The Boy in the Tree

Troublemaker Noah reveals hidden depths as he teams up with goodie-two-shoes Grace to save a majestic local oak tree in this uplifting tale from bestselling author Lisa Thompson.

No one can quite believe it when troublemaker Noah gets involved in the campaign to save a local oak tree. And when he takes his protest up into its branches and refuses to get down, the story goes viral, attracting more attention than he could ever imagined.

But while Noah does really want to save the tree, and marvels at the thousands of creatures that depend on it as their home, he also really wants to save his parents’ marriage. He hopes that his actions will somehow unite them again and stop them arguing, but has he gone too far this time?

Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.

Reviews

"A gorgeous tale rooted in love, wisdom and courage" — Piers Torday

"A thoughtful exploration of the impact of parental separation on children, told with empathy and humour." – The Bookseller

"Written with love, empathy, humour and wisdom … enabling young readers to understand the complexities of parental separation and explore the story behind one boy’s heroic fight to save a tree… and his parents’ marriage … this sensitively and lovingly written story about family, life changes and saving the environment sees master storyteller Thompson on her very best form." — Burnley Express

"A subtle and engaging book about family, growing up and the things that root us in our communities." — The Letterpress Project

"Shows readers that some things are worth fighting for – whether it’s an old tree under threat or your parents’ marriage that seems to be falling apart. Through a heartfelt first person point of view, Lisa Thompson emphasises that things can always get better, even if they don’t turn out exactly how you expect." — Scope for Imagination, blog

"This novella is both inspiring and heartwarming. Exploring parental separation, friendship difficulties and eco-activism, it’s a beautiful story. It’s great to have a flawed but endearing hero at the heart of the story as it shows children it’s okay to make mistakes and here, Lisa sensitively explores why Noah is acting out at school … Filled with love and courage." — Check 'Em Out Books, blog

"A captivating, heartfelt story of family and connection, of the power of memories, of making a stand and finding the courage to accept the difficult changes that life may bring … A beautifully told, empathetic story of family, environmental activism, and change for the better." — Book Craic, blog

"Lisa Thompson does it again! A heartfelt, uplifting story about an unlikely friendship with a nod to the next generation of environmentalists." – NetGalley review

About the author

Lisa Thompson is a children’s novelist and the author of the best-selling The Goldfish Boy and The Light Jar. The Goldfish Boy was a Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal, the Branford Boase Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.