Winnie's parents, who are both PhD's, get a divorce and then compete
for Winnie's attention and approval. Each parent tries to outdo the
other in celebrating obscure holidays. Winnie is so busy celebrating
national "eraser" day or "hug your cat" day that she can't do her
homework, and is at risk of failing 5th grade. Her parents allow her to
spend one night a week in a tree house that stands between their two
properties. Winnie finally decides to hide out in the tree house until
her parents agree to come together and listen to her demands for a more
reasonable life style. When her nine friends hear that she is hiding
out in the tree house, they decide to join her until their own parents
agree to meet their individual demands. This is a pretty silly story. It is the same flavor as the Wayside School stories, or the Treehouse books by Andy Griffiths. It is a satire meant to highlight in a humorous way common family and social issues. It is not my favorite kind of writing and I almost didn't make it through it. I am glad I stuck with it. In the end Winnie uses her powers of observation to figure out what her friends really need, instead of what they say they want. That is such an important concept, the idea that what someone really needs is not necessarily what they think they need, it kind of redeemed the book for me.(272 p.)
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