Toby Alone
Author Timothée de Fombelle
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Story
Toby Lolness is just one and a half millimetres tall, part of a tiny civilization living in a Great Oak Tree. However, everything changes when his father makes a discovery that taps into the Tree’s energy source. Toby’s family is exiled, imprisoned and sentenced to death, and Toby is on the run. After escaping the prison, he becomes the most wanted person in the Great Oak Tree. He must survive threats from his own people and the dangers of nature while uncovering the truth about his father’s work…
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Why we chose it
An exciting adventure story in a beautifully imagined miniature world with a timely message about taking care of the world’s resources.
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What a young reviewer said
There were a huge range of themes explored - growing up, love, loss, and just the right amount of allegory for climate change and human impacts on nature. I found myself rooting for Toby, the protagonist, and wondering how he could escape the various scrapes he gets into. (Henry, age 14)
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First published
2006, Gallimard Jeunesse, France
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Translated by
Sarah Ardizzonne
Story Reviews
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Originally, when I read the blurb for the first book - about a tiny boy fugitive who lives in a tree - I assumed it would be mainly aimed at younger readers, but was still intrigued and decided to see what it was like. I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it, as the story was interesting and the characters were easy to feel for. There were also a huge range of themes explored - growing up, love, loss, and just the right amount of allegory for climate change and human impacts on nature. I found myself rooting for Toby, the protagonist, and wondering how he could escape the various scrapes he gets into. I immediately wanted to read the sequel, which I found just as enjoyable, bringing together the backstories of many of the characters to create an amazing ending. Would highly recommend.