Date Published: 10-27-2026
Publisher: Harmony Press
bullies, and cover up his limp by excelling at soccer. His plan flourishes
splendidly until fate intervenes, and a freak accident sidelines him with a
foot injury, grounding him from soccer indefinitely. In a moment of
exasperation, he bats a baseball, and his neighbor’s window is
shattered, which thrusts him into an unwanted alliance with the last person he
ever wished to befriend: Ti. The boy who is a bully magnet!
Ti’s aunt presents Max with a daunting choice to either confess to his
parents about the broken window or assist Ti in testing his invention, the
Quantum Locator. Little does Max know that the Quantum Locator possesses the
extraordinary ability to locate anyone, anywhere.
Together, with Max’s dog Ralphie, they stumble through a portal into a
realm teeming with supernatural wonders. From a forest ruled by a colossal
snake emperor to a mysterious Tree. Now, the boys must navigate their way
through this enchanting land. Will they survive to get home?
In this captivating middle-grade thriller, Leslie Cole examines friendship,
choices, and loyalty, maintaining suspense until the last page.
Excerpt
Prologue
Foliage. Fangs. Forsaken.
Two year old Maxwell Oswin Miller opened his eyes only to see green blocking his vision. He’d have rubbed his eyes, but try as he may, he could not free his arms. He seemed to be tangled, head to toe, with something brushy and wiry. Only his right heel was exposed, which stung from a piercing bite.
He had screamed for his parents until his throat burned. Unheard, he fell back into a fitful sleep, briefly escaping the nightmare of his situation.
A shout woke him up.
“Snake! What in the blue blazes of Georgia? Mr. Finch, kill it.”
“Mrs. Finch, I’ll grab my hoe.”
“Quick! It’s sneaking out from under the weeping willow in the Millers’ front yard.”
Hurried footsteps approached, then the hoe came down with a thwack, but little Max was too tired to make a sound.
“Mrs. Finch, the snake got away, but looky here. It’s a baby wrapped up like a suit of armor in the willow branches.”
“A baby?” Lighter footsteps came close. “My goodness, if he don’t look like the branches swaddled him, right here on the ground.”
“Or choked him,” said Mr. Finch.
“Here, take my shears and cut those things off. Careful now.”
A clip and another, and soon Max’s arms and legs were free.
“He’s alive, Mrs. Finch, but looks like he’s been layin’ here for hours.”
A snip and leaves fell from his eyes. He felt two arms lift him as two hands gently pulled branches from his body.
“Mrs. Finch, ain’t this the Millers’ boy?”
“Why, yes! It is the Millers’ boy. Why’d they go off and leave him under the tree like this?” She cradled the boy close.
“Look. His heel is bleeding. Is that a snake bite, Mrs. Finch?”
About the Author
Leslie Cole is the author of the Max & Ti series, including her latest book The Snake and the Tree. She writes wholesome, hearty, and humorous middle grade fiction for kids who wonder where they belong and feel too embarrassed to ask. She feels a passion for the kids, including the adult kids, who need a kind and encouraging voice of support. Her stories remind readers that our deepest wounds don’t define us and that no one must face life alone. Her publishing credits include publishing poetry in the Nashville paper “The
Contributor;” reading her poetry as the “Poet of the Month” at the Scarritt-Bennett Poet’s Corner; having her poetry named “Critic’s Pick” in “The Nashville Scene;” publishing two nonfiction books as a physician in her fields of medicine; and publishing a research paper as first author in the field of addiction medicine. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband Tim and their dog. They enjoy the company of their adult children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and extended family. She paints landscapes and still lifes, as well as drawing the occasional illustration for her books. She continues to work as an addiction medicine physician, where she witnesses the power of connection, repair, and humans overcoming unbelievable odds.
Website / Facebook / Goodreads
https://mybook.to/TheSnakeandtheTree
