Wishtree

 Wishtree by Katherine Applegate.

Publisher : Feiwel & Friends; (September 26, 2017)
Language : English
ISBN-10 : 1250043220

Review by Amazon:

Trees can't tell jokes, but they can certainly tell stories. . . .

Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood "wishtree"―people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches. Along with a crow named Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red's hollows, this wishtree watches over the neighborhood.
You might say Red has seen it all.

Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red's experience as a wishtree is more important than ever.

Funny, deep, warm, and nuanced, this is Katherine Applegate at her very best―writing from the heart, and from a completely unexpected point of view.
This book has Common Core connections.

 

Well, if you know me, you know I love trees.  It would be impossible not for me to pick up a book about a "Wishtree".   What is a Wishtree?  It's a tree, that once a year, on May 1st people young and old write a wish on a piece of paper or rag and then tie it on the Wishtree.

Some wishes are silly, and some are very heartfelt.

The story is about this tree, the animals that live in and on it and the new family that moved into the house by the tree.

It's a young person story (8-11) but I enjoyed the authors writing so much in The One and Only Ivan, that I had to see what she did  with a tree!

It's very enjoyable. Many can read this in one (or two) sittings.  Her writing makes you feel things.  Feel good. Feel sad. Even feel mad. It's a really nice change from my normal reading.  It's almost like she can get inside of you and know how you would feel at any point in her writing.  The young kids today are lucky to have her.