The Singing Tree

Lovely, hopeful and pleasing book with realistic characters.

I bought this & The Good Master for my daughter many years ago. These books have always had a special place in my heart because of their "readability". The stories are about growing up and being loved and all that after much disruption in a young life. There is a message of hope and love that is good and kind and there is also a clear and warm picture of what life could have been like in pre-World War 1 Hungary. The illustrations are as outstanding as the story. I love reading it to children, gives me an excuse for re-reading it myself. The second book is more serious as the children grow up and war intrudes but life is like that, isn't it.

While this sequel to _The Good Master_ provides a welcome return visit with the original characters and setting, it is considerably more serious in tone, as it deals with the impact of World War I on a peace-loving family and small community. The farm of the "good master" has become a refuge for a widely- varied assortment of people ranging from small German orphans to Russian military POWs - and the "good master" himself is missing in action. The young adolescent Kate, her slightly older cousin Jancsi, and their friend Lily must grow up in a hurry. But the strength of their earlier upbringing,leavened with consistant parental examples of kindness, common sense and good humor, is sufficient to see them through this time of trial. This book makes very strong statements about the brotherhood of mankind and the cruel impact of war on the young and innocent - and those statements cannot be repeated often enough. The poignant episode which lends this book its title crystalizes the author's message of peace, tolerance, freedom, and community - a message reminiscent of Anne Frank's oft-quoted, "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart". Those who read _The Singing Tree_ will agree. Highly recommended for independent readers 11 and up, and for reading and discussing in families and classrooms.

I love Kate Seredy. My father built the home I grew up in . It was constructed in part from lumber salvaged from Ms. Seredy's barn. We have a full collection of her stories some autographed. My mother read them to me and now I am reading them to my children. The language is simple, yet the word pictures are splendid. Her illustrations are wonderful, sensitive, and clearly convey the feeling of the text. Well worth the read for anyone who has children or has been a child.

This book was read to me as a child and I read it to my four boys too. They adore this book, and also the first in the series, The Good Master. If you are looking for a book for ALL ages of children, and that tells a great story with great values without hitting you on the head with them, this book is a great one! Don't miss it!