Willow and Twig

I have recently been searching for books that treat modern topics more gently, so that I can recommend them for young students. Too often I find the harsh world of drug abuse or physical abuse or whatever is treated in such a stark manner that it hurts just to read about it. Jean Little manages to tell a story that includes many frightening elements, but which also maintains a hopeful and, in the end, affirming view of the world. And she does this without losing the vivid imagery or the details that give insight into each character's world. You can feel Willow gradually begin to relax and to believe that she and her brother might actually be safe and loved. It was a pleasure to get to know these characters and their lives.

Willow and Twig will live in my heart right beside Anne Shirley, Mary Lennox and Leslie Burke. It is an outstanding achievement. I am using this novel to entice my teenage students to read with a passion. Little's characters are so real and heartwarming that they simply jump off the page and into the imaginations of these reluctant readers. Canadians do not realize that Jean Little is one of our greatest literary treasures. As far as Children's Literature is concerned, her novels rank with the world's best writers, like Katherine Paterson. I hope sincerely that she will continue the story of these two unforgetable characters in another novel.

Willow and Twig are nobody's children. Angel, their mother who was a drug addict,left them with a friend and promised to return soon. She never came back. At the present time, Willow and Twig are living with Maisie, and old woman who is by no means rich or healthy. Maisie struggles to provide a home and food for Willow and Twig, but she can barely support herself. When she dies there is nowhere left to turn. Willow and her brother Twig run away to a police station. A few hours later a nasty secretary notices them and calls Child Services. Ms. Thorton, a young woman from Child Services calls their grandmother who willingly takes them away from the homeless and poverty-stricken life in Vancouver, to a beautiful country home in Ontatio called Stonecrop. Their grandmother takes them in as if they were her own children. Soon she finds out about Twig's rages and hearing problems that were caused from their mother using drugs while she was pregnant. Angel had stopped using drugs for a while, but, when her buyfriend leaves her before Twig is born, she goes back to drugs to comfort herself. Will Willow and Twig be able to stay at Stonecrop long? Will their grandmother grow tired of them and send them back to living on the street?"Willow and Twig's story is one that will surely touch your heart and tickle your funny bone. This book is a roller coaster of emotions that you will never grow tired of. A great book for all ages, especially teens!"- ...

It usually takes me a long time to read a book. But when I recieved Willow and Twig, I had it read in one and a half days. This inseparable pair will tear at your heart as they go through their journey from the streets of Vancouver to their grandma's home, Stonecrop in Ontario. The characters and story are a mixture of truth and fiction. Willow & Twig is a real treasure.

Willow and Twig was one of the best books I have ever read! It was interesting and exciting. I liked the writting style. Excellent reading i couldn't put it down!