Branching Out - Trees in Children's Books
Julia Blackburn • October 10, 2026
For National Tree Week
What’s the first tree you remember from a book?
If you said The Magic Faraway Tree, we can be friends. 🌳
I adored The Magic Faraway Tree as a child, and think it’s the perfect first tree story. One enormous tree, a whole community living in its branches (hello, Moon-Face and Saucepan Man), and a new land arriving at the top every week. Who wouldn’t want to climb it? It’s a brilliant book to read aloud to younger classes, and the “which land would you visit?” conversations practically write themselves.
As readers get older, the trees get wilder. In Prince Caspian, C. S. Lewis lets Narnia’s sleeping trees wake up and join the fight. Tom’s Midnight Garden (another favourite of mine) has a wonderful fir tree at the heart of its exploration of time. And then there are Tolkien’s Ents, the slow, thoughtful tree-herders of Fangorn. Treebeard’s “Don’t be hasty” is a lovely reminder that old things deserve respect. When the Ents finally lose patience and march on Isengard, it’s one of fantasy’s great moments of nature fighting back.
Some trees carry the heavy stuff, too. The rope swing in Bridge to Terabithia. The yew that becomes a monster in A Monster Calls.
Trees in stories are often where the big feelings go.
More recently, there’s The Rescue of Ravenwood a Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Year. Here, the trees aren’t magic. They’re part of the family, and part of what’s worth fighting for.
I’ll admit, I can’t write about trees in stories without a little bias. Trees are at the heart of my own writing, too.
In The Lost Dragonflies, an ancient yew called the Mother Tree is the beating heart of the story. It’s where Grandma lived until she disappeared, and finding her is the protagonist’s mission. The Mother Tree guards its secrets in knots and whispers, opening only to those it deems worthy. Wise, mysterious and fiercely protective, she's a character in her own right.
So, to celebrate trees and National Tree Week, I’m running a tree-drawing competition! The winning pictures will be featured here on my website, and there are books for school libraries to be won.
Want to take part? Sign up for my newsletter using the box below, on the left-hand side of this blog, and I’ll send you all the details. Or simply email me and I’ll send them over.
Now, back to that first question: which tree from a book has stayed with you?
Jelly is NOT looking forward to the first school trip at her new school, since her best friend ditched her and is determined to make Jelly miserable. Lincoln however can't wait - he used to visit the hills with his brothers and he's excited to be back. But what neither of them expected was for the extreme weather to cause the reservoirs to burst, and for the area to be flooded. Or to be left behind when the rest of their group is evacuated. As rain pours down and the water rises, Jelly and Lincoln have to put aside their fears to outrun the storm. A gripping and thought-provoking new book from the author of WHERE THE WORLD TURNS WILD , perfect for fans of THE EXPLORER, WILDLANDS, FOXLIGHT and Hannah Gold. My Thoughts This is a brilliantly entertaining story, perfectly plotted, with absorbing characters and subplots. I can’t recommend it highly enough for readers who enjoy nature-based eco-fiction. The characters, and the dynamics between them, are vividly drawn, with social complexities every reader will recognise from their own friendship group. Jelly is a fabulous and authentic mix of insecure, brave and determined, and it’s lovely to watch her and Lincoln find their way through the dramas Nicola Penfold throws at them. The climate-change theme is handled authoritatively but with a light touch. Some readers will be entertained by it, some educated, and others will barely notice it. That’s fine: the story works however you read it. Suitable for confident independent readers of 9 - 12, it would also make a lovely shared read with an adult or a class novel, as it would spark plenty of discussion.
A magical middle-grade winter read: our review of Sophie Kirtley’s Swanfall, full of folklore, friendship, and atmospheric adventure.
Book One in the Follyford Farm Mystery Series
From the multiple award winning genius that is Julia Green, I am delighted to offer you her latest story, Ettie and the Midnight Pool, a haunting tale of secrets, self discovery and the spirit of the natural world. Ettie lives with her grandma, playing in the woods and fells, swimming in the turn, listening to stories. But she's growing up fast. She needs to explore further, take more risks, discover secrets of her own. So when the mysterious Cora leads her to a hidden quarry pool - deep, cold, beautiful and dangerously inviting - Ettie is ready to jump straight in. But not everything is as it seems. The quarry has secrets too, and Ettie will have to dive deep into the darkness to uncover them. My Thoughts This is a gripping tale in which the wild landscape is made human - enticing and exciting, but also mercurial , dangerous, and unforgiving. Ettie's trust in it is as risky as it is captivating. Ettie and Grandma's relationship is tender but heartbreaking, while Cora exerts a siren-like pull over our hero - malevolent, intriguing and utterly impossible to resist. Ettie and the Midnight Pool is a perfect story for confident middle-grade readers (ages 10-13) who enjoy atmospheric, nature-centered stories with deep themes.
I have always wanted to understand more about bees, and earlier this year I was lucky enough to go on a 'Bee Keeping Experience' morning at Stepney City Farm , where I learnt about 'The Hummmmmmble Honey Bee, And The Incredible Job They Do.' This wonderful morning educated me and my fellow bee-lievers on the life cycle of bee, bee colonies, and the queen bee and the job she does. We also learnt about life in and around the hive, including the bee's famous 'Waggle Dance', and the reasons bees tend to swarm. Finally, our teacher told us about honey; what it is and how it's made, then we even got to taste some! But best of all - as illustrated above - we went outside in special bee keeper suits, and actually met some bees, including an appearance by Megan, Queen of the Hive!. If you have ever been interested in finding out about bees, how these fascinating little creatures contribute so much to our environment and would like to meet them face to face, then a Bee Keeping experience might be for you. Failing that, check out some of these fabulous websites which are packed with fun and interesting facts about these incredible insects, and ways you and your friends can join the movement to protect our pollinators. Bee Friendly Trust , where you can learn how to help create habitats for honey bees and all pollinators to thrive. Bumblebee Conservation Trust , where you can learn how to make your space and garden more bumblebee friendly. British Beekeepers Association , where you can learn fun ways to make your school a Bee Friendly School.
From the author of October, October , winner of the Yoto Carnegie Medal, comes a heartbreaking and heart-warming story about sisterhood, found family and accepting love in the most unusual and unknown places. Fen and Rey were found curled up small and tight in the fiery fur of the foxes at the very edge of the wildlands. Fen is loud and fierce and free. She feels a connection to foxes and a calling from the wild that she's desperate to return to. Rey is quiet and shy and an expert on nature. She reads about the birds, feeds the lands and nurtures the world around her. They are twin sisters. Different and the same. Separate and connected. They will always have each other, even if they don't have a mother and don't know their beginning. But they do want answers. Answers to who their mother is and where she might be. What their story is and how it began. So when a fox appears late one night at the house, Fen and Rey see it as a sign - it's here to lead them to their truth, find their real family and fill the missing piece they have felt since they were born. But the wildlands are exactly wild. They are wicked and cruel and brutal and this journey will be harder and more life changing than either Fen or Rey ever imagined ... My Thoughts Reading this book is like disappearing into a wonderful dream. Beautifully written in a mesmerising voice, the setting feels so real you can feel the leaves brush by you and the chill wind down your spine. The characters are skilfully drawn with both sisters telling us their story and sharing their emotional arc from the beginning to the end of their adventure with the author seamlessly and very effectively flitting between the two girl's inner life. The story itself is full of hope, and keeps the reader turning the pages to find out what happens to these two fascinating girls. A roller coaster of a tale with heart warming and heart stopping moments, much intrigue and joy and a hugely satisfying ending. I strongly recommend this book to readers of all ages, particularly middle grade readers with an interest in natural settings.
From the Costa Award winning author of Voyage of the Sparrowhawk comes an epic adventure with a call to arms: we must fight to save the most treasured things on our planet. On the top of the hill, overlooking the sea, that's where you'll find a magical place . . . To Bea and Raffy, Ravenwood is home. In its own way, the house rescued them, even if it did have a fallen-down tree taking up most of the kitchen. So the idea that it could be sold. Demolished even. Well, that's unthinkable. Then again, it's not like the children get a choice. But the truth is, we can all make our own choices, especially if we care enough . . . My Thoughts To me, this is a perfect book. A thrilling story, beautifully written, all about having the courage to hold onto what's precious, and fiercely guard the extraordinary natural world we are privileged to share. Everything about this story will delight young readers who look for adventure and escape in their books. The author effortlessly carries us into a beautiful and eccentric world where relationships between people and nature are complicated, and very precious. With themes of grief, friendship and courage, and an ending that literally had me punching the air with delight, The Rescue of Ravenwood is simply not one to be missed.
Explore the incredible place we call home! Marvel at the physical planet, learn how the weather works, meet some of the most influential people from the past and present, and much more. Examine every corner of the Earth, from outer space to underground and from the Maasai steppe to Manhattan. My Thoughts This gorgeous book is divided into four large sections, Physical Earth, Life on Earth, Earth Regions, and Human Planet. There are lots of colourful maps and fascinating facts about various places, species, and behaviour, showing the wonderful diversity of life on this planet and hopefully helping readers understand the need to protect it.
It's February 1974 and working class families have been hit hard by the three-day week. The reduced power usage means less hours for people to work, and less money to get by on. Thirteen-year-old Jason feels the struggle keenly. Ever since his parents died, it's just been him and his older brother Richie. Richie is doing his best, but since he can't make ends meet he's been doing favours for the wrong people. Every day they fear they won't have enough and will have to be separated. One thing that helps distract Jason is the urban legend about a beast in the valleys. A wildcat that roams the forest three villages up the river from their bridge. When Jason's friends learn of a reward for proof of The Beast's existence, they convince Jason this is the answer to his and Richie's money problems. Richie can get himself out of trouble before it's too late and the brothers can stay together. And so a quest begins ... Starting at the bridge of their village and following the river north, the four friends soon find themselves on a journey that will change each of them ... forever. My Thoughts Lesley Parr has the wonderful, rare, and hard-earned skill of writing sublime stories that, on the face of it, seem sensationally simple but, like an onion, reveal later after layer after layer to the reader long after the book has been put down. Like The Valley of Lost Secrets, Where The River Takes Us is primarily about brotherhood and friendship, and beneath that there is grief, loyalty, fear, and - most importantly for young readers - a lot of food and a fabulous adventure. The setting, Wales 1974, is sublimely drawn and the issues - poverty, strikes, social care, bullying - are as relevant today as they were fifty years ago. The characters feel alive and individual, each one representative of people we have all met along the way, and the author illustrates the deep love between them without once - as far as I can remember - actually using the L word. Where the River Takes Us is a thought-provoking, exciting, tear-jerker of an adventure To be enjoyed by free readers aged 8-11 and a great one to read together at bedtime.
R un away from what they see. Discover who you are. Maudie and Jake's family is falling to pieces - their mum's been struggling with her grief since they lost Dad and one night she vanishes. When Jake is put into care, Maudie can't take it any more. She comes up with a wild plan to pull their family back together - by kidnapping Jake. On the run in Cornwall, Jake and Maudie each find something they hadn't expected - freedom and love. But can they find Mum and a way to heal together?A powerful and insightful novel about grief, disability and first love; a story about getting lost and finding yourself. My Thoughts A wonderful, heartbreaking, tender, hopeful story of grief, love, and acceptance. What the World Doesn't see is a is all-consuming, with distinct voices that suck the reader into its vortex of emotion, grief, fear, and joy. Mel Darbon's characters are multi-dimensional and technicolor, so vivid they stay with you long, long after you finish reading the book. The story is gripping - I had to make myself slow down so that it lasted longer - and the emotional intelligence behind it all is extraordinary. If you read just one book this year, make it this one.
