Wishtree by Katharine Applegate

Red is old. Two hundred and sixteen rings old, to be exact. Yes, I said rings, and no, I did not mean years. Red is a red oak, and the neighborhood wishtree. Every year on May 1st, people tie all sorts of things to Red’s branches; scraps of cloth, pieces of paper, even underwear and socks. But this year, someone carves the word LEAVE on Red’s trunk. The word is directed at a girl named Samar and her family, who are Muslim. Francesca, the woman whose land Red stands on, decides that it is finally time to cut Red down.

Follow Red, Samar, and a boy named Stephen as they work to prevent Red’s impending doom. Will they succeed, or will the wishtree be reduced to firewood? Find out when you read this book.