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Byways #5
Inside the Tree: A Ewan Johns Adventure
Ewan, Zane, and Ganix--three half-brothers take sibling rivalry to new lengths as they race each other across their homeland.
Magic isn't the only legacy Mr. Ian Johns wants for his bickering sons. The Postmaster hoped the boys would bond during a family trip, but they twist his vacation plans into a race. Ewan, Zane, and Ganix soon find themselves far from home, facing choices that are far from easy. Three routes stretch from coast to coast. The rules: each brother--and his two companions--must check in at post offices along their route. At these waypoints, they stamp in with their personal seal and report their progress by postcard.
Ewan is no longer alone, but his expenses have tripled. He finds work in a flour mill, and every evening, he and his girls count the coins he's earned. While Ewan saves for train fare, they board with Charter's school teacher, Nathan Saybrook. He's a man with a quirky house, a knack for storytelling, and a reason to smile. Tamaqua and Juniata learn why the day they discover that the big, old tree in the village green is being used as a mailbox.
Welcome to Liberty: Big cities and hill-country outposts thrive on busy byways, but people are scarce in the Wilds, where mythical creatures are alive and well. Folks commonly use lanterns to light their homes, and peace is kept by rangers on horseback. In the Byways books, readers will encounter dragons, griffins, river monsters, and rogue magicians.
Magic is a rare trait that runs in families. Some magical gifts are quite useful; others are downright quirky. Like the talent inherited by members of the Johns family. They're Changers who can take the form of an animal. Not that magic will make winning the race any easier for Ewan, Zane, and Ganix.
Educational Twist: Each of the Byways books is tied to one of the fifty states and borrows from its history and geography--icons, mottos, landmarks, people, places, and famous firsts. They're hidden throughout the story, turning the series into one long game of hide-and-seek. At the end of each Byways book, there's a master list that covers everything from the state tree to the state insect. Nicknames, sports teams, state heroes, and national parks also find their way into the story. States are covered in order of ratification. Inside the Tree takes its cues from "The Nutmeg State," Connecticut.
Chart your course to CJMilbrandt.com, where readers can stamp into the Waypoint Log and take part in a very special Hometown Challenge.
Excerpt:
By the time they left, it was dark. A thin moon gave enough light to see by, so Ewan wasn't worried. Until a low growl made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
"What was that, Mister Ewan?"
"That was a wolf," he said, tightening his grip on her hand.
"Are you sure?" Tamaqua asked.
"Yes," Ewan said. "I know a lot about wolves from my brother."
"Scary," whimpered Juniata.
Though he didn't say so, Ewan was frightened, too. Nathan had talked about a wolf pack coming out of the mountains and bothering the Granbys' animals. That meant the wolves were hungry. And they weren't even halfway home.
Magic isn't the only legacy Mr. Ian Johns wants for his bickering sons. The Postmaster hoped the boys would bond during a family trip, but they twist his vacation plans into a race. Ewan, Zane, and Ganix soon find themselves far from home, facing choices that are far from easy. Three routes stretch from coast to coast. The rules: each brother--and his two companions--must check in at post offices along their route. At these waypoints, they stamp in with their personal seal and report their progress by postcard.
Ewan is no longer alone, but his expenses have tripled. He finds work in a flour mill, and every evening, he and his girls count the coins he's earned. While Ewan saves for train fare, they board with Charter's school teacher, Nathan Saybrook. He's a man with a quirky house, a knack for storytelling, and a reason to smile. Tamaqua and Juniata learn why the day they discover that the big, old tree in the village green is being used as a mailbox.
Welcome to Liberty: Big cities and hill-country outposts thrive on busy byways, but people are scarce in the Wilds, where mythical creatures are alive and well. Folks commonly use lanterns to light their homes, and peace is kept by rangers on horseback. In the Byways books, readers will encounter dragons, griffins, river monsters, and rogue magicians.
Magic is a rare trait that runs in families. Some magical gifts are quite useful; others are downright quirky. Like the talent inherited by members of the Johns family. They're Changers who can take the form of an animal. Not that magic will make winning the race any easier for Ewan, Zane, and Ganix.
Educational Twist: Each of the Byways books is tied to one of the fifty states and borrows from its history and geography--icons, mottos, landmarks, people, places, and famous firsts. They're hidden throughout the story, turning the series into one long game of hide-and-seek. At the end of each Byways book, there's a master list that covers everything from the state tree to the state insect. Nicknames, sports teams, state heroes, and national parks also find their way into the story. States are covered in order of ratification. Inside the Tree takes its cues from "The Nutmeg State," Connecticut.
Chart your course to CJMilbrandt.com, where readers can stamp into the Waypoint Log and take part in a very special Hometown Challenge.
Excerpt:
By the time they left, it was dark. A thin moon gave enough light to see by, so Ewan wasn't worried. Until a low growl made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
"What was that, Mister Ewan?"
"That was a wolf," he said, tightening his grip on her hand.
"Are you sure?" Tamaqua asked.
"Yes," Ewan said. "I know a lot about wolves from my brother."
"Scary," whimpered Juniata.
Though he didn't say so, Ewan was frightened, too. Nathan had talked about a wolf pack coming out of the mountains and bothering the Granbys' animals. That meant the wolves were hungry. And they weren't even halfway home.
62 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2015
580 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Milbrandt
21 books184 followersC. J. Milbrandt has always believed in miracles, especially small ones. A lifelong bookworm with a love for fairy tales, far-off lands, and fantasy worlds, CJ began spinning adventures of her own on the advice of a dear friend. Her family-friendly stories mingle humor and whimsy with a dash of danger and a touch of magic.
The Galleries of Stone trilogy [A magic master sculptor of Pred descent and the only Flox boy with the nubs to take his hand. Cozy fantasy.]
Journeymen of Stone [Readers join other Meadowsweets as they go out into the world. More mountains. New cultures. Adventure!]
Byways Books [Ewan, Zane, and Ganix take sibling rivalry to new lengths as they race each other across their homeland. Chapter books for young readers, beginning around age 6, escalating into middlegrade.]
The Galleries of Stone trilogy [A magic master sculptor of Pred descent and the only Flox boy with the nubs to take his hand. Cozy fantasy.]
Journeymen of Stone [Readers join other Meadowsweets as they go out into the world. More mountains. New cultures. Adventure!]
Byways Books [Ewan, Zane, and Ganix take sibling rivalry to new lengths as they race each other across their homeland. Chapter books for young readers, beginning around age 6, escalating into middlegrade.]
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 12, 2020
Happy secrets
Here we are once more with Ewan and his two charges, Juniata and Tamaqua as they race to the West Coast.
Choosing to stay a while in town to rebuild his money for traveling, a few more secrets are shared as well as possibly a new perspective for Ewan to consider about his brothers.
Based around Connecticut this time, I caught some of the non-state connected easter eggs, but had no idea about others.
Here we are once more with Ewan and his two charges, Juniata and Tamaqua as they race to the West Coast.
Choosing to stay a while in town to rebuild his money for traveling, a few more secrets are shared as well as possibly a new perspective for Ewan to consider about his brothers.
Based around Connecticut this time, I caught some of the non-state connected easter eggs, but had no idea about others.
February 1, 2017
Aimed at elementary age kids, this series highlights three brothers as they travel across a landscape closing resembling colonial America. With just a little magical influence, the reader is whisked along as the brothers race across the land.
What you don't realize is all of the learning packed into the short story. Each book highlights a different state and its history. A summary at the end lays out numerous interesting facts and events. In this book, the state of Connecticut is featured.
With short chapters and a simple storyline, this book is ideally suited for young readers with a few challenging words to stretch their abilities. They won't even realize how much educational material is packed in. Expect them to come to you with an interesting factoid or two after reading this book.
* I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads giveaways *
What you don't realize is all of the learning packed into the short story. Each book highlights a different state and its history. A summary at the end lays out numerous interesting facts and events. In this book, the state of Connecticut is featured.
With short chapters and a simple storyline, this book is ideally suited for young readers with a few challenging words to stretch their abilities. They won't even realize how much educational material is packed in. Expect them to come to you with an interesting factoid or two after reading this book.
* I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads giveaways *
July 30, 2016
I won this as a part of a Goodreads Giveaway
Right off the bat, I just want to put it out there that at the time of this review I have no previous books that are part of this series but man am I planning on getting them.
First the art. The art is amazing, the colors are crisp, it carries the feel of fantasy and adventure. It's just lovely, I mean how do you not fall in love with it. That's what drew me in to look at the books at first and I do not regret it. Kudos to Hannah Christenson for doing an amazing job. The little postcards and bookmark were adorable I love them.
Now, the next thing that made me really giddy about this book is, when I first held it in the packaging I thought it was a hardcover. When I took it out I saw that it was a paperback but it is a nicely made, very solid paperback. That's good craftsmanship and I am a sucker for a well crafted book. The cover is still flexible, but it just feels like it's gunna hold up better than most paperback books I've held before. And that's saying a lot considering this is a very thin book, only 39 pages of story, with some extra content afterwards.
The story is adorable. I loved ever letter of it. Even if you start off out of order you can still get the overall feel of each character in the books. While the story was short, and I greatly wish it to be longer, it's perfect for young readers to practice with and share with their friends. I'm actually itching for the rest of this adventure.
The only issue I caught was on page 32, a line of dialogue reads "Aren't you are the son of the Postmaster?", the removal of the "are" from future editions is the only change necessary.
Right off the bat, I just want to put it out there that at the time of this review I have no previous books that are part of this series but man am I planning on getting them.
First the art. The art is amazing, the colors are crisp, it carries the feel of fantasy and adventure. It's just lovely, I mean how do you not fall in love with it. That's what drew me in to look at the books at first and I do not regret it. Kudos to Hannah Christenson for doing an amazing job. The little postcards and bookmark were adorable I love them.
Now, the next thing that made me really giddy about this book is, when I first held it in the packaging I thought it was a hardcover. When I took it out I saw that it was a paperback but it is a nicely made, very solid paperback. That's good craftsmanship and I am a sucker for a well crafted book. The cover is still flexible, but it just feels like it's gunna hold up better than most paperback books I've held before. And that's saying a lot considering this is a very thin book, only 39 pages of story, with some extra content afterwards.
The story is adorable. I loved ever letter of it. Even if you start off out of order you can still get the overall feel of each character in the books. While the story was short, and I greatly wish it to be longer, it's perfect for young readers to practice with and share with their friends. I'm actually itching for the rest of this adventure.
The only issue I caught was on page 32, a line of dialogue reads "Aren't you are the son of the Postmaster?", the removal of the "are" from future editions is the only change necessary.
March 12, 2016
The Byways books are teaching kids about the United States of America in a new and exciting way. State facts, cities, famous places and more are hidden within this fantasy story about three half-brothers who have decided to have a race across the land of Liberty. The story itself seems like a straight-up adventure, but at the end there is a list of facts that have been hidden within the story.
Inside the Tree is the fifth book in the series and follows the eldest brother, Ewan, who is now traveling with the two little girls he found hiding on the train. But Tamaqua and Juniata seem to have lots of secrets and are about to get themselves caught up in another one in the town of Charter.
What I loved most about Inside the Tree was the affection between Ewan and his girls. It was completely heartwarming all the way through. That’s not to say there isn’t any excitement, though. Hidden messages, magical creatures, and a hungry pack of wolves will be sure to keep kids and their parents equally entertained. I was also pleased that the vocabulary isn’t “dumbed down” for children. The story reads very naturally, unlike a lot of kid’s books which seem stilted because of the simplified word structures. The best part, though, is that the hidden facts are like Easter eggs. I had to go back through and re-read the story again to find them. It’s such a unique way to keep kids entertained while also being educational.
Inside the Tree is the fifth book in the series and follows the eldest brother, Ewan, who is now traveling with the two little girls he found hiding on the train. But Tamaqua and Juniata seem to have lots of secrets and are about to get themselves caught up in another one in the town of Charter.
What I loved most about Inside the Tree was the affection between Ewan and his girls. It was completely heartwarming all the way through. That’s not to say there isn’t any excitement, though. Hidden messages, magical creatures, and a hungry pack of wolves will be sure to keep kids and their parents equally entertained. I was also pleased that the vocabulary isn’t “dumbed down” for children. The story reads very naturally, unlike a lot of kid’s books which seem stilted because of the simplified word structures. The best part, though, is that the hidden facts are like Easter eggs. I had to go back through and re-read the story again to find them. It’s such a unique way to keep kids entertained while also being educational.
July 4, 2015
Charming series for children and their parents to read along, too.
Charming series for children and parents reading along, too. Book 5 subtly teaches about Connecticut, the 5th state of the union. Family friendly fantasy, beautiful writing and art throughout.
Charming series for children and parents reading along, too. Book 5 subtly teaches about Connecticut, the 5th state of the union. Family friendly fantasy, beautiful writing and art throughout.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews