Katherine Applegate

"A red oak tree and a crow help their human neighbors work out their differences"--

Wishtree

Ana Cob

An oak tree and a crow help their neighbors embrace their differences in this beautiful, nuanced novel from Newbery Medalist and "New York Times"Dbestselling author Applegate. Illustrations.

David Sheley

Wishtree is a cute story for middle-grade readers. The main character of the story is Red, a large, old oak tree. Red has witnessed many things in her long life, both good and bad. In the story, an act of hate directed at a new member of the community initially generates an angry response, but ends up drawing the neighbors closer together.

"Hollows are proof that something bad can become something good with enough time and enough care and hope."

Red describes some of the difficulties she personally has faced over the course of her two hundred years. One such trial, one which she had to face more than once, was the loss of a limb. Rather than focus on the pain of the loss, or the emptiness left behind, Red describes the hollow created by the missing limb as something that, in time, became something good. Although it hurt, losing something very important to her created an opportunity for her to meet the needs of others. Her hollows became the homes to numerous animals, many of which would become her close friends.

Life is like that, isn’t it? Sometimes it’s through pain that our lives become something more than they ever could have had we been spared the loss.

"Life, like a good garden is messy."

It is truly a blessing when our needs are met abundantly and we can live pain-free, but the reality is that most of us don’t experience this in life, at least not on a long-term basis. We are all facing trials in our lives. Using the garden analogy, these trials may be weeds, pests, or animals that seek to eat or destroy the beautiful fruit we are trying to cultivate. Applegate acknowledges these difficulties through her creative storytelling. She reminds us that in spite of the world’s ugliness and the pain with which we suffer, a community that comes together to support one another, can help ease the pain, reduce the ugliness, and it can even create joy!

I would recommend that parents of middle-grade students read this book to their kids aloud. Take some time to discuss with your kids both the kind and unkind actions of the characters in the story.

Kim Tyo-Dickerson

A quiet fable about family, friendship, and community. Sprinkled with science information about and playful name word play for the animals who live in and around an old red oak tree, whose name is simply Red, and centered on the experiences of immigrant families who lived next door to Red, this story brings complex issues about prejudice and intolerance into a compassionate, timeless whole. Trust and sweet surprises gathered up by a loquacious crow named Bongo, and held for safe-keeping in the 216 rings of Red's long life and secret hollows from old wounds, allow the raccoons, possums, owls and new kittens to live in harmony with one another, predator and prey, to hold a mirror up to the human world where everyone is ultimately searching for home in a world where strangers are often misunderstood.

Nadine 

Nope. It was ok, but not the amazing book I was hoping it would be. I think it was the tree perspective that let me down. I wanted to hear more from Stephen and Samar. A little too tidy at the end that left an unrealistic feeling.

Samantha Seeman

What a great little story. I can see this being cherished by many for years to come.

Laume Zekas

Anastaciya

Abby N. Lewis

A gorgeous story with gorgeous illustrations.

Katy B

Meh. I just couldn't care about a main character that was a tree. Animals were also sort of main characters and I can be hit or miss with them when they talk. I thought the story of them possibly losing their home would grab me, but not really. They had plenty of other trees to move into if Red was torn down. The story just jumped around too much for me to really care about any characters. When a boy carved the word "leave" into Red's stump I thought I was going to be grabbed by this story about accepting people into the neighborhood and perhaps a mystery as the other characters try to find out who did it, but no. It jumped around some more and none of the characters grabbed me.

Stefie 

Amy Coffee

Darcy Lambert

Caitlin Hooker

Lizzie

Julia

Maddie curbdiff 

Callie Anna

mack_n_cheese

Ana V. 

An oak tree and a crow help their neighbors embrace their differences in this beautiful, nuanced middle-grade novel from Newbery Medalist and New York Times–bestselling author Katherine Applegate.

Wishtree

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