json not working?

[
    {
        id : 'root' ,
        name : 'root',
        someProperty: 'root',
        children: [
            {
                $ref: 'node1',
                name: 'node1',
                someProperty: 'somePropertyA',
                children: [
                    {
                        $ref: 'node1.1',
                        name: 'node1.1',
                        children: true 
                    },
                    {
                        $ref: 'node1.2',
                        name: 'node1.2' 
                    } 
                ] 
            },
            {
                $ref: 'node2',
                name: 'node2',
                someProperty: 'somePropertyB',
                children: true 
            },
            {
                $ref: 'node3',
                name: 'node3',
                someProperty: 'somePropertyC' 
            },
            {
                $ref: 'node4',
                name: 'node4',
                someProperty: 'somePropertyA',
                children: true 
            },
            {
                $ref: 'node5',
                name: 'node5',
                someProperty: 'somePropertyB' 
            } 
        ] 
    }
]