Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

Trees and animals that talk? I knew this book was not for me, not my cup of tea.
As it turns out, I loved it!
Red is a Red Oak, well over 200 years old. She has seen much in life and is currently the home to a family of owls, opossums, skunks, and a crow named Bongo. The tree has deep roots in the community. Every May, people write their wish on a scrap of fabric and tie it to the tree. A young girl, Samar,  moves in across the street with her family. Often, Samar sneaks out of her house late at night to come and sit by the tree. One night, Samar ties a scrap with a wish to Red; she wishes for a friend.  Samar is lonely and has no friends because her family is not welcomed by the community, as they are Muslim. The young boy next door, Stephen, takes note of Samar, but will not talk to her. Red has decided that she must do something to make Samar's wish a reality. She schemes with Bongo and the other tree residents to get Samar and Stephen together as friends. Red is motivated to help Samar not only to make her happy, but also because she knows she is going to die. The property's owner has decided that the tree is causing too many problems and has scheduled to have Red taken down.

At first, I was put off by a story told in the voice of a tree, but was immediately pulled in by the beautiful, lyrical writing. It begs to be read aloud. The early chapters are a bit pedantic, but that dissipates quickly. There is much to discuss here with young people. Tolerance, intolerance, acceptance, friendship, and family all come into play. But what touched me, was Red's acceptance of her imminent death. She understands that she has had a long, good life and that if it is her time, then let it be so. As a senior myself, this truly resonated, and expresses beautifully an appreciation of life. Beautifully illustrated by Charles Santoso, the pictures help bring the story to life. For grades 4-7, maybe older if you can pull them in.
Mark's Picks Rating: 4.5

Reading Level: 4.2 • Interest Level: 4-7 • AR Points: 3 • Lexile: 590L
Publisher: Feiwell & Friends • Copyright: 2017 • ISBN: 978-1-250-04332-1 • Available in Perma-Bound Binding