A girl, a tree, and their fight to be heard.
A girl, a tree, and their fight to be heard.
Coming of age, Magical realism, Visionary & metaphysical
In a time of windstorms and wildfires, Blue is a huge tree growing in an ancient forest. Blue’s best friend is Maisie-Grace, a girl with a terrible, beautiful secret. Not only can Maisie talk to trees, she has dreams and visions that come true, a 'gift' she has to hide from everybody. One day, Maisie dreams of loggers coming to cut down her beloved forest. A series of events propels her from the woods, where she has been homeschooled her entire life, to a middle school she doesn’t know. There she makes unlikely friends with JAX, a paraplegic artist, and Macon, an animal-loving farm girl. The three girls venture into the forest where they get to know the trees, and eventually themselves. Can they save the forest from being silenced? Will Maisie-Grace come out of hiding and tell people all that she sees? Will she let them silence her, too?
Click on the circles below to see more reviews
We live in remarkable times that call for fierce, powerful stories of great vision, especially for kids facing unprecedented changes. Blue offers a potent and inspiring message of truth about where we are in this world, now. And it shows us how to build bridges to the future we all know is possible ... bridges we are absolutely going to need in each and every one of our communities. Allen has built a compelling and mystical bridge to that world and our innate, awakening wisdom: our spiritual connection to Earth and the luminous web of life. Earth is calling us with urgent dreams, and Blue offers a path for us to answer. ~ Rachel Clark, science and environment writer, author of The Blackfish Prophecy, endorsed by Dr. Jane Goodall and Bill McKibben
This book changed the way I walk through the woods and think about trees — and helped me excavate my own preteen self who went silent way back when. Imagine falling asleep curled in the roots of a huge tree as it whispers to you. Allen’s writing is compelling — and she is especially good in the moments when Maisie-Grace is overwhelmed by her visions and when the old tree, Blue, speaks to her. When Allen weaves emotion, wonder, fear, and wisdom in staccato bursts and long streams of consciousness, her language allows us to inhabit Maisie-Grace’s heart and feel what it is like to be psychic in a harsh and insensitive world. Blue is a lyrical and important book for our times, and impossible to put down. I love this book and wish I’d had it to read when I was eleven. ~ Madeleine Eno, book coach, editor, Human Design insights
