Student Saturday: Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

 

Genre:  Middle Grade, Fantasy

Student Reviewer: Sophie E.

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate is a passionate fantasy book with a wonderful theme about friendship. The Wishtree, also referred to as Red, lives in harmony with its best friend Bongo the crow. Red is known around town as The Wishtree because on the first day of May every year, people traditionally tie its branches with paper or cloth with their wishes written on them. None of these wishes have been known to come true. 

However, recently a young girl, Samar, who had just moved to town started showing up at Red's roots each night. When the day of wishing begun, the quiet girl decided to share a wish with Red. After being bullied and shamed for her religion and looks, will Red be able to grant her one single wish with the help of its forest friends? Will Samar be able to fit in like everyone else?

Second Chance Inn by Marlayne Giron

 

Genre: Adult, Amish Fiction

Source: I received an advance reading copy. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I usually read this author’s books in one to two days. However, I have been sick for almost a month. I had finished the first half of the book and got sick again. I am glad I was finally able to finish it. My husband said he knew how sick I was when I didn’t even feel like reading. I am sorry it took so long to finish this wonderful book.

Marlayne Giron is a very talented writer. In Second Chance Inn we meet Rachel Wilson and her daughter Karen. It is obvious from the start that they don’t get along and Rachel isn’t sure how to make it work. After her husband dies Rachel and her daughter move to Pennsylvania. She has bought a farmhouse belonging to an Amish widower. The idea is to turn it into a bed and breakfast so everyone who stays can have a full Amish experience. The only difference is there will be electricity and inside bathrooms.

Samuel Miller has sold the farm to Rachel after losing his family. He stays on to work with the animals and continue to be a part of his Amish community, even if he has had a falling out with God. We see the way God uses both adults to help the other heal. We see a teenager who lived in the world of social media and immediate gratification embrace the Amish lifestyle and turn from being an angry teen to very pleasant young lady. We see Karen’s attitude toward her mother completely change.  It is obvious that God is in the details here. Marlayne has obviously done a lot of research into the Amish lifestyle. Her characters are well developed and her setting puts you right in the middle of the story. I hope Marlayne continues to write in this genre. She is natural at it. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater

Genre: Young Adult, Nonfiction
Source: I own a copy

This is a true story that took place in 2013.  It explores many issues and how they are handled. Sasha is an agender, autistic teen who likes wearing skirts.  Richard is a teen who decides to set Sasha’s skirt on fire while they are sleeping. It was meant to be a prank. Many things played a role in the sentence that Richard was given. The actual event was horrific no matter what gender.  However, when you look at all the facts several things come to mind. So let me start by saying that the incident, no matter what race or gender the victim and perpetrator were needed to be punished.  When reading the book I noticed a couple of things in particular.  The first thing I noticed was that Sasha was white and Richard was African American.  The second thing we notice is their gender identification and their financial status.  When you read a book and the victim’s family stands up for the person accused of the crime and it is ignored then you have to imagine something is wrong with the system. Richard is questions without a lawyer and makes statements that paint him as homophobic. Due to this and other circumstances he is tried as an adult. Yes I do believe what he did was wrong on so many levels. Do I believe he should have been tried as an adult?  No.  This crime changed both lives. By the press and everyone involved focusing on race and gender there was a lot of bias found in this case.  The author brings a human side to the story. By telling what happened to both teens and telling us both sides of the story we get a better picture of the humans these two are.  So often the news takes a story and puts their own slant on it to fit the politics of the time. I can’t have it on my shelves, but I can sure recommend students check it out from their local library.