Root's Way

 Twelve-year-old Root wants nothing more than to make her guardian, Old El, proud. Old El is graceful, confident, and kind and elicits instant respect from everyone she meets. Having studied herbs and plants her whole life, Root assumes that she will follow in Old El's footsteps and help run the Apothecary where they work and live.

Often overcome with insecurity and self-doubt, preferring to spend her time alone in the woods gathering herbs or daydreaming with her best friend Toby, Root begins to realize that becoming an Apothecarist entails much more responsibility than just brewing herbs and prescribing tonics and creams.

When her worst enemy, the spoiled bully Daisy Bonds, comes to study in the Apothecary, Root finds herself suddenly having to face not only her own insecurities but her own misjudgments. After Daisy makes a terrible mistake during her first day at the Apothecary, Root, Toby, and Daisy are forced on an adventure through the mysterious Wick's Wood to help Daisy undo the curse she has brought on their village. As they travel toward the city of Camden to elicit help from the mysterious Librarian, the trio is forced to confront their own prejudices about themselves, each other, and the world around them.

A story for all ages, inspired in large part by the various children I've taught over the years, Root's Way explores how we can shape our worldviews, how we can find our places in the world, and how we come to terms with their relationships with those around them.