Wishtree

Told from the viewpoint of a tree, this is a unique, touching, small, gentle book of great importance, telling the true meaning of welcome, the power of wishes, and friendship. With powerful writing, this is a story that needs to be told and shared. Recommended By Richard C., Powells.com

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
A New York Times Notable Book, 2017
A National Public Radio Best Book of 2017
A Publishers Weekly Bestseller
A Washington Post Best Book of 2017
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2017
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2017
San Francisco Chronicle 2017 Gift Guide
Los Angeles Times 2017 Gift Guide
Autumn 2017 Kids' Indie Next List "Top Pick" Title
Winner, E.B. White Read Aloud Award
2018 ALSC/ALA Notable Children's Book

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 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.

"The tone is warm and, occasionally, quirkily funny, but it doesn't sugarcoat the effects of hunger and vulnerability." The Horn Book (Starred Review)

"Applegate introduces another quiet, resilient protagonist who — like the caged gorilla in The One and Only Ivan and the working-class boy in Crenshaw — speaks movingly to a noisy, fractious world." The Washington Post

"The simplicity of Newbery Medalist Applegate’s graceful novel contrasts powerfully with the prejudice it confronts....It’s a distinctive call for kindness, delivered by an unforgettable narrator." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"A beautifully written, morally bracing story that will leave its imprint on a reader of any age." The New York Times Book Review

Katherine Applegate is the author of several bestselling young adult series, including Animorphs and Roscoe Riley Rules. Home of the Brave, her first standalone novel, received the SCBWI 2008 Golden Kite Award for Best Fiction and the Bank Street 2008 Josette Frank Award. She lives with her family in Irvine, California.