What is it? Wishtree, by Katherine Applegate
Who is it for? Fourth graders through middle school (lexile 590)
Why should I read it? The main character in Wishtree is a tree. I didn’t know if I could read a whole book narrated by a tree – how do you make a tree a believable character? But after reading just a few pages I completely forgot that trees can’t talk. People in the town where Red (the Wishtree) lives, write their dreams and wishes on scraps of paper and tie them to Red’s branches. Red tells us, “A blessing and a burden it has been, all those wishes, all those years. But everyone needs to hope.” Katherine Applegate does an amazing job, not only with the voice of Red, but also with the way she handles the theme of her book. When the people in the town realize that, although the voice of hate is loud, the voice of love and acceptance is stronger, her writing is neither too heavy-handed, nor too simplistic. A beautiful book.
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