Showing results for "The Tree" in Mysteries & Detectives

Not your everyday coming-of-age novel. This story was supposed to be about Evie - how she hasn't made a friend in years, how she tends to stretch the truth (especially about her so-called relationship with college drop-out Jonah Luks), and how she finally comes into her own once she learns to just be herself. But it isn't. Because when her classmate Elizabeth "Zabet" McCabe's murdered body is found in the woods, everything changes and Evie's life is never the same again.

Thirteen-year-old Ivy and Ava watch in horror as their friend Brett mysteriously disappears while swimming in the river near their Australian outback farm. The girls soon discover they are suspects in his murder and must endure the taunts and accusations of their schoolmates. Desperate to escape, Ava climbs the massive ring tree on their farm, an ancient landmark believed to be from another time and place. Ivy watches from below as Ava spreads her arms and jumps from the tree...then disappears.

Two middle-grade girls who opened their own investigation agency in Freckle Face & Blondie, Book One take on their first paid gig to locate a missing loved one. At the same time, they search for a jewel that mysteriously disappeared. Together, they solve the cases and bring their neighborhood together for a worthy cause. This story teaches children to develop reasoning and problem-solving skills, and to think outside the box and outside their comfort zones to appreciate the world around them and the value of community.

The sound of her voice pitches me forward. I nearly go head over heels before I catch my balance and whirl around. My gaze climbs with wonder, from the sneakers to the smooth, shapely legs, to the tight-fitting t-shirt, and eventually, to a face I’ve dreamed about almost every night for the past three years.

This book takes place in a small town in Upstate New York. The area is predominantly a farming community rich in growing fine New York State apples and grapes. Although this book does not discuss much about the farming industry or its growing apples, grapes, or other products, the book sets the foundation for future books with mystery overtones.