He looked around. It was a mess. This was supposed to be a shared bedroom. Misha had one side of the room and Paul had the other. But wherever he looked all he could see was Misha’s junk.
Misha’s clothes, Misha’s toys, Misha’s books, Misha’s everything. Paul couldn’t even see the floor anymore.
Paul has had enough of sharing a room with Misha. There are no spare rooms in the house, but when Paul looks out at the treehouse in the back yard, he has an idea. Maybe Misha can move out there. All it will take is a little work.
Soon, though, Misha gets involved. If Paul is going to build her a treehouse, she is going to have some say in what it’s like. Paul isn’t sure about Misha helping, but soon he is surprised at just what she can contribute.
Misha’s Treehouse, part of Lothian’s Start-Ups series, is a gentle first novel, or chapter book, about sibling relationships and working together. Whilst solving the problem of a need for separate space, the young pair find common ground and a strengthened relationship.
This is an appealing story – kids will enjoy the novelty of the treehouse, and not find the message about working together overbearing. Good stuff.
Misha’s Treehouse, by Elise Hurst
Lothian, 2006