Treasure Forest, as told through the characters of thirteen-year-old Ben Maclennon and his twelve-year-old sister, Sara, begins with the death of their beloved grandmother, Daphne, whose legacy includes a wish that they, along with their reluctant parents, Lily and Peter, live in Daphne's home in the forest for a year. Daphne has also left private letters for Ben and Sara, each message containing a riddle and premonition cloaked in a story. Ben's riddle is: how do you retrieve a treasure from the bottom of a pond without disturbing the water? Sara's letter, which describes a mysterious, long-ago journey to an underground garden, leads to the riddle: what are the true meanings of 'here,' 'there, 'and 'home'? Only time spent in the forest, learning the essential truths of one's own heart - the dearest freshness deep down in things - will provide the answers.