This term our class has been reading Wishtree by Katherine Applegate. This story is told from the perspective of an old oak tree called Red. Red is the neighbourhood "Wishtree" so people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them on to the tree's branches. He has many animal friends and together they watch over the people who live in the neighbourhood.
During the book a new family moves into the neighbourhood and not everyone is welcoming to them. Some people target the new family who are Muslim and a boy carves the word "LEAVE" into the tree bark. Samar (the little Muslim girl) and her family consider moving away however Red intervenes to bring kindness.
This book is a fantastic read and has opened up some great conversations about prejudice, kindness and inclusion. We thoroughly recommend that you read it!
Keep an eye on our individual blogs as we will be posting some of our reading responses soon.
