Introduction

When three children, Joe, Sally and Amy visit their grandmothers home in the quiet village of Hilldale they witness a nearby forest undergoing deforestation to allow for development. As they venture inside for a last look they discover that there is more to it than just plants and trees. Somethings amiss or so claim some of the village folk. Just who or what is responsible for the disappearances of all the fruits and animals from the strange forest? Are the culprits a band of midget people living nearby? Or, are a trio of shady outsiders who enter the village involved? The childrens investigations lead them to make a surprising connection and uncover a secret that can only be kept from the outside world if the deforestation ends. But are the village adults willing to listen to their pleas or must the children find another way to save the forest? With many people to satisfy and livelihoods at stake the children lay out their plans and in the process discover the real identity of The Forest Keepers.