Tales from Dimwood Forest
Tales from Dimwood Forest are a series of books by prolific young adult author Avi, centering around the inhabitants of the titular forest.
The series starts with Poppy, telling of the titular character and her family's troubles with the owl Mr. Ocax. After Ocax kills her fiance Ragweed, Poppy embarks on a quest to keep her family safe, befriending a porcupine named Ereth and freeing the forest of Mr. Ocax's extortionate reign in the process.
From there, the series deals with the consequences of Ragweed's death for Poppy and his family, while beavers are destroying their home. Poppy gains a Love Interest in Ragweed's brother Rye. Later books include a Prequel about Ragweed and A Day in the Limelight for Ereth.
Tropes used in Tales from Dimwood Forest include:
- Action Girl: Poppy becomes one.
- A Death in the Limelight: Narrowly averted for Ereth.
- Babies Ever After
- Big Damn Heroes: Ereth, frequently.
- Blithe Spirit: Ragweed formerly served as this while with Poppy's family.
- Cats Are Mean: Played with in Ragweed. The villainess and her Dragon are cats with an agenda of destroying all mice, but when they try to recruit followers the rest of the city's cats aren't interested in joining them.
- Character Title: Poppy, Poppy And Rye, Ragweed.
- David Versus Goliath: Whenever the mice go up against their much larger enemies.
- Dead Guy, Junior: Ragweed Jr.
- Doomed by Canon: Ragweed. Particularly jarring for those who start the series with Ragweed, since he dies in the first couple pages of Poppy.
- Generation Xerox: Ragweed Jr.
- Her Heart Will Go On: Ragweed for Poppy.
- Heroic BSOD: Poppy's father after Mr. Ocax presents him with a Sadistic Choice: let Poppy be killed by Ocax or have the rest of the mouse family starve.
- Owl Be Damned: Mr. Ocax.
- Plucky Girl: Poppy.
- Tragic Keepsake: Ragweed's earring. Which ironically belonged to Clutch, but Poppy never finds that out.
- Welcome to the Big City: Ragweed's installment.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Rye.