Operation Redwood

Loved IT!

Operation Redwood The fictional novel Operation Redwood by S. Terrell French was an uplifting story set in current day California. The story begins when Julian, the main character, gets sent home to his Uncle Sibley's office from school because he is sick. While at Sibley's office, he intercepts an email about how his aunt and uncle, who he is staying with for the summer, are planning to send him away to math camp. He also opens an email from a girl named Robin who is furious at Sibley for cutting down all of the Redwood trees in her next door neighbor's yard. Julian sends the email to his friend Danny, and then deletes it. Later, Danny and Julian get in touch with Robin, who is an eleven year old girl that is homes schooled and lives next door to a place called Big Tree Grove, where Sibley is planning to cut down all of the Redwoods. Julian, Robin, and Danny form a plan that involves Julian running away to Robin's house instead of going to math camp. While at Big Tree Grove, Julian falls in love with the land and can not wait to protest against his uncle cutting down all of the beautiful trees. Then Julian gets taken away suddenly from Robin and her family by his Aunt Daphne. While home at Sibley and Daphne's house, Julian is tortured so his Chinese grandmother, Popo, takes him away from them. After, he receivers another email from Robin, who is inviting Julian, Danny, and her old friend Arial back up to her house to protest in a tree house right in the middle of Big Tree Grove. The book ends with a suspenseful secret about Julian's family. There were many positives about the book, and very few negatives. One positive is Julian's character because he's curious, amusing, and has an interesting life. Another positive is the ending of the book because it's cheerful, but also mysterious. A final positive was the friendship between Julian and Robin, even though they are a boy and a girl. One negative about the book was that Aunt Daphne and Uncle Sibley were so mean, and just did not have good personalities. A second negative was that the book was not very descriptive; it was more about the actual plot. A last negative was that Julian had a pretty sad life story, with his father dying when he was a small child, and his aunt and uncle hating him so much. The author did an excellent job with making sure the book had mostly positives, and very few negatives. The author, S. Terrell French, had a very interesting writing style. The story sounds like a child wrote it, even though it was written in the third person, where the author tells the story. For example, "But as he'd sat, staring at the python tattoo that snaked its way up the fat pink neck of the taxi driver, it had occurred to Julian that he'd just gotten into a car with a stranger and was completely at his mercy." S. Terrell French also uses very descriptive words, such as disarray and tirade. Lastly, the author uses the five senses frequently, like when Julian said that he could almost taste the sweet water that the girls were drinking. S. Terrell French's writing style is entertaining and easy to read. I would highly recommend Operation Redwood. One reason I would recommend this novel is because lots of kids of all ages can relate to it. There is some action, some drama, and a few laughs along the way. I think boys and girls especially between the ages of 9 and 12 would enjoy this novel, as well as people who love adventure because there is a tremendous amount of adventure in

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

In OPERATION REDWOOD, four young kids take on big business to save a forest full of giant redwood trees.

Debut author S. Terrell French has written an adventure filled with creative ideas, spunky ambition, and a love of the environment.

Julian Carter-Li is staying with his uncle and aunt while his mother travels to China to photograph Buddhist temples. Things are not going well. Julian doesn't seem to be able to do anything according to the strict rules his aunt has established, and his uncle seems constantly disappointed in him. In fact, while alone in his uncle's fancy office, Julian stumbles across an extremely insulting email. It appears that his uncle believes Julian is unruly and "sullen" just like his late father. Julian can't believe what he is reading.

Another email that attracts Julian's attention is from a young girl complaining that IPX, his uncle's company, is planning to destroy an area of redwood forest known as Big Tree Grove. Although he has never met this girl named Robin, Julian can relate to her anger that a huge company like IPX, that already has more money than he can imagine, would want to destroy something as important and historical as the redwoods just to make more money selling lumber.

Julian keeps the emails he reads a secret until he hears his aunt's plans to send him off to Math Camp for the summer. He appeals to his friend, Danny, for help. When he tells Danny about the emails, Danny begins to concoct a plan that would keep Julian from spending his summer doing math calculations and instead possibly saving the redwoods.

What follows is a daring adventure. Julian and Danny scheme to get Julian out of the city and off to Big Tree Grove where he can help Robin protect her old-growth forest. They may be just a few young kids, but they have big ideas. Even when their plans seem to be wrecked by Julian's annoying and interfering aunt, they manage to use creativity and determination to keep their eye on the goal.

OPERATION REDWOOD provides excellent reinforcement for conservation lessons and the importance of preserving our natural habitats. It would work for readers in the 8-13 age group for independent reading or as a great classroom read-aloud.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Is the book good?!?!

Tg

Exciting and informative

It made me long for a sequel.

Anonyous January 20 2012

It wasn't my absolute favorite

Awesome

I read the book and it is awesome!It has alot of action in it!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

highly recommened

very good book.

Courtesy of Mother Daughter Book Club.com

Twelve-year-old Julian Carter-Li has no idea that adventure will soon find him. All he knows is that his mother is on a grant-paid trip to China that should enhance her career as a photograph, while she's gone he has to stay with his mean-spirited aunt and uncle since no one else is available to take care of him, and he may have to spend his entire summer shuttling from one undesirable camp after another.

He is resigned to his fate until he inadvertently reads an email intended for his uncle that launches a relationship with a girl named Robin who lives on a farm in California's redwood country. Before he knows it, Julian is working against his uncle's company to save a grove of old-growth redwood trees from the saw, and he's taking extreme for him measures to get the attention of anyone who may have the power to save the trees. All while learning about farm life and personal responsibility.

Operation Redwood by S. Terrell French combines eco-adventure with common childhood fantasies: to live in a tree house far above the rest of the world and to make grown-ups pay attention to what a kid has to say. While there's no doubt the story take a pro-environment stance, it's not preachy in getting a message across. Instead we see Julian, Robin and their friends Danny and Ariel learn how they can make a difference to something they feel is very important. And though the ending may have a touch of the stuff of fairy tales, I found Operation Redwood a delightful and fun adventure to read. I recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls nine to twelve.

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