What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
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Middle Grade/ YA Fantasy - Magic tree in forest, travel through root systems
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I *hope* I have caught this book here!https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Or perhaps here, if not:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
or
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Was it a relatively recent book when you read it? Or could it have been published in the 70s or earlier, etc.?
(I so want to read this. Xylem and phloem nerd here!)
Capn wrote: "I *hope* I have caught this book here!https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Or perhaps here, if not:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1......"
Thank you so much for those lists! I spend some time going through them and nothing really looks familiar, unfortunately :( I guess I could have missed it, if it is in the list, since I didn't check every title, but.
I would say it was published around the time I read it - late 90's or early 00's. I got it from the library, and I don't remember it being "old". I have thought about contacting the library but I'm not sure if they'll still have records from 20 years ago!
Anything else I can jog your memory over? Was this book a departure from your usual reading habits, or one that was recommended to you by someone?Anything about the cover or the thickness (length) of the book? :)
You said you read it as a child - are we talking the "I Can Read!"-sort of age group (like 6-8 years old), or closer to the 10-12 age group?
Is it possible it was part of The Magic Treehouse series, or can we rule that out?
This doesn't sound exactly right, butLittle Fur: When half-elf, half-troll Little Fur learns that servants of the troll king aim to destroy her beloved trees, she embarks on an ambitious and dangerous journey into the human world in hopes of saving not only the wilderness she calls home, but the very earth spirit itself. Suggested level: primary, intermediate.
I would say I was in the 10-13 age range (which was early 00s), I dont think it was a book for the younger age range. I seem to remember a lot of green on the cover and maybe rainbow bubbles, but I'm not sure if I'm just projecting that from what I think the cover should look like. I think it was a group of 2-4 young teenagers (like 13/14, old enough to be roaming around a forest without parental supervision hah), both boys and girls. I think the tree had a name - and that was potentially also the title of the book? The tree was very old. When the kids stumbled upon the entrance into the tree, I think it was like "hmm, there's a weird aura around this tree root" that they fell into rather than an actual portal? when they were inside the tree, it was more underground than in the branches. The tree definitely talked somehow, and I think they used the roots as like, a highway system to get places??? and maybe communicate with other big trees a long way away??? i don't think it was the magic treehouse series, it was either a standalone or maaaaybe a duology.
Didn't see it here (of course): https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7... - Bubbles on the CoverSo, for the fantasy aspect, we have:
trees that are sentient
shrunken kids? (I assume they get small enough to fit into vesicles?)
a witch
And for the setting, it's modern times, right? You mentioned parking lots.
So can we rule out:
- the tree is a portal to another kingdom (for example, where there's royalty and feudalism and wars and they're all waiting for a hero, etc.)?
- time travel in general?
- Arthurian legend (Merlin, etc.)?
Longshot, because it's an Australian book and I don't think very well known outside Australia. The Riddle of the Trumpalar
Main characters are twins, Cass and Carl, who are trying to save a tree from being cut down. They hug the tree for good luck and get drawn into it, meet the guardian of the tree, the Trumpalar, and get sent back in time to save the tree.
There's a sequel, Challenge of the Trumpalar
Valerie wrote: "Longshot, because it's an Australian book and I don't think very well known outside Australia. The Riddle of the Trumpalar
Main characters are twins, Cass and Carl, who are trying ..."
Well they're both on MY to-read list now anyways. Cheers! ;)
Capn wrote: "Valerie wrote: "Longshot, because it's an Australian book and I don't think very well known outside Australia. The Riddle of the Trumpalar
Main characters are twins, Cass and Carl,..."
Enjoy!
Sorry for the late reply everyone - I've been working in the bush with no signal for the past few months. Thanks so much for the suggestions!Valerie wrote: "Longshot, because it's an Australian book and I don't think very well known outside Australia.
The Riddle of the Trumpalar
Main characters are twins, Cass and Carl, who are trying ..."
This actually sounds really promising - will have to see if I can get my hands on a copy! :)
The Ancient One for Emilie's clickable.The Great Sockathon was first published in 2006 - a year outside of your read date range....
La batalla de los árboles was published in 1999. It mentions an underground parking lot, but I'm not sure it was printed in English.
Capn wrote: "Small Eternities The cover and the mention of a tree seem promising... what do you think? :)"So you can read/scan this on OpenLibrary for free!
https://openlibrary.org/works/OL85805...
"Alaric and Naia shift from one parallel universe, one small eternity, to another to another to another. They have lost control - if they ever had it. Does anything they do or think or say matter, now or then or in the future? And can they outsmart death? The mystery deepens.."
It's the second book in a series, the first being A Crack in the Line
Mary wrote: "Sorry for the late reply everyone - I've been working in the bush with no signal for the past few months. Thanks so much for the suggestions!Valerie wrote: "Longshot, because it's an Australian b..."
Regarding Valerie's suggestion of The Riddle of the Trumpalar (which really sounds like your book!):
The author's website states that they are 'currently in the process of reprinting' The Riddle of the Trumpalar:
https://www.patriciabernardbooks.com/ - a pop-up for the registration of interest in the reprint comes here.
And the Author's page on the series: https://www.patriciabernardbooks.com/...
Riddle of the Trumpalar joins Cass and Carl as they are sent into Australia's convict past to save the Trumper Tree. On their journey, the twins meet Mary Sinclair, a convict being hunted by the infamous Rum Corps soldiers, and the handsome Obediah West, son of Thomas West the first flour mill owner, and pear orchard owner in the convict settlement. They also meet the Nineteenth Trumpalar who lives beneath the nineteenth Trumper tree and rules over the tunnels that take Friends of the Tree to the past or future.
Challenge of the Trumpalar has Cass and Carl claiming their Gift of The Seasons, to revisit Trumperland beneath the Trumper Tree. Here Carl chooses to go into the Tunnel of the Forever Futures. While in the future Cass breaks the Eighteen Trumpiad law and has to face a Challenge. But a third person is needed!
Cass votes to return to the past and ask Mary Sinclair to help her. But Mary is in the stockade about to be hanged for kidnapping and murdering of Governor Macquarie’s goddaughter. So Mary has to be rescued and have her name cleared first. Back in the past Cass and Carl meet Gurrum-Gurrum and Dick Bates who help them. Meanwhile where is Governor Macquarie’s goddaughter?
It was fun writing both books. I researched thief history, convict settlement and the history of Paddington. Characters in the two books are based on real people. Obediah West became a parliamentarian representing Paddington. Mary Sinclair ….well that would be telling.
But two things to remember when you visit Trumperland. ‘When you have a leaf from the Trumper Tree no Harm Can Come To You or Me.’ And 'You cannot take any item from the past into the future without being challenged by the Friends of the Tree'.
It looks as though it was originally published by Scholastic Apple in '81 and reprinted in the 90s ('96, I think?) by Scholastic...
and the sequel:
"The Moreton Bay fig tree twins Cass and Carl are trying to save is the doorway to a magic world. By taking two trips into the past through the tree, the twins are able to discover the will which bequeathed the park to the public on condition that the tree is never cut down." GoogleBooks
"Cass and Carl are eleven year-old twins. They spend most of their spare time in the local park near a grand old Moreton bay fig. The council is going to cut the tree down because of complaints from a wealthy resident. The twins try desperately to gather enough signatures on a petition to save the tree. Just when they lose all hope of getting enough signatures in time, they are drawn into the tree where they meet the guardian of the tree - the Trumpalar." LibraryThing
"Cass and Carl are eleven year-old twins. They spend most of their spare time in the local park near a grand old Moreton bay fig. The council is going to cut the tree down because of complaints from a wealthy resident. The twins try desperately to gather enough signatures on a petition to save the tree. Just when they lose all hope of getting enough signatures in time, they are drawn into the tree where they meet the guardian of the tree - the Trumpalar." Angus Robertson
Some of the original and early reprint Australian edition covers:
both are from https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/pa..., with the summary:
"A journey through time tunnels back to the early Australian convict days. Cass and Carl race against time as they search for a pledge that will grant Trumper Park to the people of Sydney and protect the Trumper Tree from destruction for all time. (LA)"
I can't find anything about a witch person, but I have suspicions about that hand-cuffed lady in the last image... :)
a blog for further reading (not very informative - writing from past memory of a childhood book):
https://randomalex.net/2012/08/21/rid...
An interesting side-note to Capn's info on the author. This series was actually co-written by three authors - Judy Nunn, Patricia Bernard and Fiona Waite.
Valerie wrote: "An interesting side-note to Capn's info on the author. This series was actually co-written by three authors - Judy Nunn, Patricia Bernard and Fiona Waite."Interesting!
"Judy Bernard-White" is who gets credit on WorldCat and the titles.
The full names of all three authors only appears on the multimedia adaptations (audio cassette, and a computer software package on WorldCat (https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=tru...).
One might have expected Patricia Bernard to have mentioned the other authors... :S Not the briefest mention of co-authors or contributors here: https://www.patriciabernardbooks.com/...! :S
Mod
I've managed to get my hands on the most promising book to see if that was it or not!
Mary wrote: "*I've not"I will likely order a copy of the re-release of The Riddle of the Trumpalar. If you're not intending to, then I'm happy to screen it for you. I just have no idea re: the timeline involved (no info given, and I haven't received a reply on whether or not they were including the sequel in this print). :)
Capn wrote: "Mary wrote: "*I've not"I will likely order a copy of the re-release of The Riddle of the Trumpalar. If you're not intending to, then I'm happy to screen it for you. I just have no ..."
That would be great! I did put my name down but obviously have also not heard anything haha
I have copies of both Riddle and Challenge (somewhere!). What do you mean by screening it? Perhaps I could do this?
The riddle of the Trumpalar. "When twins Cass and Carl vowed to save an ancient Moreton Bay fig tree from destruction they did not realise it was the beginning of a journey that would take them literally inside the tree and from there back in time to the Sydney of the First Fleet; for they have set in motion the timeless magic of the Trumpalar. First published in 1981."https://www.patriciabernardbooks.com/...
Set in Australia.
My concern is you don't recognise it ... no ah-hah that's it! moment ... I have both too.
Valerie wrote: "I have copies of both Riddle and Challenge (somewhere!). What do you mean by screening it? Perhaps I could do this?"So Mary wrote originally:
"All I remember is there was a giant sentient tree in the middle of a forest that some kids (young teenager age?) discovered and were roped into trying to save it (unsure from what). They were transported inside the tree somehow, and either there were people living inside or the tree could talk to them. Or both. I vaguely remember them travelling through the root system in air bubbles (vesicles?). Potentially the root systems were also how the tree(s) communicated? There was definitely something to do with the root system, anyway.
I also seem to remember a scene in a car park where the girl got into a fight over something. There was also maybe a house (belonging to a witch?) that they used the tree root system to pop up close to in order to save the tree?"
So we've established that there's a big tree that the kids are trying to save and that they are transported inside of it (via hugging - some more description on the actual method here might help).
Perhaps if someone could confirm the existence of the term 'vesicles' and a car park, communication or connections with roots, and if the lady convict was a "witch" (accused, has magic, looked like one to the kids, etc.), that might help Mary positively identify it? :)
She's not able to get a hold of a copy herself to confirm, you see, and the summaries aren't cutting it.
Perhaps even a few quotations, or new details that aren't mentioned in the legion of summaries above? (Another character name, or a description of the in-root travelling?)
I found my Trumpalar copies and will have a read over the next few days.The riddle of the Trumpalar. Title page says copyright 1981. First published by Scholastic 1982. Reprinted several times.
- Eleven-year-old Cass and Carl (he wears glasses) are twins. They want to save the old Moreton Bay fig tree from being cut down, beginning with a petition. The parents with neighbours have a residents' committee and consulted a lawyer. They're trying to prevent a woman with powerful sway with the council from chopping the Trumper Tree (as they call it) down. It's in the middle of Trumper Park in a noisy city. The park was becoming smaller as more townhouses were built. The twins hugged the tree to make a wish and found themselves pulled into the tree as if they had dissolved into the trunk, and were sliding down inside the tree. They landed in a round room that seemed to be made of tree roots plaited together. Cass touched the wall and it disappeared. They walked through tunnels. Cass still believed in tree spirits. Carl was practical, logical and thought there was a scientific explanation for everything. The twins meet the Trumpalar, a tall robed being that seems to speak with thoughts, and often says mayhap.
More notes to come ... I will read more tomorrow.
bookel wrote: "I found my Trumpalar copies and will have a read over the next few days.The riddle of the Trumpalar
- Eleven-year-old Cass and Carl (he wears glasses) are twins. They want to save the old Moreton ..."
Wonderful!!! Yeay, Bookel!!!
The riddle of the Trumpalar, from title page.Copyright 1981 by Trumper Park Productions (I don't think this means an actual book edition as the first Scholastic edition is 1982).
First Ashton Scholastic edition in Australia and NZ 1982.
Reprinted 1982 and 1984.
Reprinted as an Apple Paperback in 1990, which is the Scholastic edition I am reading.
There also seems to be a 2007 edition (bright green cover with circle illustration in the middle) according to Google Images. Search the title in quotes to see four different covers. I had a copy of each bright green edition but gave them away as they were spares, preferring the earlier edition covers, which are always better!
Hope the first few chapters' summary above triggers memory if you read it ... will let you know if the last paragraph is mentioned once I finish. There is no forest, yet to check other times.
Apologies for the delay; midway through and trying to finish soon. There is bushland after the second time they went into the Trumper Tree to escape a dog. I think this is a time travel part. Still reading to check for the last paragraph.Four Case Studuies in Civics and Citizenship Education: A ... - Page 32
1996 · Snippet view
FOUND INSIDE – PAGE 32
The Trumpalar was a tree spirit that inhabited a Morton Bay Fig tree in Trumper Park in Sydney , and was in danger of being chopped down by " the wicked Mrs Valchase " who wanted to build a block of apartments where the tree stood.
Mary -- finishing The riddle of the Trumpalar off in the hopes it is your book. Checking for details from your paragraph: "scene in a car park where the girl got into a fight over something. There was also maybe a house (belonging to a witch?) that they used the tree root system to pop up close to in order to save the tree". Do you recall convicts as there are some historical fiction elements and this is where the bush (instead of the park) comes in. The children theorise they came down a time tunnel within the tree.
If not the book, good luck with finding it. I have done all I can.
bookel wrote: "Mary -- finishing The riddle of the Trumpalar off in the hopes it is your book. Checking for details from your paragraph: "scene in a car park where the girl got into a fight over something. There ..."So bookel - was there a scrap in a parking lot at all, or not?
bookel wrote: "Capn I spent most of today reading it; over half of the book to finish and read half of that. I hope to finish tomorrow and will comment, just noted the last paragraph to remind myself what to look..."Excellent. :) Hoping for a clear result!
Just about finished. There does not seem to be a car park where the girl got into a fight, but in the past she was caught by soldiers and hurt. The twins travel back in time a second time via the tree and a boat. They help bury something that in future would save the tree. Mrs. Valchase who wants to cut the tree down is not a witch though. The buried item is in Penbriton's yard. If nothing is jogging your memory then please comment and others can search for alternate titles to suggest. This may be the closest yet. It is Australian but there are references to England, convicts and soldiers came from there and have accents as written when they speak.
That all does sound fairly promising! However, I clearly don't remember this book well enough to confirm exactly either way without reading it myself... I don't remember any time travel involved, but the concept of burying something to save the tree in the future does sound very familiar??!!
Okay ... do you want to say what your hunch of the buried item is, or shall I mention it? I will finish the book off (already know what the item is but didn't want to give the detail unless you think it might sound familiar).
Ah, I definitely don't remember any details on what might have been buried unfortunately!!!
This page actually mentions what it is (unfortunately they do not have a copy). https://prelovedbookshop.com.au/book/...
Mary the book definitely seems to tick most points you mention. And Capn I suspect the witchlike figure on the last cover you show is the Trumpalar the twins talk to within the tree, due to the pointy ears, not the woman Mrs. Valchase.
Mary did you read the book in the UK or Australia? I'm not sure if it was published overseas but the Trumpalar books appeared to be popular in Australia, encompassing multiple formats according to worldcat.org, and even computer software and a board game.At least eight points you made in message 7 conform to The Riddle of the Trumpalar. Edited to say I just finished reading it; good ending. Hope you're able to get it via the author's site below. Great that there is an option to read it!
A post from the author: https://www.patriciabernardbooks.com/...
So it is only the first book relevant for the original post, saving the tree.
If you go to the Bookstore link on her website you can register your interest in having the book reprinted, thus you may be able to obtain a copy if they have enough people wanting to read it again.
Oh -- on the Bookstore page is an audiobook option for Riddle of the Trumpalar, and eBook for Challenge of the Trumpalar. $6 each. Much less costly than those trying to sell it for ridiculous prices on ebay. Hope that helps!
Hope you had a chance to read the Trumpalar books via the site above. I was browsing children's fiction and came across Ollie and the Bogle by Jarman. It is on openlibrary but yet to check. It also has a save the tree plot based on the summary.
https://openlibrary.org/works/OL34607...
Mary did you read the Trumpalar book to eliminate or confirm? See above.
What's the Name of That Book???
Books mentioned in this topic
The Riddle of the Trumpalar (other topics)The Riddle of the Trumpalar (other topics)
The Riddle of the Trumpalar (other topics)
The Riddle of the Trumpalar (other topics)
Challenge of the Trumpalar (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Judy Nunn (other topics)Patricia Bernard (other topics)
Judy Nunn (other topics)
Patricia Bernard (other topics)
All I remember is there was a giant sentient tree in the middle of a forest that some kids (young teenager age?) discovered and were roped into trying to save it (unsure from what). They were transported inside the tree somehow, and either there were people living inside or the tree could talk to them. Or both. I vaguely remember them travelling through the root system in air bubbles (vesicles?). Potentially the root systems were also how the tree(s) communicated? There was definitely something to do with the root system, anyway.
I also seem to remember a scene in a car park where the girl got into a fight over something. There was also maybe a house (belonging to a witch?) that they used the tree root system to pop up close to in order to save the tree?