In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Reviewed by:
  • The Great Treehouse War by Lisa Graff
  • April Spisak
Graff, Lisa The Great Treehouse War. Philomel, 2017 [288p]
Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-399-17500-8 $16.99
E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-698-19593-6 $10.99
Reviewed from galleys         R Gr. 4-6

Winnie's parents are getting divorced, and each is so ferociously dedicated to not allowing the other a second more time with her that they hatch a ludicrous plan that every Wednesday Winnie will live in a treehouse between the two homes. Winnie actually finds the treehouse days to be a respite from the endless competition between her parents, who clearly need some help working out their issues. Indeed, when things become unbearable, Winnie barricades herself up there, joined by her friends, and all ten kids come up with some demands that must be met before they'll come out. Thus begins a nineteen-day event that is as chaotic up in the treehouse as it is on the ground. The whole novel is presented as a manuscript for a fifth-grade writing contest, so although the focus is on Winnie, there are post-its, articles, illustrations, and side notes that are glimpses into what the other kids thought were key points of this adventure. While this is a divorce story taken to extremes, the genuine poignancy around this little family that fell apart and the fact that even love and good intentions can lead one down absurdly wrong paths over time will certainly resonate with many kids whose home lives have endured upheaval.

...

pdf

Share