Wishtree

By Katherine Applegate,

Book cover of Wishtree

Book description



An Amazon Top 20 Children's Books of 2017

The New York Times-bestselling story of kindness, friendship, and hope.

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…

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Why read it?

3 authors picked Wishtree as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Red, a monoecious oak tree, narrates this luminous and beautifully illustrated novel. Red is two hundred and sixteen rings old and happily provides shelter for seven opossums, four raccoons, five owls, six skunks, and a witty crow named Bongo. Together, Red and the animals concoct a plan to support Samar, a girl whose family has just moved into the neighborhood. Samar hasn’t made any friends yet, and she’s feeling sad and lonely. Wishtree is about inclusion and community, but at its heart, it’s a love song to the trees and creatures that call urban areas home. Have tissues ready: Samar’s…

From Laura's list on for girls who love the outdoors.

Red, our narrator, is an oak tree. For many rings of her life, she has watched the neighborhood and collected wishes on her branches. Then a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, but Red—with the help of the animals who live in her hollows—sets out to bring her little community together.

Katherine Applegate’s sparse but poignant prose has been an inspiration ever since I read The One and Only Ivan. In Wishtree, she brings the same light touch to a story about outsiders, loneliness, and friendship. I aspired to do something similar when I was writing…

From Alyssa's list on refugees.

I love the idea of a wishtree. A place where you can write down a vulnerable thought and put it out there for the world to see. That takes courage. As Applegate writes, “everyone needs to hope.” While not all of us have experienced racism, which is a theme of the story, we’ve all had moments when we’ve felt new or unwelcomed or alone. I expect we’ve all had a moment like Samar, who writes “I wish I had a friend.” And while a magical tree helps to fulfill her wish, so too does a regular boy and an entire…

Marvelous Jackson

By Laura Anne Bird,

Book cover of Marvelous Jackson

Laura Anne Bird Author Of Marvelous Jackson

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

True confession: I’m not a baker, but I love it when other people bake. It’s riveting to watch how they transform the humblest of ingredients into desserts that are beautiful and delicious. I get super excited to see this creative process unfold, which is why I adore The Great British Baking Show and other competitive reality baking programs. They inspired me to write Marvelous Jackson because my main character desperately wants to snag a coveted audition spot on The Marvelous Midwest Kids Baking Championship. He relishes the frenetic energy and noise of a kitchen packed with ambitious and talented people—just like I do!

Laura's book list on contemporary middle grade novels for boys who love to bake

What is my book about?

Since losing his mom, thirteen-year-old Jack Wilson has spent most of his time seeing just how much trouble he can get away with so that he feels like a winner at something. But he takes his mischief too far and is faced with the possibility of unbearable consequences. He knows it’s time to make a big change.

After rediscovering the love of baking he once shared with his mother, Jack is sure that his new sense of purpose will help him stay on the right path, so he throws himself into learning the finer points of sprinkles and scones—and…

Marvelous Jackson

By Laura Anne Bird,

What is this book about?

After losing his mom, a struggling thirteen-year-old boy in northern Wisconsin rediscovers the love of baking he once shared with her and decides to audition for the world-famous, big-hearted Marvelous Midwest Kids Baking Championship television show in Chicago. Jack is sure that his new sense of purpose will help him stay out of trouble, so he throws himself into learning the finer points of sprinkles and scones -- and hopefully even mending his broken relationship with his dad.


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Interested in trees, wishes, and friendships?

Trees 52 books
Wishes 17 books
Friendships 1,478 books