Deadwood

Gr 4–7—It's a tradition in Lower Brynwood to carve a message into the bark of the 250-year-old Spirit Tree before a big football game. It's supposed to bring the players luck, but so far, it has done anything but. When Martin's military mom is assigned to a tour in Afghanistan, he is forced to temporarily move in with Aunt Michelle in Lower Brynwood. On one of his daily runs, he encounters a group of kids engaged in the carving ritual, and is horrified at the damage being done to the majestic tree. He causes quite a stir trying to stop it, and Hannah, a girl in his class, comes to his defense. As soon as the two are alone with the tree, it gets struck by lightning. It starts glowing from within, lighting up the carved letters in an attempt to communicate with them, and they discover that the tree has been cursed by the "bad one." Trees, plants, and people in Lower Brynwood are dropping like flies. The curse is going to destroy the town unless Martin and Hannah can stop it. While the mystery is not much of a mystery (the identity of the "bad one" is not hard to guess), the story is fun and engaging, and the characters have enough depth to make them interesting. The heavy-handedness of the environmental message detracts a little from the overall enjoyment, but budding tree huggers will love the sweet bond that forms between the kids and this unusual personification of Mother Nature.—Mandy Laferriere, Fowler Middle School, Frisco, TX