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Up in the Leaves: The True Story of the Central Park Treehouses



by
Shira Boss
illustrated by
Jamey Christoph

Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Sterling Publishing
Imprint
Sterling
ISBN
9781454920717
$16.95   $12.75
SEE MEMBER PRICE
QTY
Out of stock

JLG Category

City Elementary

This is thetrue story about Bob Redman, a New York City boy who covertly built a series ofintricate treehouses in Central Park.

Details

Format

Print

Page Count

40

Trim Size

8 1/2" x 10 3/4"

Dewey

690/.89092

AR

3.3: points 0.5

Lexile

AD550L

Genre

Nonfic

Scholastic Reading Counts

1

JLG Release

Jul 2018

Book Genres


Standard MARC Records

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Cover Art

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Praise & Reviews

Starred or favorable reviews have been received from these periodicals:

Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews

School Library Journal

As a child, Bob Redman preferred nature to the densely crowded New York City streets. He found a secret spot in the branches of Central Park, where “each tree has its own world, every limb an adventure.” Gathering wood and rope from dumpsters, he built a tree house in the park—a place where he could go to escape the “roar, clang, bang” of down below. One day, his hideaway mysteriously disappeared. Redman made another. Then it happened again. This game continued over time until Redman, now an adult in the narrative, built the biggest tree house of all. Park employees caught him in the act and offered him a job tending to the trees—so long as he agreed to stop building. The epilogue contains a short biography and photograph of the real Bob Redman. Christoph’s digitally rendered illustrations mimic watercolor, offering beautiful hues and visible, delicate brush strokes. Leafy endpapers make the reading experience akin to climbing up the trees and sitting alongside Redman. Onomatopoeic phrases like “tap, tap, tap” and “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh” pepper the text with read-aloud potential but the story feels slightly oversimplified. In favor of its whimsical tone, the text evades the fact that Redman is rewarded with a job for his rule breaking. Readers may have lingering questions about why the tree houses were continuously taken down. VERDICT An additional purchase that’s sure to inspire young arborists.—Alec Chunn, Eugene Public Library, OR

Praise & Reviews

School Library Journal

As a child, Bob Redman preferred nature to the densely crowded New York City streets. He found a secret spot in the branches of Central Park, where “each tree has its own world, every limb an adventure.” Gathering wood and rope from dumpsters, he built a tree house in the park—a place where he could go to escape the “roar, clang, bang” of down below. One day, his hideaway mysteriously disappeared. Redman made another. Then it happened again. This game continued over time until Redman, now an adult in the narrative, built the biggest tree house of all. Park employees caught him in the act and offered him a job tending to the trees—so long as he agreed to stop building. The epilogue contains a short biography and photograph of the real Bob Redman. Christoph’s digitally rendered illustrations mimic watercolor, offering beautiful hues and visible, delicate brush strokes. Leafy endpapers make the reading experience akin to climbing up the trees and sitting alongside Redman. Onomatopoeic phrases like “tap, tap, tap” and “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh” pepper the text with read-aloud potential but the story feels slightly oversimplified. In favor of its whimsical tone, the text evades the fact that Redman is rewarded with a job for his rule breaking. Readers may have lingering questions about why the tree houses were continuously taken down. VERDICT An additional purchase that’s sure to inspire young arborists.—Alec Chunn, Eugene Public Library, OR

Grades 2-6
City Elementary
For Grades 2-6

Urban situations and plot lines featuring ethnically and culturally diverse characters give these books a unique city flavor and feel. Young urban readers will find familiar images, and readers who are not from the city will enjoy exploring life from a new perspective. The 12 books you'll receive in this category will ensure that urban adventures are available all year long.

12 books per Year
$254.88 per Year
Interests
Diversity,Fiction,Positive Messages
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Grades 2-6
City Elementary
12 books per Year
$254.88 per Year

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