Whimsical and Lovely, a Middle Grade Review: Eliza's Forever Trees by Stephanie Lisa Tara

Eliza's Forever Trees by Stephanie Lisa Tara
ebook or paperback, 290 pages
Published: November 2012

Where has mother gone? Mothers don’t leave. Mothers stay, forever. Mothers are like redwood trees, those special forever trees that grow hundreds of feet high and live for thousands of years. Mothers read storybooks aloud. They know the power of a story. Power that can even make the wrong-beats of a child’s heart go away.

Maybe the monarch butterfly was right? Perhaps they should make the journey. The one that was too long, and too far, for a girl with a wrong-beating heart. Yet there was someone in the redwood forest that Eliza just knew could help. Not just any someone. Another mother. The first mother. The one, Eliza’s own mother had spoken of. Great Mother Redwood. The very first, the oldest and wisest redwood tree of them all. She, who started the forest thousands of years ago, might know where mother had gone. It seemed impossible. To find one who had never been seen, one who had only been spoken of? Yet. Mothers don't leave. They are like redwood trees. They stay, forever.

Eliza decided she must try. She would put one foot in front of the other, slowly. She would take small steps. She knew the butterfly would be patient alongside her. Down the path. To the forever trees.

To find Great Mother Redwood.

The word that comes to mind when I think of this book is whimsical.  It reminded me a bit of Kate DiCamillo's writing actually.  It's lovely and full of gorgeous splashes of color.   I'm not sure if you'll really understand what I mean until you read it, but hopefully that gives you a tad bit of an idea.

This story is about ten year old Eliza whose mother is gone.  She's stuck with her grandfather who is a bit addled in the brain and spends his days organizing the towers of books inherited from Eliza's mother.  Only he doesn't appreciate these books as books, as stories, but more as tools to hold things up, to fix leaky roofs and mend collapsing stairs, even to use as kindling for the fire *gasp*!  And Eliza is of course devastated but it's not until she makes friends with a butterfly that she decides she's got to get out of there and is going to find Great Mother Redwood. 

Off they set into the redwood forest to find Great Mother Redwood to ask her what happened to her mother.  In the forest Eliza makes friends with the woodland creatures.  From the tiny bugs to the biggest bear, they all become her family as she goes on her journey.  Some of these woodland creatures have found some of the pages from her mothers books and Eliza is amazed to find that these pages have a lot of meaning to these animals too and once they hear the full stories, and not just the single pages, they know they must know more.  Filled with lovely quotes from famous stories we all know and love every passionate reader will have a smile from ear to ear.  I know I did!

In addition we learn a bit about the redwood forest.  About Great Mother Redwood and all her children and this is real true stuff, and not just a story in a book.  I learned more about that forest in this book than I did from a documentary I recently watched.  And it was all done in a way that I never once felt like I was being 'taught' something.  It was just a part of the story!

Eliza's Forever Trees is a very fast read that is easily consumed in an hour or two.  While the ending was satisfying to me, I can see some children being a bit confused about it.  That is where it brings into play some discussion, which I think is always good anyway. 
This is a book aimed at children ages 8-12, though many adults really love it as well.  Any nature, animal and book lover will connect with this book on another level and appreciate the beauty in the story.

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes, all opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.