This is a great children’s horror story, it is also quite creepy and full of adventure. I would say it’s suitable for around the age of 8 plus. This is a great, atmospheric Middle Grade Horror! It follows Ari, a young boy with a missing sister who’s convinced something took her and that she didn’t just run away. His family lives close to the forest and one day when Ari enters the woods he catches the attention of something dark and old that lives there. Like most towns, they have Urban legends and this one is about The Twig Man who lives in the forest and steals the life of children. I thought that the atmosphere was very immersive and I really felt for Ari. He misses his sister and doesn’t have any real friends. His parents are very overprotective now and no one believes him when a sinister entity starts hunting him. If you love creepy forests and urban legends, this is the perfect book for you!

Twig - EYFS Stickman Classroom Activities - Twinkl Mr Twig - EYFS Stickman Classroom Activities - Twinkl

Oh wow, what an incredibly creepy, scary and oh so brilliant children’s book! Ari’s sister Lana disappeared a year ago and has never been seen since. Although Ari’s parents believe she ran away, he knows that she didn’t. What’s more he believes that the Twig Man, a terrifying creatures that lurks in the woods outside his house, took her and now the Twig Man is after him too. Ari’s family is Kurdish & so we can, as adults, assume that there are some cultural aspects that show themselves in the way his family functions. I haven’t been a child for several years now but was curious about Ari’s mother’s request to meet Timmy’s parents before letting him go over & play. This is something that few parents (in my day) were doing. It would be wonderful to know that this is more commonplace today given the obvious benefits associated with placing a face to a name. On the other hand, both of Ari’s parents leave him alone at home & allow him to wander at his leisure. This is something that was more common in my day when we were less accustomed to seeing all the horrible things that circulate in this world. This is a great horror book that I think children that like creepy eerie horror would enjoy, it has all the right elements that will draw them in and grip them from start to finish. With the eeriness of a twig like man lurking around everywhere and controlling the woods, to evil white eyed animals and critters creeping around. Chills throughout with a lovely warm feeling at the end for those who truly believe in myths and magic... Overall, there is a lot to appreciate & enjoy within this book. The author has a great deal of potential & appears to know where they want the story to go. I believe that with experience & care their stories could bloom into tales shared amongst friends, new & old, just as the Pokemon cards were between Ari & Timmy.This was an interesting story about a Ari whose sister went missing about a year ago and his parents and everyone else thinks that she ran away. Ari doesn't think that is what happened but nobody will listen to him. His parents are very strict with him because of what happened with his sister and he is tired of it and wants to find out what happened to his sister. When in the woods Ari in his pyjamas meets a strange young boy, Timmy in a red hat, who he strikes up a friendship with. But why is Timmy lurking in the woods all the time? And does Timmy live where he says he does? And will Ari find his sister? Ari doesn't believe his sister has just left him he believes the Twig man has taken her whilst in the woods he meets Timmy who wants to stop the Twig man. The friendship that grows between Ari and Timmy works well as they have the same objective.

The Twig Man by Sana Rasoul | Waterstones

This fabulous resource gives your children the opportunity to practise their visual size recognition skills with fun themed images. Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - Sana is a Kurdish born politics graduate from London who also happens to be a Formula One fanatic that never misses a race and an avid watcher of anything horror-related! The reader meets Ari one year after the disappearance of his older sister, Lana. Ari is a very dynamic character who holds an enormous love for his sister & is extremely distraught over her loss. Every day he draws more into himself as his parents force him to do everything under their watchful eye; never to engage in the independent activities of before. In some unknown format, Ari writes to the reader—a warning. The woods in Hanging Hill—the town in which he lives—are dangerous & people go missing around town, never to be seen again. What follows is a quest undertaken by the fearless leader & main character as he seeks the answers to account for the sudden vanishing of his best friend in the entire world, Lana.

This story is just spooky enough to make your skin crawl but not have you hiding behind the sofa. It is creepy, mysterious and slightly scary but it is completely suitable for its intended age group. I enjoyed this spooky story too. The writing draws you in and keeps you captive with its suspense, drama and startling incidents throughout. The main character Ari is admirable with his determination and bravery. He is just the right amount of naughty - for the right reasons - and I admired his tenacity. The Twig Man is a spine-tingling middle-grade story, perfect for Halloween. Yes, it's a middle-grade, but I'm a middle-aged mum of two and still found this story creepy, gripping and oozing in atmosphere. These colouring sheets are also going to be something lovely for children to take home with them or put up on display. Great for increasing familiarity with this story and perfect for wet play.