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The View From the Cherry Tree
From his favorite perch in a cherry tree, Rob sees a murder committed, but when he tells his preoccupied family, no one will believe him.
"Taut with suspense, this spell-binding story carries the reader along". —Booklist, starred review.
"Taut with suspense, this spell-binding story carries the reader along". —Booklist, starred review.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
43 people are currently reading
873 people want to read
About the author
Willo Davis Roberts
123 books139 followersWillo Davis Roberts was an American writer chiefly known for her mystery novels for children and young adults. She won Edgar Allan Poe awards in 1989, 1995, and 1997 for best juvenile and best young adult mysteries. Her books included The View from the Cherry Tree, Twisted Summer, Don't Hurt Laurie, Megan's Island, Baby-sitting is a Dangerous Job, Hostage, The Girl with Silver Eyes, The One Left Behind and Scared Stiff.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
August 29, 2025
This was fun to read. I checked this novel out many times from my elementary school library, but the book cover was much creepier. Holds up well, I think, although all of the references to smoking and drinking surprised me!
December 31, 2019
Loved this book! A cranky neighbour is murdered and the only witness is teenage Rob who lives next door. but Rob's family is in the midst of preparing for his sister's wedding that weekend, and one of said sister's old boyfriends is also trying to woo her back. So Rob has to convince his family that he's sepakign the truth, and at the same time evade a murderer who's trying to eliminate the only witness around. A very enjoyable read.
April 11, 2020
We finished this kid mystery tonight as a family. They loved it and begged me to go on chapter after chapter. We all loved it!
March 25, 2018
I had read this before. Well, really, listened to it as my 6th grade teacher read it out-loud. I remember I liked it, but I'm more impressed now by how well written this book is. Basically, Robbie is an 11-year-old kid who accidentally sees his cranky next-door neighbor pushed out the window, murdered. It is the day before his sister's wedding, so no one has time to listen to him. I am impressed by how everything is so believable and realistic. Nothing sounds contrived, even the reasons everyone has for not listening to Robbie. The murder is described as I would think an 11-year-old boy would see it. And there is humor and family and a cat with a strong character of his own. My very favorite part is the prank Robbie tries to pull on his neighbor near the beginning of the book. Read it, and enjoy.
July 4, 2008
I picked this up from the library when I was about twelve and oh how I loved it! It has mystery, murder, suspense and I don't think I moved from the spot I was in when I opened the book until I finished it. It was one of my fondest ambitions to get myself into a murder/mystery situation but reading about it was the next best thing and this book didn't dissappoint me!
September 22, 2016
6th grade booktalk
Rob is a quiet eleven year-old – he spends a lot of his time sitting in the branches of his family’s cherry tree, watching the neighborhood go by. Lately, he’s been up there a lot – his sister Darcy is getting married, and the house is full of relatives and friends (and Darcy’s ex-suitors, too) preparing for the wedding and generally going insane. It’s easier for Rob to just disappear up the tree – otherwise someone might find a job for him to do. Plus, he can keep away from his grumpy, mean neighbor, Mrs. Calloway – and try to keep his big black cat, Sonny, away from her too.
Rob is up in the cherry tree – spitting pits at Mrs. Calloway’s windows, actually – when he sees Sonny creeping along the branch toward Mrs. Calloway’s window – probably hoping to sneak inside and eat one of her goldfish again. Rob knows he has to stop Sonny, or they’ll both be in huge trouble, but before he can reach Sonny to grab him, Mrs. Calloway is at the window. She’s talking to someone – and she sounds angry – she’s refusing to do something, and then she sees Sonny. Rob sees Mrs. Calloway leaning out the window to shoo him away, and then he sees a pair of hands come from behind her and shove her – right out the window. Mrs. Calloway dies – never hitting the ground because her nosy binoculars caught on a branch and strangled her. And Rob saw it all.
When the police come, Rob knows he has to say something about the man he saw push her – but no one will listen to him. Everyone thinks it’s a very clear accident, and the police wrap up her body and take her away. Then it’s back to preparing for Darcy’s wedding again. Rob tries and tries to get someone to listen to him – especially after several .22 shots miss him while he’s sitting on the front porch, and his chicken lunch (eaten by a cat friend of Sonny’s) turned out to be poisoned. It’s clear someone murdered Mrs. Calloway – and knows Rob saw it, so it out for him too. But no one will listen – not even the police, when Rob calls them.
Can Rob catch the murderer on his own – or will he be murdered too? With no one on his side, it’s a dangerous wedding weekend…
Rob is a quiet eleven year-old – he spends a lot of his time sitting in the branches of his family’s cherry tree, watching the neighborhood go by. Lately, he’s been up there a lot – his sister Darcy is getting married, and the house is full of relatives and friends (and Darcy’s ex-suitors, too) preparing for the wedding and generally going insane. It’s easier for Rob to just disappear up the tree – otherwise someone might find a job for him to do. Plus, he can keep away from his grumpy, mean neighbor, Mrs. Calloway – and try to keep his big black cat, Sonny, away from her too.
Rob is up in the cherry tree – spitting pits at Mrs. Calloway’s windows, actually – when he sees Sonny creeping along the branch toward Mrs. Calloway’s window – probably hoping to sneak inside and eat one of her goldfish again. Rob knows he has to stop Sonny, or they’ll both be in huge trouble, but before he can reach Sonny to grab him, Mrs. Calloway is at the window. She’s talking to someone – and she sounds angry – she’s refusing to do something, and then she sees Sonny. Rob sees Mrs. Calloway leaning out the window to shoo him away, and then he sees a pair of hands come from behind her and shove her – right out the window. Mrs. Calloway dies – never hitting the ground because her nosy binoculars caught on a branch and strangled her. And Rob saw it all.
When the police come, Rob knows he has to say something about the man he saw push her – but no one will listen to him. Everyone thinks it’s a very clear accident, and the police wrap up her body and take her away. Then it’s back to preparing for Darcy’s wedding again. Rob tries and tries to get someone to listen to him – especially after several .22 shots miss him while he’s sitting on the front porch, and his chicken lunch (eaten by a cat friend of Sonny’s) turned out to be poisoned. It’s clear someone murdered Mrs. Calloway – and knows Rob saw it, so it out for him too. But no one will listen – not even the police, when Rob calls them.
Can Rob catch the murderer on his own – or will he be murdered too? With no one on his side, it’s a dangerous wedding weekend…
March 17, 2023
This was a simple but exciting murder mystery. My favorite character was Sonny, who was a good part of the plot. My favorite part was when Derek was chasing Rob through Mrs. Calloway's house. I also liked how Rob spent a lot of his time in the cherry tree. Overall, this was a page-turner.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2009
This is a short, quick read and on the surface seems like just a kid adventure story of Rob who has terrible things happening to him. He tries to tell his parents that he thinks the neighbor has been murdered, but they are wrapped in his sister's wedding and just ignore him. The plot is entertaining, but there is a good message here of how we tend not to pay attention to kids and think they do not know what they are talking about. I think this is a great book for kids as I think they will relate to Rob's frustrations, but it is a good reminder for adults, too, not to be so wrapped in our own daily lives that we forget that kids should be heard, too.
November 9, 2018
3.5 (little spoiler) Fun read, well written, doesnt really pick up though until the end. Also some what unrealistic. If my child came in the house and said someone was shooting at them, pretty sure I would not just brush it off. That was a big theme in the book that was hard to believe. I get that there was a wedding going on, but come on a woman just died next door (swinging from a tree no less) and everyone is just like meh. Now is this was set in 2018 I could see that :).
October 12, 2008
It's very interesting. The best part is when the little boy pretends to be dead on the old ladies porch by putting ketchup on himself. It was hilarious.
December 17, 2020
I remember the creepy cover of this book when I was a kid. I picked it up a number of times at the library but never actually checked it out. I decided to give it a read as a middle-aged adult.
It was a fun, well-structured/plotted mystery for younger readers, incorporating a few startling elements (the hanging scene). I was able to figure out the culprit pretty early on, and definitely recognized that the spiders had a role to play.
I smiled at some of the details that reveal the story’s 1970s origin— Rob getting an ashtray for one of the characters from a stack in the kitchen, and the landline phone seemed to be a character in its own right, in a sense.
Reviews for this book noted that Rob’s cat was named S.O. B., and that there was a fair amount of swearing in the dialogue. In my library copy (with an updated cover), the cat was named Sonny. I really didn’t notice any objectionable language, except perhaps the scene where Rob’s mother stated that she ought to slap him. The book has obviously undergone some revisions. I’m curious about those and would like to see them. I wonder if those were agreed to or initiated by the author before she passed away in 2004? I guess I can understand why this was done, but I would have appreciated a note somewhere that the book has been updated/revised since it was first published.
It was a fun, well-structured/plotted mystery for younger readers, incorporating a few startling elements (the hanging scene). I was able to figure out the culprit pretty early on, and definitely recognized that the spiders had a role to play.
I smiled at some of the details that reveal the story’s 1970s origin— Rob getting an ashtray for one of the characters from a stack in the kitchen, and the landline phone seemed to be a character in its own right, in a sense.
Reviews for this book noted that Rob’s cat was named S.O. B., and that there was a fair amount of swearing in the dialogue. In my library copy (with an updated cover), the cat was named Sonny. I really didn’t notice any objectionable language, except perhaps the scene where Rob’s mother stated that she ought to slap him. The book has obviously undergone some revisions. I’m curious about those and would like to see them. I wonder if those were agreed to or initiated by the author before she passed away in 2004? I guess I can understand why this was done, but I would have appreciated a note somewhere that the book has been updated/revised since it was first published.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2024
All I can say is...
WOW.
This book is amazing, the mystery, murder, whodunit, and suspense of it all makes you want to never want to put it down. A difinite page-turner. It isn't scary, (except for a murder that is). The thoughts and actions of Rob are relatable, even for adults. It is a humorous book, there are times where you will laugh out loud at the innocence of a 11-year old boy. Including how he describes the murder is so much like I would, and so much like an 11-year old. ;)
WOW.
This book is amazing, the mystery, murder, whodunit, and suspense of it all makes you want to never want to put it down. A difinite page-turner. It isn't scary, (except for a murder that is). The thoughts and actions of Rob are relatable, even for adults. It is a humorous book, there are times where you will laugh out loud at the innocence of a 11-year old boy. Including how he describes the murder is so much like I would, and so much like an 11-year old. ;)
August 22, 2019
I really enjoyed re-reading this as an adult. It really gives off Home Alone vibes which I never caught onto as a child. This was written long before Home Alone so its merely coincidental but it was very fun to see the similarities.
Read
July 30, 2025Reread of a childhood favorite. Still good! Some plot points definitely a bit questionable now.
Read
October 20, 2025Pretty sure this 1975 children's mystery inspired both Home Alone and 16 candles. Fast and entertaining outside of a couple dated references. Too bad I didn't discover it back then. 10 year old me would have loved it
November 12, 2021
Fun fact before we begin: I loved this book as a kid. I also loved a much less well-known book called The Girl With the Silver Eyes as a kid. I literally just found out this month that they were written by the same author.
On to the review!
The View from the Cherry Tree follows young Rob, whose main preoccupation these days is sitting in a cherry tree that overlooks his neighbor, Mrs. Calloway's, property, and avoiding his family, who are currently obsessed with his oldest sister's wedding. One day, he witnesses Mrs. Calloway fall out of the window to her death. Everyone thinks it's an accident... except Rob, who is sure he saw someone push her. Then a planter nearly lands on Rob's head. Then he's nearly shot. And he starts to realize that he has to identify the killer before the killer puts a permanent end to Rob.
I remember reading this as a child and being completely spellbound by the suspense. I hadn't read it since then, so I picked it up, hoping it stood the test of time.
And it... kind of did?
The book doesn't shy away from violence like many of today's YA novels do. I half-expected it to be one of those fake-outs, where Mrs. Calloway really was in the hospital, not really dead, and Rob just got confused! But nope! Roberts shows the death in all its violent glory and I have to say, I'm kind of impressed. I remember as a kid that was quite shocking, and absolutely titillating.
You also have to admire the blunt glory of the 70s... here we have an eleven-year-old boy who witnessed a violent death, and his family is like, "Welp, that's sad, back to wedding planning, now go play." No suggestions of therapy or trauma. I'm not saying that's a good thing, but it fits right in there with the mention of a bridesmaid dropping out due to measles or having to use a bottle opener to open a Pepsi.
So the good part is that there's no nonsense. Mrs. Calloway is actually dead. The killer is actually violent. It's kind of refreshing when compared to the more watered-down YA novels that come out nowadays.
On the other hand, the ending is disappointing. Much like JKR in the Harry Potter series, there seems to be a dearth of understanding that stories need a denouement. It's disappointing and frustrating when you have the main complex, but no resolution. In this case, the killer is revealed! And then a few pages later - admittedly very suspenseful, fun pages - it ends. There is no mention of how the family reacted to finding out that Mrs. Calloway actually was murdered, or that Rob was telling the truth, or he actually was almost shot... it just ends.
So all in all, a fun trip down memory lane, but maybe not quite the literary tour-de-force I remembered from my youth. Ah, well. The eleven-year-olds in your lives will still enjoy it.
On to the review!
The View from the Cherry Tree follows young Rob, whose main preoccupation these days is sitting in a cherry tree that overlooks his neighbor, Mrs. Calloway's, property, and avoiding his family, who are currently obsessed with his oldest sister's wedding. One day, he witnesses Mrs. Calloway fall out of the window to her death. Everyone thinks it's an accident... except Rob, who is sure he saw someone push her. Then a planter nearly lands on Rob's head. Then he's nearly shot. And he starts to realize that he has to identify the killer before the killer puts a permanent end to Rob.
I remember reading this as a child and being completely spellbound by the suspense. I hadn't read it since then, so I picked it up, hoping it stood the test of time.
And it... kind of did?
The book doesn't shy away from violence like many of today's YA novels do. I half-expected it to be one of those fake-outs, where Mrs. Calloway really was in the hospital, not really dead, and Rob just got confused! But nope! Roberts shows the death in all its violent glory and I have to say, I'm kind of impressed. I remember as a kid that was quite shocking, and absolutely titillating.
You also have to admire the blunt glory of the 70s... here we have an eleven-year-old boy who witnessed a violent death, and his family is like, "Welp, that's sad, back to wedding planning, now go play." No suggestions of therapy or trauma. I'm not saying that's a good thing, but it fits right in there with the mention of a bridesmaid dropping out due to measles or having to use a bottle opener to open a Pepsi.
So the good part is that there's no nonsense. Mrs. Calloway is actually dead. The killer is actually violent. It's kind of refreshing when compared to the more watered-down YA novels that come out nowadays.
On the other hand, the ending is disappointing. Much like JKR in the Harry Potter series, there seems to be a dearth of understanding that stories need a denouement. It's disappointing and frustrating when you have the main complex, but no resolution. In this case, the killer is revealed! And then a few pages later - admittedly very suspenseful, fun pages - it ends. There is no mention of how the family reacted to finding out that Mrs. Calloway actually was murdered, or that Rob was telling the truth, or he actually was almost shot... it just ends.
So all in all, a fun trip down memory lane, but maybe not quite the literary tour-de-force I remembered from my youth. Ah, well. The eleven-year-olds in your lives will still enjoy it.
July 3, 2009
Summary: Rob usually climbed into the cherry tree in his yard to get away from his family and have time to think, but one night while up in that tree he witnessed a murder. His sister was getting married the following day. Everyone was busy getting ready for the wedding. Nobody seemed to even care about what Rob had seen. He soon realized that the murderer knew who he was and what he had seen, and was trying to kill him now. Cornered in the neighbor’s house by the murderer, he was able to figure out the motive for the killer’s attack and the authorities arrived before the killer was able to get Rob.
Comments: This book was filled with adjectives that gave the book more depth, and provided for more detailed scenes. “The cat ate greedily, crouched over the plastic dish on the kitchen floor.” (pg. 74), “There was dust on everything, and the smell of mildew, and always that overpowering odor that seemed a combination of medicine and unwashed bodies and rotting garbage.” (pg. 136)
Comments: This book was filled with adjectives that gave the book more depth, and provided for more detailed scenes. “The cat ate greedily, crouched over the plastic dish on the kitchen floor.” (pg. 74), “There was dust on everything, and the smell of mildew, and always that overpowering odor that seemed a combination of medicine and unwashed bodies and rotting garbage.” (pg. 136)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2013
Slow moving. The structure of the book and pacing/dialogue was weird to me. The ending didn't have a ton of closure for me either . Granted, this is a total juvenile read, maybe I would've liked it more if I was in the targeted audience age-wise. I was frustrated that no one was listening or believing the main character and their reasons for not listening to him seemed unrealistic to me.
November 5, 2021
Choice book #3 Quarter 1, The View From The Cherry Tree.
This is a Mystery book, but also a Realistic Fiction book. The author for “The View From the Cherry Tree” is Willo Davis Roberts.
The View From the Cherry Tree takes place in a small town. Pretty much the whole book takes place at Rob's house, or their next-door neighbor’s.
The top four main characters of this book are Rob, Mrs. Calloway, Rob’s mom, and Rob’s dad. Rob is a nice, brave kid that is the main character in The View From the Cherry Tree. Rob was unlucky enough to witness a murder, so the murderer was trying to kill him throughout the book. One of Rob’s big problems throughout the book was that he was ignored by his family because his sister was having her wedding. Rob shows his bravery at the end of the book when he runs away from his mom and the police and goes to investigate Mrs. Calloway’s house. Mrs. Calloway is a mean old lady that calls the cops on practically everybody for stupid reasons. Everybody in this story hates Mrs. Calloway, especially Rob because Mrs. Calloway beat Rob up with a broom. Mrs. Calloway gets murdered right in front of Rob’s eyes early in the book. Later in the book, we find out that it was Mrs. Calloway’s nephew, Derek, who murdered her. Derek coincidentally was Darcy’s old boyfriend, so he was the one who was trying to kill Rob throughout the story. Rob’s mom is normally a good mom, but she was really stressed about getting Darcy’s wedding set up so she ignored Rob practically the whole book. Rob’s mom had a lot of people over, some uninvited, so she had to handle the wedding and all the people so she was very busy, too busy to listen to Rob. One time, Rob spoke up and yelled “Why doesn’t anybody listen to my side of things”, and Rob’s mom got super mad and told Rob to stay in his room. I’m sure she was a great mom, but during this book she completely ignored Rob. Rob’s dad was one of the only people who Rob could talk to. Rob’s dad was a great person and a great father. Rob’s dad was gone for a lot of the book helping Rob’s uncle. Rob’s dad was furious at Rob’s uncle when he told him the news, Rob knew about his uncle stealing money because he was eavesdropping on their conversation from the cherry tree. He was kind of the hero at the end when he came into Mrs. Calloway’s with the cops in time to stop Derek from murdering Rob.
Some of the minor characters in “The View From the Cherry Tree”, are Derek, Darcy, and Teddi. I thought Derek was a good guy until I found out he murdered his aunt because she wouldn’t give his drugs back! Derek was trying to target Rob throughout the book. He tried to shoot Rob, missed, then tried to drop a big flower pot on his head from high up, missed, then tried to poison his food, Rob got lucky, then Derek tried to kill Rob first hand, and failed. The next minor character is Darcy. Darcy is Derek's old girlfriend, but then Darcy dumped him. Darcy is very spoiled, and kind of the head of the family, except for the parents of course. Just like Rob’s mom, I think Darcy was usually a good sister to Rob, but since she was so stressed with her wedding, she was kind of a brat sometimes. Teddi is a nice caring person. Teddi liked Max, and I’m pretty sure Max liked her. Teddi was almost the first person to hear about the murder, and the first person to find Rob after he hid from his parents and the police, but Rob didn’t talk to her since Max was a suspect and was standing next to her.
The main conflict/problem was the murder, well it was for Rob. Another problem was everybody getting set up for the wedding. It was definitely a problem that Derek was trying to kill Rob throughout the book, Rob couldn’t even find out who was trying to kill him until the end when he found out it was Derek who tried to shoot him, drop a flower pot on his head, and poison his food. The wedding was a problem because it was stressing everybody out and causing conflict throughout the family, especially for Rob because no one was listening to him.
First, S.O.B (Rob’s cat) was lured into Mrs. Calloways yard by some food in her trash can, and Mrs. Calloway beat up Rob with a broom. Then, Rob witnessed a murder while he was sitting in the cherry tree, he saw a mans hands push Mrs, Calloway where her binoculars got stuck on a tree branch and she chocked to death. Next, Rob almost got shot from an unknown place, then a flower pot almost fell on his head, Rob’s food was poisoned, and lucky for him, he didn’t eat it. Then, Rob called the cops and they came over to his house, but Rob didn’t think the cops, or his mom, would believe him so he ran away. He then went to look for evidence in Mrs. Calloways house, found some, but Derek came in behind him, and Rob found out he was the murderer. After a lot of running, hiding, and even talking, After maybe an hour of missing, his dad came in the door with police officers. Finally Derek was arrested.
I enjoyed this book because it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book. My favorite part of the book was the end when Derek was trying to kill Rob in Mrs. Calloway’s house. This book definitely engages my emotions. I was thinking about who the murderer was even when I wasn’t reading the book. I definitely recommend this book to everybody.
This is a Mystery book, but also a Realistic Fiction book. The author for “The View From the Cherry Tree” is Willo Davis Roberts.
The View From the Cherry Tree takes place in a small town. Pretty much the whole book takes place at Rob's house, or their next-door neighbor’s.
The top four main characters of this book are Rob, Mrs. Calloway, Rob’s mom, and Rob’s dad. Rob is a nice, brave kid that is the main character in The View From the Cherry Tree. Rob was unlucky enough to witness a murder, so the murderer was trying to kill him throughout the book. One of Rob’s big problems throughout the book was that he was ignored by his family because his sister was having her wedding. Rob shows his bravery at the end of the book when he runs away from his mom and the police and goes to investigate Mrs. Calloway’s house. Mrs. Calloway is a mean old lady that calls the cops on practically everybody for stupid reasons. Everybody in this story hates Mrs. Calloway, especially Rob because Mrs. Calloway beat Rob up with a broom. Mrs. Calloway gets murdered right in front of Rob’s eyes early in the book. Later in the book, we find out that it was Mrs. Calloway’s nephew, Derek, who murdered her. Derek coincidentally was Darcy’s old boyfriend, so he was the one who was trying to kill Rob throughout the story. Rob’s mom is normally a good mom, but she was really stressed about getting Darcy’s wedding set up so she ignored Rob practically the whole book. Rob’s mom had a lot of people over, some uninvited, so she had to handle the wedding and all the people so she was very busy, too busy to listen to Rob. One time, Rob spoke up and yelled “Why doesn’t anybody listen to my side of things”, and Rob’s mom got super mad and told Rob to stay in his room. I’m sure she was a great mom, but during this book she completely ignored Rob. Rob’s dad was one of the only people who Rob could talk to. Rob’s dad was a great person and a great father. Rob’s dad was gone for a lot of the book helping Rob’s uncle. Rob’s dad was furious at Rob’s uncle when he told him the news, Rob knew about his uncle stealing money because he was eavesdropping on their conversation from the cherry tree. He was kind of the hero at the end when he came into Mrs. Calloway’s with the cops in time to stop Derek from murdering Rob.
Some of the minor characters in “The View From the Cherry Tree”, are Derek, Darcy, and Teddi. I thought Derek was a good guy until I found out he murdered his aunt because she wouldn’t give his drugs back! Derek was trying to target Rob throughout the book. He tried to shoot Rob, missed, then tried to drop a big flower pot on his head from high up, missed, then tried to poison his food, Rob got lucky, then Derek tried to kill Rob first hand, and failed. The next minor character is Darcy. Darcy is Derek's old girlfriend, but then Darcy dumped him. Darcy is very spoiled, and kind of the head of the family, except for the parents of course. Just like Rob’s mom, I think Darcy was usually a good sister to Rob, but since she was so stressed with her wedding, she was kind of a brat sometimes. Teddi is a nice caring person. Teddi liked Max, and I’m pretty sure Max liked her. Teddi was almost the first person to hear about the murder, and the first person to find Rob after he hid from his parents and the police, but Rob didn’t talk to her since Max was a suspect and was standing next to her.
The main conflict/problem was the murder, well it was for Rob. Another problem was everybody getting set up for the wedding. It was definitely a problem that Derek was trying to kill Rob throughout the book, Rob couldn’t even find out who was trying to kill him until the end when he found out it was Derek who tried to shoot him, drop a flower pot on his head, and poison his food. The wedding was a problem because it was stressing everybody out and causing conflict throughout the family, especially for Rob because no one was listening to him.
First, S.O.B (Rob’s cat) was lured into Mrs. Calloways yard by some food in her trash can, and Mrs. Calloway beat up Rob with a broom. Then, Rob witnessed a murder while he was sitting in the cherry tree, he saw a mans hands push Mrs, Calloway where her binoculars got stuck on a tree branch and she chocked to death. Next, Rob almost got shot from an unknown place, then a flower pot almost fell on his head, Rob’s food was poisoned, and lucky for him, he didn’t eat it. Then, Rob called the cops and they came over to his house, but Rob didn’t think the cops, or his mom, would believe him so he ran away. He then went to look for evidence in Mrs. Calloways house, found some, but Derek came in behind him, and Rob found out he was the murderer. After a lot of running, hiding, and even talking, After maybe an hour of missing, his dad came in the door with police officers. Finally Derek was arrested.
I enjoyed this book because it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book. My favorite part of the book was the end when Derek was trying to kill Rob in Mrs. Calloway’s house. This book definitely engages my emotions. I was thinking about who the murderer was even when I wasn’t reading the book. I definitely recommend this book to everybody.
May 14, 2024
Essere stati piccoli negli anni 90 voleva dire anche passare quello che ha passato Rob: non solo passare molto tempo fuori, passando per giardini, alberi, case abbandonate, ma soprattutto non essere creduti se si diceva di aver visto qualcosa ed essere invisibili se una sorella si sposava.
Tutto questo capita a lui, che per caso vede la vecchia vicina di casa essere spinta dalla finestra e rimanere impiccata a un albero. E quando prova a dire a chiunque che non è stato un incidente ma un assassinio, nessuno gli crede o ha tempo per ascoltarlo, perché sono tutti presi dall'imminentissimo matrimonio della sorella Darcy.
E per colpa di quegli adulti, che non ci credevano se dicevamo qualcosa, che ci incolpavano per qualcosa che non avevamo fatto, che ci vedevano come un intralcio quando avevano da fare, anche Rob rischia di essere ucciso dalle stesse mani che hanno spinto la signora Calloway.
Quindi, cari genitori (e cari poliziotti) ascoltate i ragazzini quando vogliono dirvi qualcosa.
Tutto questo capita a lui, che per caso vede la vecchia vicina di casa essere spinta dalla finestra e rimanere impiccata a un albero. E quando prova a dire a chiunque che non è stato un incidente ma un assassinio, nessuno gli crede o ha tempo per ascoltarlo, perché sono tutti presi dall'imminentissimo matrimonio della sorella Darcy.
E per colpa di quegli adulti, che non ci credevano se dicevamo qualcosa, che ci incolpavano per qualcosa che non avevamo fatto, che ci vedevano come un intralcio quando avevano da fare, anche Rob rischia di essere ucciso dalle stesse mani che hanno spinto la signora Calloway.
Quindi, cari genitori (e cari poliziotti) ascoltate i ragazzini quando vogliono dirvi qualcosa.
April 8, 2018
The View From The Cherry Tree
A day before Rob’s sisters wedding Rob witnessed a murder, his cranky old neighbor got pushed out of a window. But because he is an 11 year old boy, and everybody is so caught up with the wedding nobody believes him. As Rob told the police what happened the police doesn't believe him, because they think it was a clear accident that she fell out of the window. After The incident with the old lady getting shoved out of the widow, Rob soon realizes that the murderer is now looking to kill him. As the murderer has Rob cornered and nearly killed, the police figure out that Rob was not lying. and the police rush over to the scene where Rob is going to get killed, and they save Rob.
A day before Rob’s sisters wedding Rob witnessed a murder, his cranky old neighbor got pushed out of a window. But because he is an 11 year old boy, and everybody is so caught up with the wedding nobody believes him. As Rob told the police what happened the police doesn't believe him, because they think it was a clear accident that she fell out of the window. After The incident with the old lady getting shoved out of the widow, Rob soon realizes that the murderer is now looking to kill him. As the murderer has Rob cornered and nearly killed, the police figure out that Rob was not lying. and the police rush over to the scene where Rob is going to get killed, and they save Rob.
January 17, 2017
This was a very suspenseful read. The main character, Rob, is well written as a put upon younger brother lost in the midst of his oldest sister's wedding preparations. However, given the references to murder, drugs, and alcohol, as well as the bad language (much of it implied), I would recommend this for middle school age and up. You know, not for my 4th grade daughter who highly recommended it to me...sheesh! Perhaps I should see if she has any questions about what she read in it. And perhaps I should pay a little more attention to what she's reading!
June 27, 2017
This is exactly the kind of book I would have gobbled up as a child, so I won't review it from an adult perspective. From his favourite hideout in his cherry tree, Rob witnesses the murder of his cantankerous next door neighbour. His family is too wrapped up in his sister's wedding preparations to listen to what sounds like an unbelievable tale. The characters are realistic, and the plot is reasonably plausible, the suspense is nicely developed, and the conclusion exciting and satisfying. I enjoyed reading like a 10 year-old again.
February 12, 2018
I’m in the midst of rereading some old favorites, as my daughter is looking for more and different books to read. I thought she’s approaching the age where she’s ready for them.
11 year old Robbie is left to his own devices, as his oldest sister is getting married and his whole family is focused on the upcoming wedding. He sees his cranky old neighbor Mrs. Calloway get murdered, but his family doesn’t believe him. And then he thinks the killer is trying to get him. Is Robbie an attention-seeking kid or is he right?
11 year old Robbie is left to his own devices, as his oldest sister is getting married and his whole family is focused on the upcoming wedding. He sees his cranky old neighbor Mrs. Calloway get murdered, but his family doesn’t believe him. And then he thinks the killer is trying to get him. Is Robbie an attention-seeking kid or is he right?
August 30, 2019
Decided to reread this book as an adult. It was not as scary as I remembered. Young boy witnesses his neighbor being pushed out her window. Everyone thinks it is an accident but he knows it is murder but no one will listen to him. His family is to distracted getting ready for his sister's wedding. Then someone tries to shoot him. He is in danger and must figure out who the killer is before he turns up dead and really ruins his sisters wedding plans.
50/50BookQuest categories= Is over 20 years old (published in 1974), mystery, and young adult book.
50/50BookQuest categories= Is over 20 years old (published in 1974), mystery, and young adult book.
June 20, 2022
Holds up pretty well over all these years. Apparently there must have been some flak about the alcohol and swearing (neither of which are really highly discussed) so in later editions the cats name was changed from S.O.B. To Sunny/Sonny (not sure of Spelling). Pretty innocuous stuff considering what’s in some young adult books today. Author had different audience in mind and publisher pushed to make in juvenile. Fun read for Bookclub to do something light.
May 19, 2024
Good suspense without bad language
I like a good mystery or suspense novel. But what’s happened in the last 30 years or so is that authors seem incapable of writing without foul language. Thus I look for young adult mysteries even though I’m no longer young. By a long shot.
This is well written and keeps the reader involved. A page turner, as you’re anxious to see what’s next. I’ll check out the author’s other books.
I like a good mystery or suspense novel. But what’s happened in the last 30 years or so is that authors seem incapable of writing without foul language. Thus I look for young adult mysteries even though I’m no longer young. By a long shot.
This is well written and keeps the reader involved. A page turner, as you’re anxious to see what’s next. I’ll check out the author’s other books.
August 22, 2020
I think I read this as a child as I remembered the cover in the library bookstore. I read this book this time from start to finish as if it were new.
It was well written and I could see the craft in the writing, reading as an adult. I found myself turning each page, murmuring ‘oh no’ as I read further. It was definitely engaging.
It was well written and I could see the craft in the writing, reading as an adult. I found myself turning each page, murmuring ‘oh no’ as I read further. It was definitely engaging.
December 12, 2020
I never quite read anything like this before. The thrill of this novel was so good that I couldn't put the book down. It was such a good one. And the idea of a crime thriller described from the point of view of a eleven years old is as brilliant as it sounds. Really looking forward to read other pieces by this author.
November 6, 2021
This is a book for children, 10 and up. It’s been on my bookshelf for probably thirty years. I finally read it to make room for newer books. Cute story about a young boos who, from his yard’s cherry tree, witnesses his neighbor’s murder. However, no one believes him. A good story but la is strong story and character development.
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