A Tree Narrates Middle-Grade Book on Inclusion and Friendship

September always makes me think of trees–between fruit harvests and color changing, it’s their time to shine. This year, I’m also thinking of a middle-grade book, narrated by a gender-neutral tree, that’s one of the most charming stories of inclusion and acceptance I’ve read lately.

Wishtree, by Newbery Medal-winning author Katherin Applegate (Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan), is a beautiful and moving tale told from the perspective of a 216-year-old neighborhood oak tree named Red. Red is a special tree, for once a year, local residents write their wishes onto strips of cloth and tie them to Red’s branches. In between, Red is home to a variety of animals and their babies—and it is Red’s conversations with them that drive the story.

Red has seen a lot, but still hasn’t figured out some of the things that humans do. One day, a Muslim girl named Samar and her family move into the neighborhood. “They were from a distant country. Their ways were unfamiliar. Their words held new music,” Red reflects, while also noting with pride the wide variety of cultures and languages that the neighborhood has nurtured over the centuries. The people around Red are “uneasy” with the new arrivals, though. One person throws eggs at Samar’s house. Some other children taunt her. Then one day, a boy carves “LEAVE” into Red’s bark—a message to Samar’s family.

The owner of the property on which Red grows wants to cut Red down—something she has considered doing anyway—in order to remove the message. Applegate weaves this threat to Red into the wider tale of intolerance and ultimately, justice, as Red works to help Samar even while facing this new danger.

Applegate grounds the whimsy of a  talking tree in a keen awareness of the natural processes that a tree would indeed be aware of, if sentient. She also never lets the narrative bog down in pedantry, keeping things moving with sharp dialog between Red and the animals, as well as amusing asides about the animals’ names. (“All skunks name themselves after pleasant scents,” Red tells us. One is “RosePetal,” and another is “FreshBakedBread.” Opossums, in contrast, “name themselves after things they fear,” giving us “HairySpiders” and her baby “Flashlight.” These moments lighten a tale that also conveys the weightier themes of loving who you are, the power of stories, family connections, and building friendships.

The pencil illustrations by Charles Santoso throughout the book enhance its quiet tone and close observance of nature.

It is Red’s unique perspective, wisdom, kindness, and gentle humor, though, that elevate Wishtree above many stories that tackle similar themes. And Red is an explicitly gender-neutral narrator, noting, “Some trees are male. Some trees are female. And some, like me, are both.” Not only should that appeal to gender neutral readers—but it shows all readers that Red’s qualities are not attached to any particular gender.

While aimed at middle-grade readers, this lovely book will likely find fans among older teens and adults as well. Don’t miss it.

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