Book Jacket

 

rank 5143
word count 10855
date submitted 19.02.2012
date updated 24.04.2012
genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Children's, Young...
classification: universal
incomplete

The Lightning Tree

Debbie Richardson

Sam's Grandpa gives her a magic seed on his deathbed and tells her to plant it carefully and watch what happens. The mystery begins..

 

When Sam's beloved Grandpa dies, the one thing that helps her smile again is the gift of adventure, mystery and magic that he gives her in the form of a large seed. She plants it at the bottom of his huge garden and it grows into a magical tree with diamond leaves, but the diamonds can only be picked by people with a good heart, otherwise they turn to coal in your hand. If you touch the tree it causes a thunder storm and lightning. Sam, along with her mother and her brother Josh inherit Grandpa's cottage when he dies and so escape the poverty of their council flat in the city...until evil Aunt Sally comes along and claims the house for herself. She wants the magic seed because she knows its powers but strong-willed Sam refuses to say anything about it. They end up all living together and Aunt Sally follows Sam one day and discovers the tree hidden in a copse. She locks Sam in a shed but Josh and his dog find her with the help of some foxes they had helped previously. There are many twists and turns in this story, too many to tell...

 
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tags

, adventure, children, danger, fiction, grandpa, magic, mystery, suspense, wicked aunt

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3 comments

 

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Su Dan wrote 29 days ago

l like your decriptive narrative style that brings your novel to life.
and l have backed...
read SEASONS...

writingbear wrote 75 days ago

Debbie,

I backed your fine book! Very intriguing! Can't wait to find out what happens. If you could please take a look at my novel, DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, for your possible backing, it would be greatly appreciated.

Good luck and happy writing.

Dwain-Thomas

faith rose wrote 84 days ago

Dear Debbie,

What a magical, mysterious, lovely story for children! 'The Lightning Tree' is such a creative title. I can picture kids really wanting to pick this one off the shelf.

Your characters are solid. Sam and Josh provide the perfect sister-brother mix, giving this story immediate appeal to both genders. I love the chatter between the two of them, typical sibling banter, yet we feel their deeper bond right away. The characterization of Aunt Sally is (in my opinion) a highlight of this story. She is crabby, nasty, and even downright scary, providing a sharp contrast to the other pleasant characters.

You have some tremendous sensory details here as well, particularly those that will appeal to the child's mind:
"...abrupt Aunt Sally with her crooked nose..."
"...garden was huge, twisty...all full of mystery..."
And you even managed to include some details that parents and grandparents will also love:
"gently flowing stream rippled musically"
"sun-drenched copse"

One aspect of your writing style I greatly admire is your use of strong verbs. You select just the right verb and just the right time. Here are a few of my favorites:
"unfurled"
"slipped"
"fiddled"
"recoiled"

I found only a few minor mechanical issues, which I will provide for you in a message. Overall, this is a wonderful piece... one that I look forward to keeping on my WL for further reading. Very well done, Debbie. Wishing you every success.

All the very best,
Faith Rose
Now To Him

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