Wishes and Unlikely Friendships Bring Hope to a Community

wishtree by Katherine Applegate

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 her crow friend 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 experiences as a wishtree are 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.

(Source: http://www.wishtreebook.com/#book)

Possible Discussion Questions:

1. RED – What is Red? Describe her personality. Why does Red decide to speak to the kids when she isn’t supposed to speak to humans?
2. BONGO – Who is Bongo? Describe the friendship between Red and Bongo. What differences do they have? Why do you think they are friends? Why do you think Bongo gives Samar little tokens or gifts?
3. SAMAR - Describe Samar’s personality. Why does Samar always come out to sit under Red late at night? What was Samar’s wish? Why isn’t the neighborhood welcoming toward Samar’s family?
4. WISHES – How are wishes both a problem and a solution in this story? Discuss Red’s plans for helping to make Samar’s wish come true.
5. THE ANIMALS - Discuss how the various animals choose their names (crows, frogs, skunks, barn owls, raccoons, opossums). Why are they comfortable with Samar? Why do you think the animals are able to live together as a community?
6. STEPHEN - Describe Stephen’s personality. How does he help to make a difference in the neighborhood on Wishing Day? When Stephen says, “My parents aren’t bad people. They’re just … afraid of things” (p. 125), what does he mean?
7. FRANCESCA – What role does Francesca play in the story? Who and what would be affected by her decision to cut down the tree?
8. SOLUTIONS - “Hollows are proof that something bad can become something good with enough time and care and hope” (p. 25). What do you think Red means when she says this? What are some examples of something good coming from something bad (in this story or in your life)?
9. FRIENDSHIP – On p. 82, Red asks Bongo, “How does friendship happen?” What do you think? What examples of “unlikely friendships” show up in this story?
10. MESSAGES – What message(s) do you take away from this story?

Curriculum Connections:

• wishtree Teacher's Guide provided by the publisher
• Character Development (friendship, problem solving, kindness)
• Social Studies (communities, immigration, traditions)
• Real World Problems (discrimination, community building)
• Language Arts (names, groups of animals)
• Science (deciduous trees, woodland animals)

What 4th Grade Book Club Members Thought:

• We rated it a 4.1 out of 5 - we really liked it.
• "I want to talk about how the wishtree told his story because he believed he would die." --Jack
• "Did the tree have a gender?" --Ryan
• "Who was the one who did the carving in the tree?" --Gabby
• "Why did Francesca want to cut down the wishtree?" --Jeb
• "Can animals actually talk?" --Rehet
• "I want to talk about why the animals all ran up the tree at the last minute." --Hailey
• "I wondered who was the boy who carved the leave sign." --Alex
• "I want to talk about the boy with the screwdriver." --Ryan
• "One word that stuck out to me was buttinsky." --Varun
• "I want to talk about Plan Two when the baby opossum doesn't listen that well." --Addie

If You Like This Book, You Might Try Reading These:

   

What We're Reading Next:

Jedi Academy: The Force Oversleeps by Jarrett J. Krosoczka