They call Gabriela Tree Girl. Gabi climbs trees to be within reach of the eagles and watch the sun rise into an empty sky. She is at home among the outstretched branches of the Guatemalan forests.

Then one day from the safety of a tree, Gabi witnesses the sights and sounds of an unspeakable massacre. She vows to be Tree Girl no more and joins the hordes of refugees struggling to reach the Mexican border. She has lost her whole family; her entire village has been wiped out. Yet she clings to the hope that she will be reunited with her youngest sister, Alicia. Over dangerous miles and months of hunger and thirst, Gabriela's search for Alicia and for a safe haven becomes a search for self. Having turned her back on her own identity, can she hope to claim a new life?

Ages 12+

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 7 reviews)

Amazing! Definitely on my favorite's list!

Tree Girl, written by Ben Mikaelsen, is truly an amazing book! I am 10 years old and I suggest you may want to be a liitle older because some things may not be appropriate for kids of that age, I am in an accelerated reading class and some people who have higher reading levels sometimes cannot find hard enough books to read which are appropriate for their age and this book is definitely a good book for those whose parents give them a little more leash. I think this book is written with great wording and detail. It is about a native american girl, gabriella, who is just trying to live a normal life while war is going on. The trees, which she climbs, are her sanctuary where she can just leave the world for a little bit and just think. Her mom tells her that when she climbs the trees, she is closer to heaven. Then things start going dreadfully wrong and soldiers come asking questions and everything is messed up. Eventually she learns that after her father and mami`die, she has to hoist all the responsibility on her shoulders, to take care of her younger siblings. this story is very emotionall- it made me cry- bust it is one of the best books I've ever read. I certainly recommend it. I will probably try 'touching spirit bear' next. Is that good? I am glad to be going to a young writer's conferance and seeing Mikaelsen in person! He is such a talented author!
February 15, 2008

Incredible teaching tool

This book brought my ninth grade classroom together in a way I never thought would happen. Discussing the massacres in Guatemala and all the historical actions and inactions that have led to genocide, my students made so many connections to their own lives and to injustice in the world now. The violence of the novel was difficult for them to read, but kept them emotionally tied to the plot. This book would tie into curriculm for English, social studies, or spanish classes.
August 02, 2006

wow

I read this book and im 13 and i don't think i should have read beacuse the book was very graphic about killing ect. i would not recommend this book to anyone under 13. besides that the storyline was ok. I would only read this book on a rainy day.

~*~shelby~*
August 01, 2006

True Story from Guatemala

This is a compelling story of a girl who loses most of her family to the brutality of soldiers. She then witnesses the murder of an entire Guatemalan village, and decides to make her way to a refugee camp in Mexico.

I always enjoy Ben Mikaelsen's work, but this story was especially captivating.
August 02, 2005

Tree Girl

I think that this is a good book for teenagers. It had a lot of good points. It shows a lot about real life. It tells a story about a little girl that has lost he family. and has to make it on her own.
April 28, 2005

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