Tree Girl

By Ben Mikaelsen and Ben Mikaelsen

Book Overview

They call Gabriela Tree Girl. Laj Ali Re Jayub in her native language of Quiche. Gabi climbs trees to be within reach of the eagles and watch the sun rise into an empty sky. She is at home among the outstretched branches of the Guatemalan forests. Then one day from the safety of a tree, Gabi witnesses the sights and sounds of an unspeakable massacre. She sees rape and murder -- the ravages of guerrilla warfare. She vows to be Tree Girl no more. Earthbound, she joins the hordes of refugees struggling to reach the Mexican border. She has lost her whole family; her entire village has been wiped out. Yet she clings to the hope that she will be reunited with her youngest sister, Alicia. Over dangerous miles and months of hunger, thirst, and the threat of more violence from soldiers, Gabriela's search for Alicia and for a safe haven becomes a search for self. Having turned her back on her own identity, can she hope to claim a new life? This novel is based on a true story told to the author one night by the real Tree Girl in a secure safe house in Guatemala.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060090049
• ISBN13: 9780060090043
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: HarperCollins Espanol
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.1" x 0.9" x 5.0"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

Amazing! Definitely on my favorite's list!

Tree Girl, written by Ben Mikaelsen, is truly an amazing book! I am 10 years old and I suggest you may want to be a liitle older because some things may not be appropriate for kids of that age, I am in an accelerated reading class and some people who have higher reading levels sometimes cannot find hard enough books to read which are appropriate for their age and this book is definitely a good book for those whose parents give them a little more leash. I think this book is written with great wording and detail. It is about a native american girl, gabriella, who is just trying to live a normal life while war is going on. The trees, which she climbs, are her sanctuary where she can just leave the world for a little bit and just think. Her mom tells her that when she climbs the trees, she is closer to heaven. Then things start going dreadfully wrong and soldiers come asking questions and everything is messed up. Eventually she learns that after her father and mami`die, she has to hoist all the responsibility on her shoulders, to take care of her younger siblings. this story is very emotionall- it made me cry- bust it is one of the best books I've ever read. I certainly recommend it. I will probably try 'touching spirit bear' next. Is that good? I am glad to be going to a young writer's conferance and seeing Mikaelsen in person! He is such a talented author!

Incredible teaching tool

This book brought my ninth grade classroom together in a way I never thought would happen. Discussing the massacres in Guatemala and all the historical actions and inactions that have led to genocide, my students made so many connections to their own lives and to injustice in the world now. The violence of the novel was difficult for them to read, but kept them emotionally tied to the plot. This book would tie into curriculm for English, social studies, or spanish classes.

True Story from Guatemala

This is a compelling story of a girl who loses most of her family to the brutality of soldiers. She then witnesses the murder of an entire Guatemalan village, and decides to make her way to a refugee camp in Mexico. I always enjoy Ben Mikaelsen's work, but this story was especially captivating.

An Eye Opener

This is a heart-wrenching book (based on a true story) that not only shows us how strong young people can be, but also how the US involvement in other country's problems is not always what we think it is. I found this book inspiring and educational. I loved the description of life as a young Mayan girl and her family. This book also demonstrates the strengths that good teachers give to their students, especially those teachers that listen to their students' ideas. The book also gives a personal peak into life in a refugee camp. I spent 2 years in Guatemala in the Peace Corps just as the war was breaking out. I could easily picture every scene in this book. However, this book has some graphic violence that would not be suitable to young readers yet is educational to the rest of us.

Good book

OK, this is a really good book, very well written. However I would not recommend this for anyone under 15. They say ages 9-12. But I am sorry, this book deals with very serious issues that would really frighten children of that age. This book is very graphic and includes, torture, killing, and rape. These are things that are described in detail. I would not recommend this book to anyone under 15. Otherwise this is a very good book for older teens and adults.