Read about the owl tree, where you can ask the owls any question or follow them to a magical land on a true adventure. How about an adventure that changes each time you read it? Your child can have a say in how the story goes with this Choose Your Own Adventure book. As the first page explains, simply "Read until you reach a choice. Turn the page of the choice you like best. If you don't like the end you reach, just start over!" There are nine different endings in this book! Each set of pages includes large, vibrantly colored ink and watercolor pictures and up to a half page of large printed words. This book makes the reader the star by using the less-common second person narrative, speaking directly to the reader with "you" statements. For example, Owl Tree begins with, "The day you found the Owl Tree was magical."

The decision points are cliff hangers, leaving readers eager to decide which story line to follow and find out what happens next. No matter which choice you follow, each adventure within the book requires readers to make at least two choices of which path to follow. This provides your child with more independence than they usually have when reading a story, or having it read to them. It also provides practice in decision-making and teaches that every decision has a consequence. The story is also full of questions posed directly to the readers; what question would you ask a wise owl if you could? What do you plan to do to help the earth survive for many years to come? What would you wish for if you could wish for anything? Choosing their own adventure also provides children with practice following directions; the bottom of each page directs them to either the next page, or a specific page number.  

I read this adventure with my five year old niece, Emily. She had a lot of fun with this one because of all the questions. Every time we read this book, she has a different answer to the questions. She loves to think of what she would ask a wise owl if she got to talk to one. My favorite answer was "How old my mom is." Apparently, that is a family secret.

 

--Audra