While The Mysterious Treehouse: Secrets Of The Hidden Grove may not be a novel (as advertised) but a short novella or a long short story, I have rarely encountered such masterful writing in a children’s book (targeted at 10-14-year-olds). The storyline is as magical as the title suggests, but the greatest surprise is in the quality of the writing. My impression is that the author chose to write her tale as seriously as she would for any adult audience—just as comedic movies rely on serious acting—never condescending to her young readers. The result is a storyline and book engaging enough to command the attention of any reader, young or old. Those 10-14-year-olds should consider this a rare gift or, more appropriate to the book, a hidden treasure.

We find Mia, Jake, and Lily high up in their secluded treehouse at the start. They discover an old treasure map stuck in a crevice between two floorboards. X marks the spot at the base of the tree where they sit. It is no spoiler that they choose to dig—that they are compelled to, really, by irresistible childhood impulses. It is also no spoiler that they find a hidden chest. Inside, among other trinkets, is a hefty book. What happens when they open that alluring tome … well, that would be a spoiler. That ends any reservations that clichés might dominate this story, at least no more than comparisons to prodigious classics like The Chronicles of Narnia. As the subtitle suggests, enticing secrets abound in this hidden grove.