Select language, opens an overlay

Comment

Nov 02, 2018IndyPL_SteveB rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Another exceptionally wise yet simple children’s novel from the Newbery Award-winning author of *The One and Only Ivan*. Applegate tells the story of an American community through the point of view of a 200-year-old red oak tree, Red. While that might seem like an odd idea, Applegate brings it off in a gentle way. Red knows the stories of the early Irish families, then the Italian families who moved into the neighborhood and who were yelled at by the Irish. Of course the Irish and the Italians eventually intermarried and just became “Americans.” One of those long-ago neighbors started a custom of hanging written wishes on the tree every May 1st. The tree had no power to grant wishes, of course, but the custom helped to bring the neighborhood together every year. Now a new family has moved in, a Muslim family with a grade-school daughter named Samar. Like the generations of people before her, she has a wish: “for a friend.” Some people only drive by her house with hate and some boy has actually carved the word “Leave” into the tree’s bark; but the tree and the animals in the tree appreciate Samar and want to help her. The words of the story are simple but the story is deep. If you really believe that “Love your neighbor” is an important task in life, please read this book to your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.