School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-8-The wishtree, Red, has been around for more than 200 hundred years and has seen and heard many things in their time, as people have been coming to tie wishes to their branches for years now. They are home to several different animal families and are visited often by their best friend, Bongo the crow. There's a lot of exposition in the beginning as Red explains their residents and their naming systems before the story truly begins. There's a new Muslim family in the neighborhood, and not everyone is welcoming. Red discusses the history of the community as a welcoming place for people from many different backgrounds, and connects that past in a satisfying way to the present. This is a lovely story made even lovelier by Nancy Linari's narration. She differentiates between the host of animal and human characters with ease. VERDICT Applegate fans and reluctant readers alike will be drawn to this heartfelt tale.-Elizabeth Elsbree, Krug Elementary School, Aurora, IL © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The simplicity of Newbery Medalist Applegate's graceful novel contrasts powerfully with the prejudice it confronts. Narration comes from Red, an enormous red oak near an elementary school that also serves as a "wishtree" for the neighborhood-once a year, residents deposit wishes in Red's branches and hollows. Though trees aren't supposed to talk to humans, Red cares for them deeply, especially when a lonely girl named Samar and her Muslim family move into the neighborhood and receive a chilly, then hostile, reception: a boy carves "Leave" into Red's trunk, and the family endures taunts and other abuses. "I love people dearly," Red muses. "And yet. Two hundred and sixteen rings, and I still haven't figured them out." Applegate creates strong parallel between these threats and those that Red faces, as neighborhood matriarch Francesca contemplates cutting the tree down. As tension escalates in both the natural and human realms, Red's openhearted voice and generosity of spirit bring perspective gained over centuries of observation. It's a distinctive call for kindness, delivered by an unforgettable narrator. Art not seen by PW. Ages 8-12. Author's agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. Illustrator's agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Associates. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
