In an extraordinary debut novel, an escaped fugitive upends everything two siblings think they know about their family, their past, and themselves.
When eleven-year-old Annie first started lying to her social worker, she had been taught by an expert: Gran. "If you’re going to do something, make sure you do it with excellence," Gran would say. That was when Gran was feeling talkative, and not brooding for days in her room — like she did after telling Annie and her little brother, Rew, the one thing they know about their father: that he was killed in a fight with an angry man who was sent away. Annie tells stories, too, as she and Rew laze under the birches and oaks of Zebra Forest — stories about their father the pirate, or pilot, or secret agent. But then something shocking happens to unravel all their stories: a rattling at the back door, an escapee from the prison holding them hostage in their own home, four lives that will never be the same. Driven by suspense and psychological intrigue, Zebra Forest deftly portrays an unfolding standoff of truth against family secrets — and offers an affecting look at two resourceful, imaginative kids as they react and adapt to the hand they’ve been dealt.
From ZEBRA FORESTWe called it the Zebra Forest because it looked like a zebra. Its trees were a mix of white birch and chocolate oak, and if you stood a little ways from it, like at our house looking across the back field that was our yard, you saw stripes, black and white, that went up into green. Gran never went out there except near dusk, when the shadows gathered. She didn’t like to be out in full sunlight usually, and told me once she didn’t like the lines the trees made. Gran was always saying stuff like that. Perfectly beautiful things — like a clean blue sky over the Zebra — made tears come to her eyes, and if I tried to get her to come outside with me, she’d duck her head and hurry upstairs to bed. But then it would be storming, lightning sizzling the tops of the trees, and she’d run round the house, cheerful, making us hot cocoa and frying up pancakes and warming us with old quilts. We had few rules in our house, but keeping out of the Zebra Forest in a storm was one of them.
- Young Reader audience
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- Summer book
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
Compelling Story For All Ages
By Lynn Franklin
Labeling _Zebra Forest_ a children's book is like calling _To Kill a Mockingbird_ or _Huckleberry Finn_ children's stories. Yes, the main characters are children. Yes, sex and bad language are absent. Yes, children will love it.The story zings along fast enough to meet modern expectations. But like Harper Lee's and Mark Twain's classics, _Zebra Forest_ shares attributes of the very best literature. All of the characters are portrayed as three-dimensional, realistic people. Ms. Gewitz lovingly reveals the family dynamics as mother, son and grandchildren struggle to understand and accept the revelation of long-held secrets.This beautifully written, coming-of-age story will touch your heart and remain in your mind. I hope teachers adopt the book for use in their classrooms; _Zebra Forest_ has the makings of a modern classic.I can't wait for the next book by Adina Rishe Gewitz.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.Engaging quality novel, my 11-year old son couldn't put it down
By Benjamin Jungreis
It was refreshing to see a novel geared towards middle-school students that was not a cookie-cutter formulaic title. Gewirtz has written a quality and engaging novel - my 11 year old son could not put it down, and devoured the book in one sitting! He said he loved it. We can't wait for the next one!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful.Blown Away by Zebra Forest
By LCooper
As a school librarian I read hundreds of books each year. This new author has written a story that is original, beautiful and satisfying. I was drawn to the book by the intriguing title and eye-catching cover art as well as the story overview. I could not put the book down! From the first page I was drawn into the lives of Annie and Rew and finished the last page a few hours later completely satisfied with the outcome. Read it!
