Josh Bloom’s school field trip to Cherry Tree Manor is unusual -- to Josh, it seems like there's something spooky about the manor, but none of the other kids feel it.
A discovery in the General’s library takes Josh on a quest full of danger, discovery and magic -- Will he ever return from the land beyond the Cherry Tree?
Category: Children's fiction
Josh Bloom is on a field trip with his class to Cherry Tree Manor; while the house and gardens are beautiful, what really interests the class is the fact that Manor's owner, General Edgar Pennington, disappeared mysteriously exactly twelve years to the day before their visit to the Manor …
To Josh, it seems like there's something spooky about the manor. None of the other kids feel it, but Josh seems more attuned to the house, which leads him to discover something in the General's library that sends him on an adventure of a lifetime.
Josh thinks he is on a journey to find the missing General, but soon discovers that it's his own destiny that he is really searching for … there are links between him and the missing General that he never could have guessed … Josh quest takes him to the enchanting land of Habilon, full of danger, excitement and magic.
Will he ever return from the land beyond the Cherry Tree?
Joe O'Brien lives in Ballyfermot in Dublin with his wife and children. He is the author of nine books featuring Alfie Green, a boy who can talk to plants. For older readers he has written three books about Danny Wilde and his Littlestown Crokes GAA team, Legends' Lair (about Charlie Stubbs and his dreams of becoming a soccer player) and one fantasy novel, Beyond the Cherry Tree. He has appeared on RTE's The Den, TV3's Ireland AM and many radio shows. He regularly holds readings in bookshops and libraries around the country.
'Joe O’Brien is casting his nets wider with a fantasy novel.'
'This book is excellent. It has nice descriptive language and is beautifully written'
'For those with a taste for fantasy, Joe O'Brien's Beyond The Cherry Tree is a quirky somewhat eccentric fantasy which has elements reminiscent of CS Lewis's Narnia series and a strong sense of the natural.'
'Joe O’Brien has excelled himself as a storyteller ... a fantastic adventure story ... sure to appeal to readers in the 9-to-12 age group ... Habilon has the whimsicality of Narnia together with a strong Middle Earth sense of doom'
'fully-fledged magical adventure full of intrigue'
'a scary story ... it has all the classic ingredients: the mysterious old house, the suspicious disappearance of its owner and of a curious kid ... expect a good read full of laughter, scares and excitement'
'One of Ireland’s favourite children’s authors, Joe O’Brien, has come up trumps with this mysterious story'
'an adventurous romp through a gory and magical world'
'most suited to late primary aged boys looking for adventure'
