The Secrets of Tree Taylor

It’s 1963 and Tree Taylor, thirteen, has just two goals for the summer: she wants a real kiss from a boy who is not a relative, and she wants to write an article for the school newspaper that will win her a spot on the staff. As Tree is sitting outside trying to think, a shot rings out. Her father rushes by in robe and slippers, and Tree, even though she is told to sit tight, follows. What she sees is the beginning of a story that will change Tree’s life in so many ways. As she takes her journey she finds out who truly cares about her, who she truly loves, and who she really is.

This brilliant coming-of-age story is set early in the 1960s as the United States begins a decade-long losing war that divides the country as sharply as the Civil War, as a beloved president is lost to an assassin. It is a time like no other, and there are few tween books set in this time. Dandi Daley Mackall’s writing is beautiful, the voice pitch-perfect, the characters strong and believable, and the story absolutely true and heartfelt. Don’t miss this one.