The Dragon Tree

by Jane Langton

Overview

One mystical tree. One dangerous neighbor.

Strange and magical things continually occur at the Hall family's home at 40 Walden Street. Now there's a terrible sound throughout the town of Concord—the buzzing of a chain saw. Only one thing is worse for Eddy and Georgie Hall than that noise: the man who causes it, Mortimer Moon. When all the trees in town are falling to his hand and he threatens the mysterious tree sprouting in the Halls' backyard, Georgie and Eddy will do anything to stop him.

In the eighth installment of the Hall Family Chronicles, secrets—all caused by the growth of a miraculous tree—will be unlocked.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062020390
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	06/22/2010
Series:	Hall Family Chronicles Series
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jane Langton studied astronomy at Wellesley College and the University of Michigan and did graduate work in art history at the University of Michigan and Radcliffe College. Ms. Langton is the author of a dozen books for young people, including seven other fantasies about the Hall family of Concord, Massachusetts: The Diamond in the Window, The Swing in the Summerhouse, The Astonishing Stereoscope, the Newbery Honor Book The Fledgling, The Fragile Flag, The Time Bike, and The Mysterious Circus. Also well known for her mystery novels for adults, Ms. Langton lives in Lincoln, Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

In the 8th book in the "Hall Family Chronicles," there are some new neighbors in town, and they are not the good kind! Mortimer Moon, the town's new tree warden, has moved next door and immediately cut down all his trees! His wife, a woman who supposedly loves nature but just collects stuffed animals and porcelain figurines, is not much better, ordering their young charge, a girl named Emerald, around as a maid-of-all-work, but even as Mortimer cuts down nearly all the trees in town, one tree begins growing right on the property line between his house and the Halls'. It grows abnormally fast and even heals itself when Mortimer cuts away at his half, but there is something even more sinister going on at the Moon's than cutting down trees. Though Eddy and his family are working to save their mystical new plant, they will soon find themselves tangled in a much bigger mystery. In this funny adventure with serious overtones, the Hall family and their rag-tag bunch of friends discover something truly amazing and make a new friend in the process. In this excellent example of magical realism, where statues and trees are characters just as important as the people, children will be transported to a world of literature, knowledge, and mystery. Reviewer: Kathleen Foucart

Children's Literature - Kathleen Foucart

Gr 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, FL

School Library Journal

When Concord's new tree warden cuts down all the trees next door, Eddy and Georgie marshal a band of knights to guard the magic tree that sprouts in their own yard. It is more than 40 years since the Halls had their first fantastic adventures, and they have grown up some. Now in sixth grade, Georgie is as determined as ever; high-schooler Eddy likes to announce his actions as grand gesture. The narrative reflects Langton's appreciation for nature and all things Thoreau, whose concept of the great dragon tree of mythology allows for some entertaining play with snippets of many different stories. Readers will recognize the fairy-tale elements behind the parallel plotline involving Emerald, the neighbor's captive maid-of-all-work. In spite of Eddy's baggy pants and gold ear stud, the infusion of these traditional tales and the 1960s-era children, with their imaginative play and willingness to cross age and grade lines, don't sit very comfortably in the 21st century. Not the best place to begin reading the Hall Family Chronicles but good for fans. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews