This book stands the test of time. I read it for the first time as a child - I was probably 9 years old or so. I actually read it because I first played the video game that was based on this series, and then sought the backstory in the books. I am understanding more that went over my head as a child and getting greater value from the story than I did back then. It remains a magical world and a great story. I've re-read it in process of reading it to my 10-year-old son who is really enjoying it too! We've just started the second book in the trilogy and when I asked him if he wanted me to read to him last night, he said, "YES! More Raamo!" - and when I finished a single chapter and said I was done for the night, he grabbed my arm and said "NO! Please read more!"

I read this with Dorothy (and she is demanding to start And All Between tonight). I remember loving this trilogy to death when I was in elementary school - I think I checked it out of the library at least six or seven times, which is a lot when you consider that we were only allowed to check out one book a week. It's interesting to reread it as an adult, and to notice some things that went right over my head as a kid.

Those suffering from “Hunger Games” withdrawal might find some relief in Green-sky. Snyder creates a futuristic world in which the Kindar live and glide among the trees, never touching the forest floor for fear of the dreaded Pash-shan. Except for this one thing, life is Peaceful and Joyous due to the fact that Earth’s violence has been systematically forgotten over the centuries. But, what are the Pash-shan, really? Is it a good thing to keep everyone in the dark about their origin? Is the vine that keeps the Kindar safe from Pash-shan withering? Our hero will have to find out what secrets are being kept from himself and the rest of his people. This is only the first book of the trilogy, but I am completely hooked.

I liked the idea for this book, but unfortunately there's too much telling the reader and not enough showing. This meant I never really felt involved in the book - the whole way through it felt like the start of a book where authors often info dump worldbuilding information. This wasn't helped by the fact that that not much happens until halfway through the book. Things suddenly pick up and then you've hit the end, just when it feels like it's got underway.

Having passed an idyllic childhood in the treetop city of Orbora, the greatest of the seven cities of Green-sky, Raamo considered himself an ordinary Kindar. So it was with astonishment that he learned, at age thirteen, that he had been selected as one of the Chosen—one of only two Kindar children picked each year—destined to become a member of the priestly Ol-zhaan. This surprise was as nothing, however, when he learned from a young Ol-zhaan novitiate named Dol'Neric that all was not well within the order, and within Green-sky in general. For the Spirit skills, long the glory of the Kindar, were waning amongst the people; and the enchanted vine known as Wissenroot, which covered the forest floor far below their arboreal civilization, keeping the monstrous underground Pash-shan at bay, was fading. What could Raamo and Neric do about these great evils? Would they be able to discover what role the mysterious Ol-zhaan secret society known as the Geets-kel had to play in all this, and would Genaa, Raamo's fellow Chosen that year, be an ally or an enemy...?

The first of author Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Green Sky Trilogy—subsequent titles are n  And All Betweenn and n  Until the Celebrationn—Below the Root was first published in 1975, and originated in the imaginative play of two characters in her prior non-fantasy children's novel, n  The Changelingn. The "Green Sky" game played by Martha and Ivy, in that earlier book (published in 1970), also concerned an arboreal civilization beset by evil monsters, and was clearly the seed from which the fully fantastic trilogy grew. While there are key differences between the made-up "Green Sky" of n  The Changelingn and the "real" one in the trilogy, and while it is by no means necessary to have read that earlier book to appreciate the trilogy, I find the connections immensely meaningful, as the earlier book is one of my favorites of all time, and is one I read and reread as a girl. How unfortunate that I did not know of this series at that time, or it might also have been a childhood favorite! It's interesting to note that many other readers discovering this series for the first time as adults approach it through the lens of having played the Below the Root video game, which featured an adventure written by Zilpha Keatley Snyder herself, and which is considered part of Green Sky canon.

Leaving all of that aside, this is an immensely engaging and deeply moving work of fantasy/science fiction for young readers. I have read it once before, but recently reread it, for a group read of the series that I am conducting with friends, and it certainly stood the test of time, and the trial of a reread. I love pretty much everything about it, from the world building—the arboreal life of the Kindar is so magical, and the songs and rituals they use to promote peace and joy within themselves and their society, so beautiful—to the vocabulary and the way it is introduced—sometimes Snyder will explain what a word means, but sometimes she will let the reader figure it out—to the emotional depth of the characters—particularly Raamo's self-reflection and Genaa's deeply buried and unexpressed sorrow and rage at the death of her father at the hands of the Pash-shan—to the story itself. The idea of creating a human civilization free of violence is intriguing, as is the sorrow of discovering that utopias are so frequently built using far from utopian means. I have seen this compared to more contemporary works of dystopian fiction, such as n  The Hunger Gamesn and n  Divergentn, but of course this came far before those works, and was quite groundbreaking in its day. It differs from such stories in this key regard, which only raises my esteem for it: namely, that it understands the central role of religion to all human societies, and it explores the beauty and power of such belief systems for the believer, as well as the all-too-frequent corruption of those who are in charge of such systems.

Although written in the 1970s, and a product of its time in many ways—the peace and joy and love of the Kindar civilization feels like the fulfillment of the hippie dream, in some sense—in other ways it feels oddly current. I was struck, during this reread, by the parallels between the Kindar civilization and social and political progressives in the western world in this present day. The way in which they both structure their beliefs around ideas of care, benevolence, the avoidance of causing harm; and the way both are built on the suppression of those who have expressed disagreement with them, the ways in which those others are demonized and made into monsters. The parallel truly astonished me, as I read how the Pash-shan haunted the dreams of Raamo and his Kindar brethren, and then thought of the many people I have encountered in this day and age, who are so constantly fixated upon those with whom they disagree, those whom they revile and fear.

As if this strength of storytelling—the ideas expressed and explored, the beautiful language of the text itself, the engrossing character studies, the fascinating world-building—weren't enough, this book is also greatly improved by the gorgeous artwork of illustrator Alton Raible. I understand that many paperback and ebook editions of this title are lacking these beautifully intricate pencil drawings, and that is a great shame, for they add to and complement the sense of magic and mystery to be found throughout. Raible worked on eleven of Zilpha Keatley Snyder's books, and his artwork is always worth looking at, poring over, and enjoying. It's a shame that he doesn't seem to have done any other work within the book world, but the drawings he did for Snyder are certainly an impressive body of work! It's well worth seeking out the original edition of this book, for the sake of this artwork.

In any case, to offer such wonderful storytelling, and to have such powerful social and intellectual relevance, almost fifty years after its publication, speaks to this book's staying power, and to its brilliance. I highly recommend it to any young (or older) reader who enjoys fantasy, science fiction, dystopian fiction, or just thoughtful fiction in general. For my part, I cannot wait to reread the next installment of the series.

This was my favorite book as a child. I recently bought an out of print copy so that I could give it another read.

I first found the Green Sky trilogy books at a thrift store as a kid and read them in middle school. I had a vague recollection of the general story and remembered enjoying this series, my first taste of fantasy, as a kid. This series doesn't lose it's luster on an adult, I'm happy to note. Looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.

My name is Raamo, and I don't understand why I was Chosen. I'm just an average Kindar teen, so how did I get selected to be an Ol-zhann, one of the wise rulers of Green-Sky? Maybe it's because I haven't lost my Spirit-skills like most of the other citizens. I'm worried about my sister's health, as she seems to be withering and slowly fading away. I'll receive some training as a Healer, so maybe I'll be able to help her. However, someone has been speaking to me through our minds, but I don't know who it might be or why they're contacting me. This just adds to my confusion. I'm learning that my former classmates might have been encouraged to be deceitful during their training, and the Ol-zhann or harboring secrets. I never could have imagined the shocking truth.

It was clear early on that a conspiracy would be revealed regarding the governing of the Kindars. The setting of the story takes place among the trees in a dense forest. The characters are humanish and spread their clothing to glide between the branches. You should recognize references to technology from our culture. The forest floor is feared, as stories are told about certain death dooming anyone falling down there. The Pash-shan are almost mythical, evil creatures, because none of the Kindars have survived to report about seeing them. Things like that immediately get my mind wondering about the truth. Life in Green-Sky is all about peace and kindness to the point that a word like "killing" is treated like the greatest offense and profanity. Raamo's curiosity gets him into trouble, although the mysterious mind-speaker gets him started. The book shares deep messages about government and social differences. Should citizens be told the truth if it might upset the foundation of the society's beliefs? Leaders are supposed to look out for the welfare of the citizens, but what if the citizens are unaware of the issues in the first place? The book has a dystopian feel to it, and I think I'll probably read the sequel. If you're looking for a short book about government conspiracy, give it a shot.

a little bird, a little boy, flitting through the trees; thrust upon him is a mantle of authority. to flit no more! roles taken to provide meaning, shelter, a shield: the world of Green Sky. denizens: beware of what lies below the root: there be dragons! or knowledge. or the past, a history buried. or an underclass, perhaps, striving to meet the sky!

a children's classic, of sorts. first published in 1975. shades of The Giver. a simple tale of friendship and growing up. a complex tale of myths and lies and mysteries upon mysteries. an introduction to revolution, for the little ones.

gossamer prose; steely ideas. oh what a tangled web adults may weave!

I tried describing the book to friends. their reactions were predictable. like so:

n  n

I only read this because, as a child, I was obsessed with the video game made for the Commodore 64 by Windham Classics. Anyone remember it? Anyway, the game was enganging and subtle, with a huge world and non-linear game-play that was grounbreaking for the time. I never even knew there was a book until I was in my 20s, and perhaps I would have liked it more if I had read it as a child. The book was of the same style of 70s fantasy as the animated movie "Wizards" - preachy, obvious, and filled with clunky, hippie ideologies, much like "The Wind Singer", but more dated.

I enjoyed this beautiful world and these interesting characters :)

I probably would have loved this as a kid, since I was a big fantasy fan, and the weirder the better. But now I’m less impressed by made-up words (“food-taking” instead of meals? Really?) and strange names, and I’m tired of the dystopian plot in which there’s a lovely society but nothing is as it seems, the rulers who are in on the secret scare the people into compliance and commit violence to protect their perfect little society, etc. I’ve seen The Village. That’s enough for me. Did not finish.