Cover of Wishtree

Wishtree

by Katherine Applegate

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate is assigned in US schools at grades 3–6, with a Lexile measure of 590L. It appears across 3 curriculum references and 3 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Wishtree is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Lexile
590L
Grade range
Grades 3–6
Difficulty for grade
Within the grade 2–3 band (420–820L)
Age range
Ages 8–12
Pages
224
Reading time
about 4h 5m (est.)
First published
2017
Genre
Middle Grade Fiction
ISBN-13
9781250043221

Reading difficulty: At 590L, Wishtree falls within the typical 420–820L text-complexity range for 3rd grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge.

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About this book

Red, a 216-year-old oak that neighbors tie their wishes to, narrates the story of a new immigrant family facing prejudice — and decides to break the rule that trees don't talk to help. Katherine Applegate's warm novel about community, kindness, and belonging is a common grades 3-6 read.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Fiction title, reads at early-reader complexity, typically at grades 3–6. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on community and kindness; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

community · kindness · prejudice · nature

Content notes

prejudice

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Wishtree→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is Wishtree?
Wishtree is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–6, with a Lexile measure of 590L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What is the Lexile level of Wishtree?
Wishtree has a Lexile measure of 590L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
How long does it take to read Wishtree?
It takes about 4h 5m to read Wishtree (224 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 245 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
Is Wishtree hard to read for 3rd grade?
At 590L, Wishtree falls within the typical 420–820L text-complexity range for 3rd grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
What curricula assign Wishtree?
Wishtree appears on reading lists for Garden State Children's Book Award, Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Why this book is on this list

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
590L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
Grade band
Grades 3–6 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 3 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.