Wishtree
“It’s hard to talk to trees.”
Red, an old oak, is the neighborhood ‘wishtree’. People write wishes on pieces of cloth or paper and tie them around Red’s branches. Red, and the animals who seek refuge in Red’s hollows, watch over the neighborhood.
Then a new family moves in, and not everyone welcomes them. When the daughter of the new family makes a wish, Red’s experience as the local wishtree becomes more important than ever as she helps her fulfil it.
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Katherine Applegate
Feiwel and Friends
211 Pages
The theme of this book is acceptance and the true nature of friendship.
This book is set in modern day, with a little bit of magic. It is seen from the point of view of a tree, which has the ability to speak to the main human characters. Aside from this, there is no other magic seen in the book.
The main character is unique, seeing as the main character is a tree. A regular tree, rather than an ent or other such tree-like magic beings. It is enjoyable to read the tree’s interactions with other characters, especially the animals living in its hollows. For example, Bongo the crow has a friendship with Red where they joke around, but also work together on serious matters.
This book contains mentions of threatening messages and possible death.
I enjoyed reading this book, especially from the unique point of view of a tree. I also enjoyed reading the interactions between the main character and the others, especially the other animals living within Red’s hollows. It was amusing to see the racoon and possum families interact, and I loved reading the friendship between Bongo and Red as they joke and as they plan to make a wish come true. This book has equal amounts of humour, seriousness, and sadness, making it an interesting and worthwhile read. Truthfully, I’ve yet to find a Katherine Applegate book that I didn’t enjoy reading.
People who enjoyed reading Wishtree may also like The Ogress and The Orphans, another book about accepting others.
