Climbing Tree, The

For Low and her friends, an old oak tree offers a much-needed refuge, but her life is in danger when she upsets Philly, the leader of a rival gang. In this gritty novel, where people's activities are under constant IT surveillance, loyalty and kindness offer the only realistic hope for survival.

About the Author :
Mike Jenkins is a poet and short story writer from Merthyr Tudful. He is and English teacher in Radyr Comprehensive School. Winner of the Eric Gregory Award in 1979 and Welsh Arts Council's Young Writer's Prize in 1984. He also won the John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry and 1998 Wales Book of the Year. He is a former editor of Poetry Wales and co-editor of Red Poets' Society.

Review :
In this novella for teens, Low tells the story of her gang, the Commos, as they struggle to carry on without their leader, Oz, in a battle against the Astros, a gang which deals in drugs and weapons. But this story is not set in the present; it is set in the future where the land is slowly drowning beneath relentless rain, where streams have turned into rivers, where even people from other flooded lands no longer seek refuge, where the state, in the form of the feared Feds, control people’s lives. Low clings to the hope that Oz will return; she talks to him, almost prays to him to ‘give us back our purpose’ as her gang disintegrates and the water grows ever higher. Will Oz answer Low’s prayers? The themes here are very relevant to the lives of young people today, and to their hopes and fears for the future. The use of the oak tree - and of branches in the chapter headings - also takes us back to the past and the mythology of the flooded land. No one should mistake this novella for the quick and easy read its size might suggest. The future is closer than you think "This is not a warning, but a message. A message from a place just around the corner. It could reach you without you even noticing." In this chilling vision of the not-too-distant future, Wales has been devastated by major flooding and the government is watching everyone. Low, Arm and Dog are the Commos, a gang fighting in the face of constant danger, who take refuge in an old oak tree on the common. When their leader, Oz, mysteriously disappears, it is up to Low to hold the gang together, safe from their opposing gang, the Astros, and from the travellers in the valley below. As the situation worsens, tensions mount within the gang, and friendships begin to crumble. With ever - growing concern about the state of the environment and the increase of flooding in Wales, The Climbing Tree provides a vision of an entirely possible future, of a Wales unrecognizable from that in which we live today. Survivors of the flooding have been forced onto higher ground, where they are tightly controlled by the state through their ‘New Way’ system. The overbearing presence of the government adds a sinister element to the story, and this portrayal of Wales’s descent into a ‘big brother’ state is sure to fuel debate. Gang culture is central to the story, with violence between the rival gangs evident throughout. But the reasons behind this culture and the problems that the young people in this futuristic world are escaping are just as relevant to teenagers in modern day Wales. The characters seek solidarity and refuge from their problems by joining gangs, where they find the understanding and support that they feel is missing from their home lives. Author Mike Jenkins creates a realistic and sensitive portrayal of the issues they face and the path that they choose to take, rightly or wrongly. At 64 pages long The Climbing Tree is ideal for use in the classroom, and gives rise to questions about the future of the environment, the growth in gang culture and life in small communities. A gripping, modern tale, The Climbing Tree is sure to be of strong appeal, and spark debate amongst its readers.