Twelve-year-old Alexa realizes her lifelong wish when she finds the key to a secret passageway leading out of the walled city of Bridewell, and is free to explore the mysterious forests and mountains that lie beyond its confines.
Thirteen-year-old Twig, having always looked and felt different from his woodtroll family, learns that he is adopted and travels out of his Deepwoods home to find the place where he belongs.
Discusses the types of forests, the trees that constitute them, the clearing and planting of forests, and their interaction with both humans and wildlife.
Depicts in detail several different deciduous forest habitats, with field notes about the insects and animals shown, as well as tips on how to explore a real forest.
