Kai’s family is in crisis. His big sister Jen no longer lives with them and Kai thinks it is all his fault. Things aren’t great at school either. Kai’s so-called ‘friends’ are bullies, but despite this, Kai does his best to fit in with them, even keeping guiltily quiet when they bully another boy. The only place he feels safe is in a big sycamore tree he climbs to escape his worries. It’s a space just for him, until one day he meets a girl at the tree and things begin to change …
Dyslexia friendly, written in verse and beautifully illustrated by George Ermos, The Tree That Sang to Me wonderfully captures the emotions of a young boy struggling with the events in his life.
Serena enables the reader to get inside Kai’s head and experience what he is feeling, allowing the reader to be empathetic and understanding of his actions. It is a great example of just how much we can learn about other people through brilliant writing.
The Tree That Sang to Me is an incredibly accessible read, as well as a fantastic one – earning it the TPP seal of approval!
The Tree That Sang to Me is published by Hodder Children’s Books (2024)