{Synopsis} – This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!
Sam, Antonio, and Lucy are passing around a soccer ball at recess when something strange happens… They soon find themselves in a fog-filled jungle! The grass and trees have come alive, growing high into the sky. And the friends discover that it's not just the school itself that's alive — it's everything on the school grounds! Sam, Antonio, and Lucy must find their way out of a monstrous hedge maze in time to rescue the rest of the students!
{My thoughts} – It is once again up to Sam, Antonio, and Lucy to save the school and all the students within the doors. In this book they are playing with a soccer ball that ends up going between the fence outside of the school all on it’s own. The three of them find this odd and argue amongst each other about whether or not they should go after it. In the end they decide to go chasing after the ball. They end up in a full blown jungle that they are certain was never there before.
Lucy pulls out an old journal that belonged to Orson Eerie and in it is a map of what he’d planned to do with land around the school. They learn that it wasn’t just the school, that it was land around the school that was owned by Orson and because of that there isn’t a lot of safe places for the students to be around the school, because it turns out even the land around the school is alive. Alive with a plan to trap Sam, Antonio, and Lucy out in the jungle while it hurts the children within the school walls.
Does the land around the school succeed? Do Sam, Antonio, and Lucy find a way to stop it from hurting the children in the school? Are they able to go another day and feel safe? Even if for a little while? What is Orson Eerie’s plan of action? What is he trying to accomplish by trying to hurt all the children in the school over and over and over again?
This book was a nice and fast read. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the previous two books in the series. I think that any child that enjoys a little adventure, that enjoys a little mystery and suspense will enjoy reading this book and the previous ones. They are fast reads that pull the reader in and when that happens its a feeling like no other a feeling that can’t be explained because the book has you in the grips and I think that helps to make a wonderful read for children that are just being introduced to chapter books.
Final Conclusion: 5 Star Rating.
