Ruth Mendelson 
The Water Tree Way 

Jai (pronounced JAY) is more than a girl, she’s a phenomenon. Filled with spunk, stealth and blazing courage, she leaves all she has known to embark upon a journey that would be hair-raising for anyone. By daring to pluck a single mysterious Leaf from the revered Water Tree Grove, Jai begins to confront herself by pursuing what she knows nothing about. She is guided by exotic music and rhythms that mysteriously lace across the sky, but still makes dazzling blunders that endear her all the more to unlikely characters from both the natural and supernatural worlds. With hilarious wit and gentle wisdom, these characters befriend her, while teaching her about herself.

Through Jai’s high-spirited and big-hearted escapades, the book offers insights and solutions to many of the problems we currently face-from fear and loss to the tragic absurdity of war and revenge. A full-length (262 page) children’s book intended for readers of all ages, the story exalts the triumph of the human spirit, as experienced by a girl who can be none other than her unabashed self.