Wildwood is the first written love child of Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis. The book is intended for younger audiences to understand but it is filled with imagery and real-world applications from the story line.

Besides being a gorgeous visual, Wildwood is a fantasy inspired by reality. The scenery is based on the couple’s nature walk in Portland, Oregon. The main character, Prue, lives a very ordinary life in St. John’s with her baby brother Mac. The Impassible Wilderness is just on the other side of the river, and no one seems to know much about it. The kids include it in all of their recess games as their imagination soars with the limitless possibilities within the undocumented land.

Prue is an adventurous yet adult-like preteen that her parents trust. One day, Prue is asked to watch Mac and they do errands while Mac rides in the back of a metal red wagon. They go to a park where Mac is suddenly abducted by black crows. Prue chases after her brother as the birds fly into the Impassible Wilderness. Reality and fantasy meet head on in Prue’s world and thankfully she does not have to go in alone as her classmate Curtis joins her on the adventure of retrieving her brother.

This Narnia-esque book captures the attention of many and is an easy read. It creates a nice break from information stocked books and focuses on a timeless story for many audiences to delve into. It truly is a classic and should be a staple in every reader’s upbringing.