Watcher in the Forest (Oxford University Press 1987) Watcher in the Forest by Joanna Orwin is, in my opinion, among the great New Zealand children's books, up there with X Marks The Spot by Joan de Hamel and The World Around the Corner by Maurice Gee . This story has a time slip element, which for me evokes The House in Norham Gardens by Penelope Lively , one of my favourite books. I really enjoyed the way the story, similarly to that book, deals with time as well as the connection between past and present. At no point did I fear for the characters' safety, but this did not diminish the book for me. Rather, I appreciate that the author gave the story time to breathe, allowing for a quiet, calm yet spooky atmosphere. This sort of story would not be written in the modern day. Nowadays, I've noticed that popular children's novels tend to be very fast-paced, full of lots of action and adventure. Less often do I see children's books that take things more slo