Toaff's Way

By Cynthia Voigt

A curious squirrel faces dangers and delights while seeking his place in the world.

5.0/7 Bookroo expert·3.6/5 Goodreads · 223 ratings

272 pages· 51,484 words· Est. 7 hour read

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Bookroo's summary

Toaff, a curious squirrel, questions the world around him. When a storm separates him from his family, he embarks on a journey filled with peril and wonder. As he navigates threats from predators and the allure of new experiences, Toaff encounters unexpected friends and foes. Over a year, he seeks answers to his deepest questions: What do I believe, and where do I belong? Join Toaff as he leaps into the unknown, discovering the joys and challenges of finding his own path in a world that is both dangerous and delightful.

“Nobody argued with her. Not even Toaff. He never had belonged here and he’d always known it. He had just hoped he did, and wanted to.”

— from the book

From the publisher

Meet Toaff: a lovable squirrel, and new standout character, searching for a place to call home in this gem of a story by a Newbery Medal-winning author. Toaff is a small squirrel full of big questions. Why must I stay away from the human’s house? Why shouldn’t I go beyond the pine trees? Why do we fight with the red squirrels across the drive? His sister shrugs–that’s just the way things are. His brother bullies–because I said so. And the older squirrels scold–too many questions! Can Toaff really be the only one to wonder why? When a winter storm separates him from his family, Toaff must make his own way in the world. It’s a world filled with danger–from foxes and hawks and cats to cars and chainsaws. But also filled with delight–the dizzying scent of apple blossoms, the silvery sound of singing, the joy of leaping so far you’re practically flying. Over the course of a year, Toaff will move into (and out of) many different dreys and dens, make some very surprising friends (and a few enemies), and begin to answer his biggest questions–what do I believe and where do I belong? Master storyteller Cynthia Voigt offers readers a rich and rewarding story of finding one’s way in the world.

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 272
Words: 51,484
Reading age: 8–12
Audience: Middle Grade
Lexile: 790L

Themes & topics

Books about curiosity Books about squirrels and chipmunks Books about farms Books about seasons Books about adventure and adventurers

For the grown-ups

The parent guide

What families may want to know

Every family reads differently. These are the concepts our editors noticed in this book — worth seeking out for some readers, worth knowing about for others. The list isn't exhaustive, but it's a spoiler-light head start.

Violence

This book includes several instances of peril, including when Toaff is chased and harmed by a bird. He later recovers, but at the time of the attack, the squirrel “tastes blood seeping down into his mouth.”

After the last page

Talk about it together

After Toaff watches missus singing to the baby, mister cuts off the tree branches closest to the house. When Tzeef confronts Toaff about the reason the tree branches were cut, what does Toaff say? Would things have been better for Toaff if he had admitted he was responsible?

What readers & critics say

Reviews

5.0

out of 7

5.0

“Toaff’s Way is a delightful book that follows a young squirrel forced out of his nest and away from his littermates by a storm. Young readers who love animals will be particularly enthralled by this book, which smartly and seamlessly ingrains facts about squirrels into the story. Voigt shows great finesse in adding these details, like what kind of foods a squirrel will eat when it is very hungry, in a way that enhances a reader’s understanding of the perils Toaff encounters as he works his way around a familiar farmhouse, finding safety in a new tree every few months. Readers will endure moments of peril, including as Toaff is nearly captured by a bird and as he watches a squirrel less skilled at jumping plummet to the earth. Most of the animals survive these scares, but Toaff does witness the reality of death when he discovers a dangerous highway where he can see roadkill from high up in his tree. Toaff also endures some bullying from other squirrels and animals who insist they are right about different things. For example, one of his littermates criticizes, “How stupid are you?” And another animal calls others “dumbhead.”

Lemony Snickers

Trusted reviewer

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