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Leigh's Reviews > The Wizard in the Tree
The Wizard in the Tree
by
by
Title: The Wizard in the Tree
Author: Lloyd Alexander
Illustrator: Laszlo Kubinyi
Genre: Science fiction
Theme(s): Courage, heroism, honor,
Opening line/sentence: “Mallory’s oak was down.”
Brief Book Summary: When Mallory takes interest to an old oak tree, she soon learns that she’s broken a magical spell. After rescuing the wizard Arbican who has been trapped in the tree for thousands of years, Mallory must help him get his powers back, and escape the persecution of Squire Scrupnor.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Jonathan Fesmire
From the strange beginning until the story's end, The Wizard In The Tree is full of surprises...This reprint (the novel originally came out in 1975) features lovely illustrations by Lazlo Kubinyi, pencil drawings that capture the situations and characters quite well...This is a fun book for young adults and those of us who simply enjoy good fairy tale.
— SF Site
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: KIRKUS REVIEW
Long years spent stuck inside an old oak tree haven't petrified the wizard Arbican's tongue. On the contrary, he is glad to escape the boredom ("It's the same slow, vegetable sort of business over and over again. One tends to lose interest") and he is positively scathing when Mallory, the girl who rescues him, demands her three wishes ("No enchanter in his right mind would grant one wish to a mortal, let alone three"). However it seems his wizard powers have gone rusty and he soon needs Mallory's help to escape the persecution of Squire Scrupnor, the villain who has already murdered his employer, saddled Mallory's guardians with a ruinous "hypothecation" (mortgage) and plotted to turn the whole village into a coal field. Arbican survives a number of aborted spells, including one that turns him into a talking pig (to the delight of a dim-witted rustic who dubs him a "poll-piggy"). But of course in the end we have our cake and eat it too; after being warned against reliance on wishful thinking, we are given a wonderfully efficient magical solution. The period is the beginning of the industrial revolution, but the tempo is reminiscent of the Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian--quick-witted melodrama and nimble-tongued romanticism.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I agree with the first review in that the illustrations throughout this novel not only help readers develop the characters in the story, but enhance the situations they encounter. This book is also full of surprises, which keeps readers at the edge of their seats the entire time. In regards to the Kirkus review, the end of this novel is very satisfying for readers, as everything works out with the help of magic of course.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: As mentioned in the first review, I definitely appreciate the sporadic use of illustrations to break up the text every now and then. I also found the development of the plot in this book to be very engaging. Lastly, Mallory’s character in the story is definitely one children should admire and aspire to be like.
Consideration of Instructional Application: This book would fit best in a 4th- 7th grade classroom. For any student interested in fantasy or magical mystery, this book would be ideal to expand their creativity and imagination. I would definitely assign my students this book to read over time so we could have a whole class discussion about it’s plot and character development.
Author: Lloyd Alexander
Illustrator: Laszlo Kubinyi
Genre: Science fiction
Theme(s): Courage, heroism, honor,
Opening line/sentence: “Mallory’s oak was down.”
Brief Book Summary: When Mallory takes interest to an old oak tree, she soon learns that she’s broken a magical spell. After rescuing the wizard Arbican who has been trapped in the tree for thousands of years, Mallory must help him get his powers back, and escape the persecution of Squire Scrupnor.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Jonathan Fesmire
From the strange beginning until the story's end, The Wizard In The Tree is full of surprises...This reprint (the novel originally came out in 1975) features lovely illustrations by Lazlo Kubinyi, pencil drawings that capture the situations and characters quite well...This is a fun book for young adults and those of us who simply enjoy good fairy tale.
— SF Site
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: KIRKUS REVIEW
Long years spent stuck inside an old oak tree haven't petrified the wizard Arbican's tongue. On the contrary, he is glad to escape the boredom ("It's the same slow, vegetable sort of business over and over again. One tends to lose interest") and he is positively scathing when Mallory, the girl who rescues him, demands her three wishes ("No enchanter in his right mind would grant one wish to a mortal, let alone three"). However it seems his wizard powers have gone rusty and he soon needs Mallory's help to escape the persecution of Squire Scrupnor, the villain who has already murdered his employer, saddled Mallory's guardians with a ruinous "hypothecation" (mortgage) and plotted to turn the whole village into a coal field. Arbican survives a number of aborted spells, including one that turns him into a talking pig (to the delight of a dim-witted rustic who dubs him a "poll-piggy"). But of course in the end we have our cake and eat it too; after being warned against reliance on wishful thinking, we are given a wonderfully efficient magical solution. The period is the beginning of the industrial revolution, but the tempo is reminiscent of the Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian--quick-witted melodrama and nimble-tongued romanticism.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I agree with the first review in that the illustrations throughout this novel not only help readers develop the characters in the story, but enhance the situations they encounter. This book is also full of surprises, which keeps readers at the edge of their seats the entire time. In regards to the Kirkus review, the end of this novel is very satisfying for readers, as everything works out with the help of magic of course.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: As mentioned in the first review, I definitely appreciate the sporadic use of illustrations to break up the text every now and then. I also found the development of the plot in this book to be very engaging. Lastly, Mallory’s character in the story is definitely one children should admire and aspire to be like.
Consideration of Instructional Application: This book would fit best in a 4th- 7th grade classroom. For any student interested in fantasy or magical mystery, this book would be ideal to expand their creativity and imagination. I would definitely assign my students this book to read over time so we could have a whole class discussion about it’s plot and character development.
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
December 4, 2015
– Shelved
