Basic plot: Mallory frees a wizard from being trapped in a tree, antics ensue.I like this book more for a funny thing that happened to me than for the content. The book was good- a cute, little fantasy story- but nothing that'll really be remembered over time the way The Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings will.I was in 5th or 6th grade when a parent in the school system where I went to elementary school threw a fit about this book at a school board meeting due to two words contain...

If Chocolate Frogs Famous Wizard Cards featured beloved wizards from the pages of literature, you know there would be a card each for J. K. Rowling's Dumbledore, and Tolkien's Gandalf, and Peter Beagle's Schmendrick, and John Bellairs' Prospero... I've already got quite a long list in mind. Now that I've read this brief book by the Newbery Medal and National Book Award winning author of the Prydain Chronicles, I have another name to add to that list: Arbican. He doesn't do much magic in this boo...

I enjoyed this, I think especially for the illustrations. Though the wizard kept telling the girl that she, as a mortal, has her own special magic, I never believed him... and I'm not sure that she did, either. And what's with calling her a mortal when he could die, too? I dunno... I'm sure I'm being way too picky. It's a fun read that gives younger kids some stuff to think about, stuff they wouldn't necessarily find in very many other light fantasy books.I did find the chronology a hoot. Squire...

This was an old children's favorite that I stumbled upon recently: I wanted to read it to the grandkids but they firmly refused the offer! Just as good perhaps, because it is the story of a girl in "olden days" so thoroughly steeped in fairy tales (which these grandkids don't know) that the primary joke of the book is how different "real" magic may be to those old tales. I still loved re-reading it myself. . . but was just a bit taken aback at how preachy it all was. The message is absolutely un...

I bought the book for only 15 Php. It's the second Lloyd Alexander book I read so far...coz after reading the first book of his Prydain Chronicles, I was bored to proceed to the next one.Neways...The Wizard in the Tree is not in a series. It's on a different setting, different time. The story of a girl named Mallory who accidentally freed an ancient wizard named Arbican who was trapped inside an oak tree for thousands of years. Now, you might be wondering the book is one of those freeing-an-ench...

One word: hilarious. And clever. Once again Lloyd Alexander offers Readers a completely likable, strong heroine and a grouchy wizard who manages to be funny rather than simply annoying. He sets it in the perfect time period - no, not at all medieval - and presents a storyline which is quite well thought out, rather than tha slapped-together feeling so many of his endings seem to have. In some ways, the story has a little bit of a Charles Dickens feel to it (probably the names, and the fact that

Random children's book find. I adored every minute of it. This is a book I wish I had been able to read as a child and grown up with.Better late than never. I need to get my own copy of this one for my 'childhood favorites' shelf.

It's not a bad book, but I don't really like to read it, because it gives me a deep feeling of claustrophobia whenever I imagine it. I just get really uncomfortable for some reason. I'm not saying I don't recommend it, it's just not for me.

Just wasn't very good. Pretty mean spirited, not much of a plot, characters aren't very sympathetic. I read it out loud to my 7 year old daughter, and she agreed it was just ok.

Inventive story idea and great title. Mostly all despicable characters including the wizard at times. Did not like some of the language, such as slut and wench, it was not needed.

Interesting book- I've been meaning to read Lloyd Alexander's juvenile fiction, but most of his stuff seems to be part of a series and I didn't quite want that level of commitment. Happened upon this one in a thrift store and noticed it was a standalone and decided to give it a try. It's pretty dark for juvenile fiction, most of the people aren't particularly good people. Everyone is struggling and thus they care little for the fellows who are in similar straits. I did like the writing style and...

We're in the process of discovering various gems from the pen of Lloyd Alexander that I had somehow previously missed or overlooked. This one, from 1975, won't be among my top favorites of his many books, but it did have character and charm. It reads rather like an extended fairy tale, I suppose, and features a brief fantasy-adventure-mystery. The characters, as usual with Lloyd Alexander, are either endearing or at least interesting in every case, and well developed despite the relative brevity...

A good book for people of many ages. Mallory, a serving girl adopted by a terrible lady innkeeper and her mild-mannered innkeeper husband, gets involved with a wizard, who she helps get out of a tree he has been magically imprisoned in for ages. Although he’s a true wizard, his enchantment skills are rusty, to say the least, and Mallory’s quick thinking and determination more than match his magical powers. Which is one of the points of the book, and which gives it some depth, while not overburde...

When Mallory notices something sticking out of an old tree and she takes a closer look, she has broken a magical spell. Arbican the wizard has been trapped in the tree for thousands of years; his friends are gone and so are his powers. When the greedy men steal, kidnap, and murder; Mallory and Arbican try to escape but without his powers their hopes to get away are gone. An interesting story, written in 1975, with a lot of large words like: assumption, obviously, disembodied, contradicted, and d...

There's a charming little story here about an feisty orphan girl who frees a wizard from the tree that's held him for centuries, but finds that his powers have become quite rusty during his long sleep. But it's almost strangled by the surrounding SJW preaching about an evil industrial developer. And if you want to tell me that some industrial developers are truly evil, I will answer that some feisty orphan girls are evil, too, but I would be dismayed to find one in a fairy story.

I really enjoyed the exploration of 'magic' and what we think it is and what might bring magic about in our lives. Light and quick read (though one of the characters does call Mallory, the main character, a 'slut' at one point which led to an interesting bedtime discussion with an 8 and 10-year-old). We decided to read Alexander's Prydain Chronicles (The Black Cauldron, etc) next with the kids after reading this one, so I think that's a pretty good recommendation.

Finished this in about 2:30, an easy and enjoyable read similar in action to the Marvelous Adventures of Sebastian. Some fighting and a murder or two. No profanity or sex. Reminds me of a later book by Orson Scott Card in that there is a wizard who was embedded in a tree, otherwise a different story.

This was really unique and clever. It hovers around 3-4 stars for me. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like this, and while it wasn’t what I had imagined, I ended up appreciating it for its subtle magic.There are elements of this that are very whimsical. But most of it is not.

Although I spent most of the novel wanting to stuff Arbican back in his tree, it was interesting to read a children's story where the underlining moral is something like "Quit bitching and fix it yourself."

A funny look at a legendary wizard.Similar to T.H. White's: Sword in the Stone

This is a very fun story in the vein of the black cauldron and a quick read for young adults.

Not bad, the world building was a bit lacking but that might be due to the age range of the book more than anything.

A rapid adventure through fantasy that ends with the young heroine discovering that the greatest magic lay within her all along. A lovely story.

Another book the family read together. A good story, perhaps the wording gets in the way of the story at times.

Title: The Wizard in the TreeAuthor: Lloyd Alexander Illustrator: Laszlo Kubinyi Genre: Science fiction Theme(s): Courage, heroism, honor, Opening line/sentence: “Mallory’s oak was down.”Brief Book Summary: When Mallory takes interest to an old oak tree, she soon learns that she’s broken a magical spell. After rescuing the wizard Arbican who has been trapped in the tree for thousands of years, Mallory must help him get his powers back, and escape the persecution of Squire Scrupnor. Professional

I wasn't planning on writing reviews for most of the books I've read aside from explaining the 1-star ones, but I just wanted to add my two cents on why I rated this book so high. The Wizard in the Tree is generally at the reading level of young children, but I feel that it's a great example of children's literature written to make children think. In many ways, this book is the opposite of the standard popular YA novel, which implies that you're special and deserve good things. A lot of reviewer...

Lloyd Alexander was either in a bad mood or a grumpy old man when he wrote this. What a motley group of miserable characters he created. If you take all of the Grimm fairy tales and put in the worst step-parents (although she is a kitchen maid in a family , so rather think Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon in Harry Potter), the meanest miser, the most selfish wizard along with various henchmen, then you have the cast of characters. It wasn't a bad book, but pretty simplistic. But for some reason, in...

Somehow in my obsessive-compulsive childhood reading of every-single-thing-Lloyd-Alexander-ever-wrote, I missed this one. ? Admittedly, I didn't love it as much as most of his other work, but I can still happily state that Alexander sure knows how to write an exciting climax and a brilliant moral. And, despite her shortcomings, Mallory (the main character) doesn't come across as drippy or obnoxious. She's a brave, quick-thinking girl who happens to also be good-hearted and she doesn't read like

Similar theme as The Cat Who Wished to be a Man, moralizing about some of the worst traits of humans – greed, lack of compassion, and unrealistic beliefs, but after a slow start, I liked this one much better. Alexander evidently struggled a bit finding his niche in the fantasy realm but you can see parts of his later books in this one, magical pigs, wizards who promote using one's own strengths, characters who care. 3.5 stars.

This book is a cute YA story by the Author of the Chronicles of Prydain (The Black Cauldron, etc.) It features Mallory a downtrodden girl who works as a maid for a greedy and cruel mistress. They live in a downtrodden town that is about to be razed to be replaced by a coal mine. The Wizard, Abrican, who Mallory found trapped in a felled tree losing his powers, but he owes Mallory a gift for freeing him. Together he and Mallory get tangled up with the greedy Squire whose going to turn the town in...