Wishtree

A 200-year-old red oak tree named Red serves as both narrator and neighborhood anchor, watching over generations of families in a suburban community. The tree has become known as the "wishtree," where people tie their written wishes to its branches once a year. Red witnesses the arrival of Samar, a young Muslim girl whose family faces hostility from some neighbors. Along with animal friends who live in the tree's hollows and branches, Red becomes invested in helping Samar find acceptance and friendship. Through Red's unique perspective, the story connects the past and present of the neighborhood while exploring what it means to belong to a community. The themes of inclusion, friendship across differences, and standing up for others emerge through Red's observations and actions.

Readers consistently mention the book's messages about inclusivity, friendship, and standing up against prejudice. Many note it works well as a read-aloud for grades 3-6. What readers liked: - Simple yet impactful narrative style - Red Oak tree narrator adds unique perspective - Teaches tolerance without being preachy - Beautiful illustrations - Short chapters good for reluctant readers What readers disliked: - Some found it too message-heavy - Plot moves slowly in parts - Characters could be more developed - Too short/simple for older readers Ratings: Goodreads: 4.3/5 (47,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.8/5 (3,800+ ratings) Common Sense Media: 5/5 Sample reader comments: "Perfect for opening discussions about acceptance" - Goodreads reviewer "My 9-year-old couldn't put it down" - Amazon parent "The anthropomorphized tree feels forced" - School librarian review "Would have liked more complexity in the story" - Teaching Books reviewer

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🌳 The narrator of the story is a 216-year-old oak tree named Red, who watches over the neighborhood and its inhabitants. ✍️ Author Katherine Applegate was inspired to write Wishtree after seeing the growing divisiveness in America and wanted to create a story that promoted acceptance and community. 🎗️ The tradition of hanging wishes on trees is practiced in many cultures worldwide, including Ireland, where people tie ribbons to "clootie trees" and Japan, where people attach paper fortunes to trees at temples. 🦉 Red's animal friends in the story - including Bongo the crow and FreshBaked the skunk - represent the diverse wildlife that actually makes their homes in urban oak trees. 🏆 Wishtree debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and won multiple awards, including the 2018 E.B. White Read-Aloud Award for middle readers.