Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate is a magical story about the world, written from the perspective of a tree. Many rings old, the tree weaves a story that spans the arrival of immigrants---both animal and human over the span of its lifetime. The immigrant family that now lives nearby is being harassed, and the tree, feeling the end of its life, attempts to help; in the only way a tree can help.

Woven throughout this story are science terms, a bit of nature vocabulary---even some math. There are many ways this book could be used as a language arts writing aid. For example, the animals in the story all have names, and their own specific criterion for naming. The skunks are all named with pleasant scents like RosePetal. The raccoons are all named You, because they can't remember names. This might be turned into a fun writing prompt. The science vocabulary could be pulled out and expanded. The message of the book could be expanded as a personal reflection essay by students.  

The best part of the book, is its timely message of community being larger than bullying and discrimination. In this book, the Earth and all its creatures are connected, not just today, but throughout the years---beyond an individual human's existence. This is one of the best books I have read---one that I highly recommend for a classroom, especially 3-6th grades.

There is also a list of lesson ideas on the author's website:
 http://www.wishtreebook.com/static/pdf/wishtree-final.pdf