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The Wood at the Bottom of the Garden Gate
11-year-old Catherine (Cat) Whiteoak thought she was in for the absolute worst summer on record, what with the unpleasant arrival of her father’s horrible new girlfriend, her best (and only) friend going away for the entire school holidays, not to mention finding herself grounded for her troubles. But when Cat stumbles across a real, live, but seriously injured flower fairy in her back yard, this leads to the discovery of an ancient, secret, magical Wood located at the bottom of her very own garden gate. The Guardian of the Wood, Serrabella Moon, grateful to Cat for her kindness towards the fairy, grants her unprecedented access to the enchanted Wood, where she spends a wonderful summer swimming with water sprites, reading with bookworms, and picnicking with pixies. Although, sadly, not all the Wood’s magical residents are quite so keen on this human intruder invading their home, and they plan to put an immediate stop to it; there are secrets that must be protected at all costs. But when the ancient Wood’s very existence is threatened by the human world with extinction, will Cat be able to save her new friends and their home from being wiped out forever? A magical, must-read eco-adventure filled with hidden dangers, unexpected friendships, and a cast of lovable, unforgettable characters you'll want to make lifelong friends with.
237 pages, ebook
Published November 15, 2018
1 person is currently reading
About the author
B.A. Keating
5 books9 followersI’m B.A. Keating, teller of tales, wrangler of words, proud Essex girl, and author of middle grade adventures Tales from the Land of Forever, The Academy, The Wood at the Bottom of the Garden Gate, and The Last Pirate.
Long before I began writing books, I was spinning across ballet studios in London, England, where I trained as a classical dancer for fifteen years. It was all pirouettes and pointe shoes—until the stories begging to be told in my head became too insistent to ignore.
I was born on a chilly November evening in London, and since then, life has taken me on quite the journey! I’ve lived on three continents, called both Auckland, New Zealand and the sunny Algarve in Portugal home, and now reside in San Francisco, California with my husband and our small (but mighty) fur-family.
I’m a lifelong bibliophile, animal rescue advocate, travel junkie, movie lover, pizza connoisseur, and occasional lemondrop sipper (well, maybe more than occasional). If you’re ever looking for me, just follow the trail of glittering ideas, crumpled notebook pages, and a suspiciously empty pizza box.
Visit www.bakeating.com for more information or join me on Instagram @bakeatingauthor
Long before I began writing books, I was spinning across ballet studios in London, England, where I trained as a classical dancer for fifteen years. It was all pirouettes and pointe shoes—until the stories begging to be told in my head became too insistent to ignore.
I was born on a chilly November evening in London, and since then, life has taken me on quite the journey! I’ve lived on three continents, called both Auckland, New Zealand and the sunny Algarve in Portugal home, and now reside in San Francisco, California with my husband and our small (but mighty) fur-family.
I’m a lifelong bibliophile, animal rescue advocate, travel junkie, movie lover, pizza connoisseur, and occasional lemondrop sipper (well, maybe more than occasional). If you’re ever looking for me, just follow the trail of glittering ideas, crumpled notebook pages, and a suspiciously empty pizza box.
Visit www.bakeating.com for more information or join me on Instagram @bakeatingauthor
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 9, 2019
This was a simple and totally charming book for children of almost all ages. It reminded me a little of The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton, which was one of my favourite books when I was young, that sense of being able to escape to a wood full of magical creatures who lead a beautiful life in harmony with one another - well, more or less.
The author writes well, keeping the language plain and understandable yet never patronises. Her main character Cat is honest and relatable and very appealing. Her plight as the new child at the school who is singled out for bullying by the mean girl and her cronies is one almost every child can associate with and you really feel for poor Cat in the beginning. However, things begin to look up when she discovers a flower fairy in a watering can and that there is a whole, wonderful world in the wood at the bottom of the garden.
The author has created a wealth of magical residents of this wood, and I liked the different personalities which all somehow rubbed along together despite their quirky ways. Everything seems to be looking up for Cat until her father gets a new girlfriend who is so much a cliched ugly stepmother character that I almost expected a pumpkin to come into play at some point.
Things rapidly go downhill when Cat's father, always a distant figure in her life as it is, becomes even more impossible to reach and Cat relies more and more on her woodland friends.
No spoilers, but obviously the situation becomes very grim indeed for Cat and her friends.
I liked this book a lot, it was fresh and wholesome and in a sea of somewhat bleak and dystopian children's books that seem the fashion right now, it was a ray of nostalgic simplicity. One tiny thing that did niggle was how speedily and easily things were resolved. There had been a lot of build-up to the "very bad thing" then it was all sorted with no mess, no fuss in about one paragraph. This felt a little rushed to me as if the author suddenly became aware of a word-count restriction and decided to wrap it up as quickly as possible. However, this is just a personal observation and in no way affects the solid five stars I am awarding this book.
For parents of young children, this is a fun book to read with them and even encourage them to read alone, and for adults, it's a sweet reminder of our own childhood and the books we loved back then.
The author writes well, keeping the language plain and understandable yet never patronises. Her main character Cat is honest and relatable and very appealing. Her plight as the new child at the school who is singled out for bullying by the mean girl and her cronies is one almost every child can associate with and you really feel for poor Cat in the beginning. However, things begin to look up when she discovers a flower fairy in a watering can and that there is a whole, wonderful world in the wood at the bottom of the garden.
The author has created a wealth of magical residents of this wood, and I liked the different personalities which all somehow rubbed along together despite their quirky ways. Everything seems to be looking up for Cat until her father gets a new girlfriend who is so much a cliched ugly stepmother character that I almost expected a pumpkin to come into play at some point.
Things rapidly go downhill when Cat's father, always a distant figure in her life as it is, becomes even more impossible to reach and Cat relies more and more on her woodland friends.
No spoilers, but obviously the situation becomes very grim indeed for Cat and her friends.
I liked this book a lot, it was fresh and wholesome and in a sea of somewhat bleak and dystopian children's books that seem the fashion right now, it was a ray of nostalgic simplicity. One tiny thing that did niggle was how speedily and easily things were resolved. There had been a lot of build-up to the "very bad thing" then it was all sorted with no mess, no fuss in about one paragraph. This felt a little rushed to me as if the author suddenly became aware of a word-count restriction and decided to wrap it up as quickly as possible. However, this is just a personal observation and in no way affects the solid five stars I am awarding this book.
For parents of young children, this is a fun book to read with them and even encourage them to read alone, and for adults, it's a sweet reminder of our own childhood and the books we loved back then.
January 31, 2026
There’s something quietly magical about this book.
The Wood at the Bottom of the Garden Gate feels like stepping into a place you’re not sure is real…until you’re completely lost in it. B.A. Keating writes with this gentle, almost dreamlike touch, and the story has that slightly eerie, fairytale-adjacent feeling where wonder and unease sit side by side.
What I loved most is the atmosphere. The wood isn’t just a setting—it feels alive, like it’s holding secrets in its branches. The story draws you forward in that way where you keep thinking, Just one more chapter…
It’s the kind of book that lingers after you finish, not because it’s loud or dramatic, but because it’s quietly haunting and beautifully written.
If you enjoy stories that feel mysterious, a little whimsical, and just dark enough around the edges, this one is worth picking up.
The Wood at the Bottom of the Garden Gate feels like stepping into a place you’re not sure is real…until you’re completely lost in it. B.A. Keating writes with this gentle, almost dreamlike touch, and the story has that slightly eerie, fairytale-adjacent feeling where wonder and unease sit side by side.
What I loved most is the atmosphere. The wood isn’t just a setting—it feels alive, like it’s holding secrets in its branches. The story draws you forward in that way where you keep thinking, Just one more chapter…
It’s the kind of book that lingers after you finish, not because it’s loud or dramatic, but because it’s quietly haunting and beautifully written.
If you enjoy stories that feel mysterious, a little whimsical, and just dark enough around the edges, this one is worth picking up.
September 25, 2023
Cat is an outcast among the kids in the village due to a rich and resentful girl's endless bullying. Once summer finally arrives, Cat gets a reprieve from the bully but is left on her own to find ways to occupy herself. Her father is far too busy with his work to spend time with her and Cat will do anything to avoid his recently acquired girlfriend.
While exploring the grounds of their family property, Cat rescues a magical creature and nurtures it back to health. This wins the trust of the inhabitants of a secret mystical world where Cat is welcomed by most.
Cat's life is a daily adventure each time she visits the woods but her soon to be evil step mother has other plans for the beloved property and Cat will do everything she can to help her magical family.
While exploring the grounds of their family property, Cat rescues a magical creature and nurtures it back to health. This wins the trust of the inhabitants of a secret mystical world where Cat is welcomed by most.
Cat's life is a daily adventure each time she visits the woods but her soon to be evil step mother has other plans for the beloved property and Cat will do everything she can to help her magical family.
January 2, 2020
A lovely book for children (Cat is 11 yrs. old), and adults alike if you like to reminisce the old times when you read a magical book as a child.
A tale of friendship, secrets, a wicked woman, a magical wood, forgotten memories, and a 11-yr. old who wants to see her daddy happy again.
Easy to read, nicely flowing, however, sometimes difficult things are solved easy (or in a short amount of time).
A tale of friendship, secrets, a wicked woman, a magical wood, forgotten memories, and a 11-yr. old who wants to see her daddy happy again.
Easy to read, nicely flowing, however, sometimes difficult things are solved easy (or in a short amount of time).
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews