The Mystery of the Tree Rings

Written for young people at a second to fourth grade reading level, The Mystery of the Tree Rings is a simple "mystery" book about two children, Max and Hannah, taken on a nature trip by their grandfather to find a ponderosa pine that's nearly eight hundred years old. As they hike, Max gets lost and takes a rest next to a gigantic pine tree. A mysterious voice whispers to Max, telling him about the secret life of Rosa the ponderosa. When Hannah and Grandpa find Max, he has learned the wonders of ancient trees, perhaps the very same wonders that Grandpa has written in his private journal. "'Grandpa, our measuring sticks are just like tree rings. Each mark tells how much we grew,' Hannah said the next morning back at the farm. She was studying the measurements they had made on their sticks. 'Right, Hannah,' Grandpa said. 'Like a tree's rings, the marks on your stick record your personal growth. Today, I'm giving you your first journals, too, so that you can record other things. Write down all that you saw and did yesterday in the Black Hills. It will help you remember our adventures.'" Simple, colorful illustrations and a final blank, lined page for the child to write in to start their own journal round out this charming story about learning to appreciate and remember the wonders all around us.