Poppy

Dimwood Forest #2

by Avi

At the very edge of Dimwood Forest stood an old charred oak where, silhouetted by the moon, a great horned owl sat waiting. The owl's name was Mr. Ocax, and he looked like death himself. With his piercing gaze, he surveyed the lands he called his own, watching for the creatures he considered his subjects. Not one of them ever dared to cross his path . . . until the terrible night when two little mice went dancing in the moonlight . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Animals, Middle Grade, Adventure, Young Adult

163 pages, Unknown Binding

First published September 1, 1995

About the author

Avi is a pen name for Edward Irving Wortis, but he says, "The fact is, Avi is the only name I use." Born in 1937, Avi has created many fictional favorites such as The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Nothing but the Truth, and the Crispin series. His work is popular among readers young and old.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for 5 years straight as a read aloud to my third grade class and they loved the story. They even checked it out and read it again themselves. Great book with animals and a great story of courage of Poppy.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually love owls, they are majestic and brave and wise.....I can't really say the same for the antagonist in this lovely tale. Mr. Ocax is a great-horned owl that I can't really say I like. He is a marvelous antagonist. Not my favorite, but still one of the best I've encountered in my many years of reading.

Poppy is a very brave heroine. She is small, scared and mistaught all her life. She loves deeply and grieves extensively for her boyfriend Ragweed who was sadly eaten by Mr. Ocax on the night he proposed to Poppy...he was actually about to receive her answer when he became Mr. Ocax's next meal. Because she and Ragweed broke some stupid rules laid down by Mr. Ocax, her family is denied permission to move into a second dwelling outside of Mr. Ocax's domain.

Mr. Ocax calls himself the king of Dimwood Forest. All the mice believe this statement to be true. Ragweed never believed it for a moment, and now Poppy doesn't either. She believes there is another reason for Mr. Ocax's refusal towards her father's request for their family to move. In order to discover what it is, Poppy leaves her family to go see New House. Her adventure takes her to the other side of the forest and across a bridge to a more recent dwelling place of humans. What did she find there? Well, if I said.....where would the adventure be in that?

An adventure of Epic proportions (especially for a deer mouse), Poppy will leave you with a new perspective on the potential for courage,hope and love. A must read. Beautiful descriptions in the forest and ongoing excitement, Poppy does not disappoint. =)

[Michael Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good short read for children. Adventurous and well written.

[Dominika]

Car audiobook with my daughter. She loved it. I was underwhelmed. It was one of those books I always saw on the school library shelf and wondered about but never got around to reading so maybe my hopes were too high.

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, especially because it is by Avi who I consider to be a really great author. I also am a big fan of animal hero books like the Redwall series and Watership Down, unfortunately this book did not live up to either of those series. Poppy is a strong enough heroine and the story is somewhat realistic with regard to how nature actually works. I think some of my students would be traumatized by the speedy, barely dealt with death of a main character in the first chapter of the book. I also was bothered by how Poppy's family treated her throughout the book.

[Joey Oborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the 1st some chapters I did not like the book but then when Poppy when the see New House the story got better because Poppy when on a adventure so the story got better and at the end the story changed a lot.

[Rereader · Rating 4 out of 5]

2022 April Its Raining Rereads Reading Challenge
Prompt: reread a middle grade book

I had a lot of fun rereading this! Avi is a great storyteller and this is a testament to that. Not to say it was perfect, (the dialogue was super repetitive and there was a lot of tell don't show) but overall I'd say this is one of the better middle grade books I've read recently. The writing (aside from the dialogue) was strong and the prose struck a good balance between the descriptive language and pacing. Also, can I say how awesome it is that in an animal centered narrative, the antagonist is an owl? No joke, how many times have you seen an owl as an antagonist? Honestly I can't think of any--maybe as familiars to antagonists, but not antagonistic themselves. Props to you, Avi, for using an under-utilized predator as your main villain.

Anyway, this was a solid reread and a fun one at that. Highly recommend!

[Lindsey Carnicella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a great read aloud book. Our family actually just listened to it on audio, and it was so so enjoyable. Kiddos 5 and 3 both enjoyed and spoke about the characters often! My 5 yo wanted to start it over as soon as it was finished! Fantastic characters and the audio version had a wonderful narrator. If only I could remember some of Ereth’s sayings! Set the bar high for future read alouds. Would be a good reread.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8

One of my nieces read this many years ago and told me that it was good and I should read it. Finally, I have read it and I can see its appeal. It reminds me of The School Mouse by Dick King-Smith.

Curiosity without 'wisdom' can lead to trouble. But asking questions and seeking answers are valuable life skills.

[Mackenzie L · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was excellent but, the first chapters were boring. I think that when Poppy met Ereth,the whole entire book, you could not put it down. That was how great it was!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zach read this in class, liked it so much, checked it out from the library and read it again. A story of being strong even when you are afraid, and not letting the powerful control you when they rule with cruelty.

[Toryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

poppy is a very daring mouse! i love this book!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read this book several times and it’s still just as good.

[Sara Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read aloud with 7 & 9 year old. They both LOVED it and are begging to read the rest of the series. This might not be the book for sensitive, young readers. The book starts off emotional with a death in the first chapter and ends with another death. It was appropriate for our family and my only complaint is I wish we read Ragweed first.

[Kassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a small book, this was very detailed and well written. It is strange to be in the point of view of a mouse, being small and all, but the adventure is just as big.

[Rachael Stoldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The boys really enjoyed this book as a read aloud.

[Kristen Luppino · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as part of what our 4th graders are reading for book bowl. I really enjoy Poppy as a female lead and her exploration of leadership. Wish I had realized it was the second book in a series earlier, but fun nonetheless! Also deals with death and other tough subjects in a thoughtful way.

[royale_sarahx ♱ ༻¨*:· · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in elementary and I still remember it oh my gosh😭

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I just found this book to be less satisfying than Ragweed.

On the plus side, each character is skillfully drawn with clear personalities. The story, too, is interesting. Poppy (a mouse) and her family want to move from Gray House to New House. Mr. Ocax, an owl who rules over the mice, forbids it, and Poppy goes on an expedition to New House to figure out what Mr. Ocax is hiding. Somehow, though, the book stopped short of endearing itself to me. I did enjoy it, and I will probably read the next book in the series, but somehow, I just don't see myself going out of my way to recommend this series to others.

Having spent an entire book getting to know Ragweed, I was seriously disappointed when he met an unceremonious end at the very beginning of this book. His death, and another that occurs (somewhat graphically) later in the book - along with the fact that there is talk about one individual being "sacrificed" (literally) for the good of the group - made me think that perhaps this series is better suited for older kids, maybe in grades 2 or 3 through 5.

Unlike other children's books I've read, this book is not written chronologically. First, Ragweed dies. Then, through Poppy's memories, we learn about Ragweed's role in Poppy's life. In trying to figure out why Isabelle didn't like this book (she simply calls it "boring"), I wonder if she (a first grader) just wasn't ready for this kind of storytelling. When reading other books, she is always keen to know "what happens next", as if reading is all about moving the story forward. Maybe these flashbacks - which do serve a purpose in fleshing out the story - just seemed like wasted time to her.

There is also some amount of suspense in this book, and I wonder if that might have turned Isabelle off a bit as well, since dragging out an unanswered question seems to fly in the face of her "I-want-to-know-what-happens-next" attitude. I have to admit, too, that the revelation of the secret of New House was kind of a let-down, not anything so unexpected or dramatic as I had thought it might be.

Towards the end, I felt the story just didn't hang together as tightly as I would have liked. Why did Poppy tell Mr. Ocax the secret about the barn owl, when that barn owl would have been the mice's only protection if they moved there? What was the meaning of Mr. Ocax's last words? Was he just being ironic? And why even include that last chapter? Probably the author wanted to provide a bit of closure for Ragweed, but it seemed like it was hastily added as a teaser for the next book, a rather clumsy way of introducing Rye.

This book does include some name-calling, but it's mostly limited to "idiot" and "jerk". Like Ragweed, Poppy has quite a few take-away lessons, which probably adds to why it's a good book for older elementary school readers. "Stick up for yourself, but don't be foolishly brazen." "It's okay to be different, just be yourself." "It's okay, sometimes even necessary, to challenge authority." "Don't take for granted that what others tell you is true; do your own research." "Sometimes, you have to be brave and do difficult things, even if you don't want to do them." "Bullies pick on others to compensate for their own shortcomings."

[sarafem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really, there are too many damn kid's stories about mice. What is the attraction? The Tale of Desperaux, the Ralph Mouse Cleary series, about a billion picture books. And now this series too. I guess mice are cute when they aren't pooing in your silverware drawer or chewing through your favorite sweaters. I don't really get the attraction. I only read this book because it was Avi; I had no interest in yet another mouse story. These books multiply as if they were rodents themselves. That's not really fair for me to say; I liked all of the above stories, including this one. It's just that there is nothing to convince me to pick it up and read it other than pure chance.

There are a lot of themes in this book - friendship, family, keeping promises, survival, doing the right thing. Maybe there are too many themes in fact - yeah, we get it, good little mousey. It's a good story, and if you happened upon it, I think you would enjoy it. It is not so great that you should rush out and buy it now, or ever really. Your life will not be lessened by never having read about Poppy, but it is not time wasted either.

[Loralee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think technically we were supposed to read 'Ragweed' first, but the kids didn't have any problem following along and keeping up with the characters. This is one of the best books we've read together in terms of forcing the kids to really think about why certain characters act and think the way they do. They really made connections about the character's motives and how that plays out in the story. They also loved the map at the beginning and we kept referring back to the map to help us understand where events were taking place. They loved that aspect of the story. There was lots to talk about with this one.

[Marika Gillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute story about a deer mouse who, with a little help from a cranky porcupine, saves her family from the clutches of a great horned owl who has been deceiving and bullying the mouse family for years. The animals in this book are amazing characters, so well-developed and engaging. I want to find a way to use this book with my third graders next year, and I will definitely read this one with my kids one day!

[Michael M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book was a realy good book. I liked how the book had all these chalenges that a normal person would think easy like when Poppy crosses the stream. I also liked how Ereth would call Poppy names like Plopy and Flopy and that cracked me up. I liked this book alot and I thought this book would be great for anyone who likes books that you can never put down and are very exciting.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this book to my third graders years ago and enjoyed reading it again. Love the characters, especially the "mouse eating" porcupine. Good reading for third graders and up. Does contain violence and death.

[Amy Brown (amylikestoreadalot) · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best read alouds ever! Starts with a bang...and ohm the writing is so great! Vivid verbs, great descriptions, always becomes a classroom favorite! I've read every year since 1999!

[Michael A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

"She knew better. Look at all the trouble she'd caused. Just then she hated herself for having loved Ragweed. But just to think that thought made her heart ache."

This is the second Avi book I've ever read, but I will sleep on his books no more. Poppy, our young mouse heroine, faces real danger in the vengeful pursuit of Mr. Ocax, a great horned owl who instills fear and loathing into the mice inhabiting the abandoned Gray House. I loved the rich descriptions of the forbidding yet lush forest and the dark nights teeming with shadows of life. Animal society within the ranks of the food chain has some psychological complexity: The predatory owl becomes uncomfortably insecure in his power once he sees a new competitor, the mice are even more timid than usual in their ignorance fashioned by the mighty owl's whim, the porcupine is a solitary and selfish creature whose piercing armor enables his devil-may-care attitude. "Poppy" is a tale of courage and survival populated with delightful creatures just trying to make it in the world and navigate their relationships with one another using whatever cards Nature dealt their hand.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty great children’s book, and having just read Ragweed helps with background for understanding why Ragweed is the way he is in the story, but I think starting with this book would also be fine because Ragweed is mostly not present. Poppy is the main character. Overall, I liked this one a lot more. You get to see Poppy work to solve problems, uncover truths, and confront danger. There’s a brave mouse, a villainous owl, and a very grumpy porcupine.

Only content warning is if your kiddo is very sensitive to animal deaths.