Parents' Guide to

View from the Cherry Tree

By Matt Berman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Exciting but flawed murder mystery for tweens.

Book Willo Davis Roberts Mystery 1998
View from the Cherry Tree Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 2 parent reviews

yokoke
yokoke Adult
January 31, 2011
age 12+
Was given to my daughter at age 6 ir 7 through RIF program. I "cleaned house" at both the school board and her school, from principal on down. Even went to the local newspapers. The language is very inappropriate for a second-grader and overall tone of the book is negative.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
jgstanding
jgstanding Parent of 2, 5, 6, 9 and 10-year-old
December 8, 2010
age 13+

Not fit for ages intended, maybe for ages over 13

This book is written as a murder/mystery for ages 9-11 and is definetly not fit for this age group. It has no good theme or moral to it. In the beginning, p.4 it uses the words "son of a b***in cat" which leads to the name of the cat being called "S.O.B." throughout the entire book. There is a murder description that begins on p. 53 that is very descript and disturbing. At one point the main character is offered casually a beer. The murder takes place because of a bag of heroine that is hidden in the woman's house and she will not give it to a young adult man. All the adults in this story are depicted as insensitive and disrespectful to the boy (main character), even the police when he goes to them for help. This book was given my 5th grade child as a class read, and I was very disturbed that it was considered "approved material" for elementary age. This is the first children's book written by the author who normally writes gothic, adult murder mystery and medical mystery fiction. Would we let our young children read the first children's book written by Steven King? Probably not. The actual book was only an "okay" read for entertainment in my opinion for anyone. There are much better choices.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Rob likes to hang out in his cherry tree, especially now that his family is obsessed with his sister's wedding. He can get away and hide, but has a good view and can eavesdrop. One of the things he can see is the house of his nasty old neighbor, Mrs. Calloway. He even has a clear view of her when she falls out of her first-floor window and dies hanging from the branch of his tree by the strap of her binoculars.

Rob is sure he saw the hand of a man push her out the window, but no one will believe him -- or even listen to him. But someone is listening. Even when he is shot at and nearly poisoned, no one pays attention. But the murderer is after Rob -- and he has no one to rely on but himself.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (22):

The first thing your kids will notice is that this is an exciting, suspenseful, edge-of-the-seat thriller with a climax that will keep them glued to the pages. The first thing you will notice is that this all sounds awfully familiar, starting with Aesop. But no matter -- it's good fun. After they finish, though, your kids may have a delayed, "Wait a minute ..." reaction, as they realize the plot makes little sense.

But even the gaping plot holes can be an opportunity for you to help your kids be more critical readers. This book can help them learn to go beyond merely accepting what the author tells them.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the way the family treats Rob. Why aren't they more concerned about him? Why won't anyone listen to him? Why are they so obsessed with the wedding? Also, discussion of the flaws in the plot can sharpen critical reading skills.

Book Details

  • Author: Willo Davis Roberts
  • Genre: Mystery
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  • Publication date: July 1, 1998
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
  • Number of pages: 181
  • Last updated: July 12, 2017

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