticipate the ending. But then again, I'm 28 and I've read plenty, so I probably have 2 decades of reading experience over the intended readers for this book, which makes it easy for me to predict things and guess where the story is going.
That said, I did find it cute, and I think people of any age could relate to Anna's longing for a friend and feelings of isolation. Specifically though, middle school is where kids start growing up enough to entertain questions of where they come from, and what that means for who they are, who they will grow up to be. So in that way, Anna's questions about her heritage will be relatable to the target audience for this book. And while I'm long past wondering about those things, I still totally understood Anna and her quest to get to the tree where she was found in an effort to better understand herself, despite the apparent danger of the forest.
May 30, 2017
Tree girl is about a girl who loves trees. She has a red named Old Master Burl. She lives with an old mean (sad) man. He is a great fisherman. He fishes every day. Rowanna is the "tree girl". There is a forest that her master says has tree ghouls but one day Anna decides to go to the forest. Her master told her that he found her in a tree. A willow tree. By the way she found a bird on the roof of the cottage. She named him Eagle. So one day she goes to the "forbidden forest" and she finds a bear. She names him Sash. One day Sash climbs a broken tree and gets stuck in the tree. Anna gets him out but he turns into a human. Anna is surprised. One day they go to the big willow. Anna sees something no human has ever seen. The "ghouls" are dancing. In the morning, Anna finally makes it to the tree. She climbs the branches then her master finds her there and brings her back home. He gets his axe and is going to cut down the tree but Anna stops him. He hurts himself on his axe and Rowanna helps him. Then he tells the story of how he found her in a tree. If you want to know the story, read the book! The end.
October 1, 2020
I am one of those who tries really hard not to judge books by their covers...but if there is a Trina Schart Hyman illustration on the front, odds are, I'm going to pick it up. I think I probably would have really loved this book as a child. The unusual magic hearkens back to "the old tales" kinds of myths about fae folk and things we don't always understand inhabiting the unexplored areas around us. I loved Rowanna as a character--her carefree joy in the world around her and the resilience she shows during misunderstandings are things that feel very realistically childlike. Ultimately, I think I didn't love this book at this point in my life because of where I am, personally. It was too bittersweet for me to love; too poignant. Maybe I'll read it again someday, though.
September 23, 2024
This book bears so much nostalgia for me. I read it in my formative years growing up, and revisiting it now still leaves me with the same sense of wonder and fascination. The use of imagery is immaculate, and the fact that the setting of the story is so limited in range - yet so compelling - is the mark of true artistry. I would have loved further to see what happened with Master Mellwyn in the future and whether Anna maintained contact with him once the truth was revealed, as I felt their relationship lacked closure. Terrific story-telling all in all for a YA novel!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2021
I loved this book. It is about a young girl who lives by the shore with a old man who is a fisherman. He tells her never to go to the trees in the forest as they are possessed by tree ghouls. each day though she feels herself being drawn to a willow that is in the far distance.
What is the story about? family, wanting to know who you are, friendship and yearning to grow
I think this would be a good book to read to older young ones.
What is the story about? family, wanting to know who you are, friendship and yearning to grow
I think this would be a good book to read to older young ones.
May 30, 2017
Barron's plot is filled with mystery and ancient Celtic lore.
Anna wants to find her mother. Two things stand in her way:
Mellwyn, an old fisherman and the forset ghouls, spirits of the forest
that Anna has never encountered.
Barron's story has a message about over coming fear and grief.
Anna wants to find her mother. Two things stand in her way:
Mellwyn, an old fisherman and the forset ghouls, spirits of the forest
that Anna has never encountered.
Barron's story has a message about over coming fear and grief.
June 22, 2017
I kept reading this book because the author kept my curiosity up until the reveal at the end. I really ought to have seen it coming, but I didn't. If you like the woods and forest, and seas and water, you just may like this quick-read book.
June 14, 2024
This was such a whimsical and magical story; I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself into this book! Tree Girl is definitely a comfort read for me. I feel that the harsher reviews have more to do with the fact that some people have lost touch with the vast imagination that they once had as children.
June 3, 2017
Well I finished it. The ending was quite rushed, I assumed the ending and was correct. Maybe if I was much younger it would have captivated me more.
June 20, 2017
This is a sweet read for younger readers in mid-later elementary school.
July 14, 2019
Just ok. Didn’t love it.
November 30, 2019
A good fable... just right for middle school readers.
February 3, 2020
Found this one to be truly magical!! Loved hearing about trees and the spirits that live inside them.
Currently reading
August 24, 2021Good book
October 10, 2021
this was my favorite book through elementary school
December 11, 2022
A very cozy adventure vibe. If you wan something nic and quick read, this book is for you. May I remind you that this book is for younger audience.
January 26, 2023
Glad I gave this one a chance. It is beautifully written, and a touching story.
September 24, 2025
i recommend reading your favourite childhood book. so healing
November 26, 2025
Great YA read by a favorite YA author. It's an enchanting and innocent story.
December 6, 2025
I usually love YA novels, but I don't think I'm exactly the right audience for this one.
November 1, 2012
To point out the purpose of a middle grade book, a reader must read, digest, and ask oneself, "What is the lesson portrayed in this book?" In Treegirl, the reading part was easy. The digesting, on the other hand, was challenging.
In T.A. Barron's "Treegirl," a tree ghoul morphs into the object that the onlooker perceives to see. So, the master who expected to see demonic monsters consistently saw them, whereas Treegirl, looking on to something and someone more pleasant got to befriend the ghouls because they became the pleasant experiences that she perceived.
By writing such a unique phenomena, Barron dives into a crucial lesson that even adults struggle with: seeing the optimism in events; experiencing "the cup half full." According to Neuroscientist, Dr. Joe Dispenza, 90% of people live by emergency survival mode, hence, hustling to fill the "cup half empty". So, my question to a matured adult would be, "how would you successfully teach this theory of optimism if you are a victim to the opposite mindset?" I, myself, struggle with this paradigm shift every moment, if not, every day. I guess changing one's perspective would be the first step before being able to teach this important lesson of optimism.
(major spoiler alert)
Barron wrapped it up quite well, I think. The identity of the girl is found and everyone lives happily ever after. As for me, I was disturbed a little. The reaction I had when Tree girl's true identity became evident was similar to when I realized that the entire family in the film: "The Others", starring Nicole Kidman, was in actuality dead all along. Yes, the tone and setting is very opposite, but the switch is quite similar, in that both stories reveal that the character we were following were not human after all, but a spirit. Please, Sit and chew on it…a vision of Tree girl laughing as a human girl full of life suddenly freezes, turns brown, and is chained by her very legs to the ground.
Perhaps the Halloween season got to my head, or perhaps Barron's theory that I will see what I wish to see is coming true.
In T.A. Barron's "Treegirl," a tree ghoul morphs into the object that the onlooker perceives to see. So, the master who expected to see demonic monsters consistently saw them, whereas Treegirl, looking on to something and someone more pleasant got to befriend the ghouls because they became the pleasant experiences that she perceived.
By writing such a unique phenomena, Barron dives into a crucial lesson that even adults struggle with: seeing the optimism in events; experiencing "the cup half full." According to Neuroscientist, Dr. Joe Dispenza, 90% of people live by emergency survival mode, hence, hustling to fill the "cup half empty". So, my question to a matured adult would be, "how would you successfully teach this theory of optimism if you are a victim to the opposite mindset?" I, myself, struggle with this paradigm shift every moment, if not, every day. I guess changing one's perspective would be the first step before being able to teach this important lesson of optimism.
(major spoiler alert)
Barron wrapped it up quite well, I think. The identity of the girl is found and everyone lives happily ever after. As for me, I was disturbed a little. The reaction I had when Tree girl's true identity became evident was similar to when I realized that the entire family in the film: "The Others", starring Nicole Kidman, was in actuality dead all along. Yes, the tone and setting is very opposite, but the switch is quite similar, in that both stories reveal that the character we were following were not human after all, but a spirit. Please, Sit and chew on it…a vision of Tree girl laughing as a human girl full of life suddenly freezes, turns brown, and is chained by her very legs to the ground.
Perhaps the Halloween season got to my head, or perhaps Barron's theory that I will see what I wish to see is coming true.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews