The Dragon Tree (Hall Family Chronicles)
Grade 4–6—Mortimer Moon, Concord's new tree warden, and his wife Margery move next door to the Halls, and Mr. Moon starts chopping down the trees on his property and around town. That same day, a sapling sprouts between their properties. The tree grows at an exponential rate, and Mr. Moon sets his sights on leveling it to the ground. But Eddy and Georgie Hall take up the cause to protect it from their maniacal neighbor and his chainsaw, rallying their friends and standing guard day and night. Mr. Moon's second cousin three times removed, Emerald, the couple's "maid-of-all-work," is trapped in a miserable life and can only witness the events behind closed curtains. Then the Hall kids notice something unusual about the leaves, something that changes everything. Readers of the series will enjoy the trials of Eddy and Georgie Hall in this eighth book in the family's adventures. Mortimer Moon serves as a truly despicable but tortured villain. The story line is sometimes whimsical, sometimes laced with danger. The fast pace will hold the attention of young readers, and many children will appreciate the many literary references sprinkled throughout.—Robyn Gioia, Bolles School, Ponte Vedra, FLCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.