Twigs are amusing & adventurous stick creatures who live in knotholes of ancient trees. When climate change threatens their old forest,  Twigs stick together to survive!

By Jo Marshall

The Stories

Leaf & the Rushing Waters

Leaf & the Sky of Fire 

Leaf & the Long Ice

Leaf & Echo Peak

Praise for Twig Stories

Jo Marshall’s Twig Series has resulted in a wonderfully-complex set of stories that opens the eyes of her readers to a variety of environmental issues. As environmental advocates, we support the underlying issues – and as avid readers, we are thrilled by the page-turning adventures within each of Marshall’s stories. As the lovable and encouraging Twig characters gather to fight for what is right in each story, we can only hope this deep-rooted sense of environmental stewardship is passed on to Marshall’s young readers.

Amanda Swan
Director of Development & Communications
The Lands Council
www.landscouncil.org

“The environmental messages contained in this highly entertaining series of stories are certainly important and are told  in a way that will engage children everywhere.  The educational value of these books cannot be underestimated especially at a time when we desperately need to create a culture that is committed to protecting our natural wonders.”

Dr.  Edwards
Manager of Education
The British Columbia Wildlife Park
www.bczoo.org

“As someone who has worked to both protect an endangered species and engage young people in the environmental issues that will shape their future, I've learned that education through entertainment is a powerful force for positive change.  Today's youth can be leaders tomorrow AND today if only they are given the tools to become aware, inspired, and engaged.  The Twig book series powerfully accomplishes each of these needs, all the while reaching young people on their level with fun, family-friendly entertainment.  I have no doubt that, thanks to this book series, countless children will develop a passion for our natural world and all living things that require it to survive.  And for each young person who becomes inspired to care for our shared environment, not only will we foster a more caring society in the future, we will create a new cohort of leaders who will be agents of change today.”

D. Simon Jackson
Founder and Chairman. Spirit Bear Youth Coalition
Executive Producer, The Spirit Bear CGI Movie www.spiritbearyouth.org

Praise for Leaf & the Rushing Waters

“This story had me hooked from the very beginning because of the action and excitement (lets just say there was a squirrel attack). The creatures Ms. Marshall made up (the Twigs) are interesting. They aren’t fairies (they don’t have magic), they are made of wood, kind of human like (but small) and they care about the environment. I like how Ms. Marshall told the story from different points of views from different characters. The characters were all very likeable. My favorite was Rustle because he was pretty adventurous and had a lot of knowledge about the forest (and he was just cool). There were some nice illustrations in the book too. The story is super clean (no bad language and only scary-ish situations). It is a great choice for young advanced readers and middle grade kids. I think parents and kids will like the message of appreciating the environment too. Five out of five book worms for “Leaf and the Rushing Waters!”

Erik, This Kid Reviews Books
http://thiskidreviewsbooks.com

“This epic-style adventure is both fast-moving and action-packed. The characters are likeable, and the plot is filled with excitement. Young people, in addition to reading an engaging story, will learn important facts about beavers and other aspects of the natural world around us. So the book is not only fun, family-friendly entertainment but educational as well. Furthermore, a percentage of all profits from the sale of this and other Twigs Stories books are donated to nonprofit organizations involved with wildlife protection and nature conservancy. Book two in the series is entitled Leaf and the Sky of Fire.”

Wayne S. Walker, Home School Book Review
http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolbookreview

“With her Twig tales, Jo Marshall has done something amazing – tie a story of epic adventure to a naturally anchored account of environmental awareness – all tailored to the fresh, engaging mind of the youngster. Since beavers are already being reintroduced globally to combat the effects of climate change, I am certain the story’s heroes are completely fitting. Our earth is unfortunate in that it currently lacks goliath beavers – so it’s just going to have to make do with lots and lots of regular-sized ones.

With unexpected grace, Jo’s charming fantasy helps make the daunting world of beavers and climate change more accessible.”

Heidi Perryman, Ph.D., President and Founder
Worth A Dam – Martinez Beavers.org
www.martinezbeavers.org     

Through the action-packed story of Leaf and the Rushing Waters, Jo Marshall does something marvelous by incorporating a strong underlying theme of current environmental issues. As beaver enthusiasts, we are lucky to study and experience the numerous ways these amazing creatures benefit our environment every day, and found ourselves cheering for Slapper and his family of Goliath Beavers.

Jo Marshall’s prose is beautiful and paints a picture so realistic that you can almost smell the forest and hear the rushing waters. This book offers a remarkable opportunity to instill a sense of environmental awareness in children which is so necessary today. Readers, young and old will surely find themselves engulfed in this tail of adventure, strength and doing what’s right.

Amanda Swan
Director of Development & Communications
The Lands Council – Beaver Solution
Spokane, Washington
www.landscouncil.org

“Leaf & the Rushing Waters is an engaging, evocative and fast-moving adventure story. Author Jo Marshall's Twig "people" come alive in an exciting, wild world where glaciers are melting. But Twigs recruit beavers to face the challenge. This new work is relevant to today's major challenge of climate change, and, simultaneously, is a delightful read for young people or anyone who enjoys nature.”

Sharon T. Brown, M.A., Director and Wildlife Biologist
Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife
www.BeaversWW.org

Praise for Leaf & the Sky of Fire

“This book is a wonderful read. The story and artwork are impeccably crafted and weave a fascinating tale that will help introduce children to the magic and majesty of the natural world. Importantly, it imparts a strong appreciation of the intricacies and interactions that occur in nature. As a child, it was just such books that helped instill within me a desire to understand nature, and ultimately, to work in conservation. This book teaches in the best way possible – by igniting curiosity and building connections with the one thing that truly supports us all- our home, Earth.”

Dr. Diana L. Six
Professor, Department of Ecosystem & Conservation Sciences
Integrated Forest Entomology/Pathology, University of Montana
Six Lab