Further proof that that sub-genre of YA/teen writing, of "bung a long short story into blank verse and make it look novel-length" has crossed the Atlantic. Further proof, too, that it can be pretty nicely powerful. Here, our lad is stuck in a rut. He's hanging with the bullies at school, even though he knows what effect they – and his silence – have on their victim. He has a place of succour away from it all, which is atop a sycamore tree in an abandoned corner of Dublin's canalside. And he has a gap in his life where his older sister used to be – and the fear that he caused her to vanish is causing him to indulge in trichotillomania – it is literally making him pull his hair out.

Here then is an emotional look at abject social care meetings, where the family try and get back on the same wavelength, and find it impossible to even start conversing. Here is the anger and fear of our hero at what he thinks he has caused, and the gap in his life as he knows he still loves his sister, yet with the realisation that she can't reciprocate – not if she's moved on so suddenly. Here is the quirky renaissance of the world – the canal swans with the four cygnets, the feeling the school bullies are not the best company, the weirdly winsome girl who joins in with sitting atop the sycamore…

These books always have issues. I still find the 'poem' titles indulgent and interrupting, even if here some of them are quite a few pages apart. Here the artwork is too cartoonish for the mood of the piece - and never once gets his hair short enough. And when the solitary teacher character, a Mr P, forces his pupils to do life writing in verse, it's as close to what he presents as his story here as Skrillex played backwards is to Mozart. But when you see the rich themes here, from the hair-pulling to the downplayed new friendship to the major issue of the family in mutual (and mutually worsening) torment, you see there is a lot here to get your teeth stuck into. To repeat, I see a lot of these as long short stories. This one could perhaps have been opened out to be a full novel (full as in word count, not page number), but the succinctness and ease of reading does make you glad the fresher format has been chosen. It's a healthy four stars, even with the jibe about Mayo from the Galway-residing author.

A verse novel for 9-12 year olds. It is written about Dublin and some of the vocabulary is a little unusual for an English eye. This does not detract from the book.

It is an issues read but it is also about a family torn apart in the past and not healing properly. Jen has been caught stealing. Kai tries to come to terms with this but blames himself. There is bullying occurring at school.

It is an easy read with some beautiful drawings and is billed as being dyslexia friendly. I did not think about this as I was reading.

Having not previously heard about this book, I was a little surprised to find that it was written in verse and was subsequently a little concerned that it might not meet the high bar set by another recent and hugely popular verse novel. Any concerns I had were quickly dismissed as I became immersed in the heartfelt and emotional story.

Kai’s older sister has left home under difficult circumstances and Kai blames himself for her absence and their subsequently fractured family. A solitary tree that is initially his escape from his suppressed grief coincidentally becomes a doorway to a new friendship and a better understanding of his situation.
With themes of family, friendship, bullying and mental health, this book is perfect for ages 9+. I loved the use of metaphors and will be borrowing some of these for use in the classroom. My only criticism is despite the quality illustrations, I didn’t feel that they quite fit with the emotional depth of the story and found them a little simplistic and possibly aimed at a younger audience. Despite this, I would rate the book a 5 star for the quality of the writing.

What a beautiful story! Focusing on friendship, self discovery and family, this is an emotionally charged read that will have you rooting for these wonderful characters.

❤️
@happy_scribbler has done it again! #TheTreeThatSangToMe @HachetteKids @georgermos is SO BEAUTIFUL We are deep into the heart of Kai and his struggles when his sister runs away from home. So skilfully crafted: I can't recommend this MG diamond enough. My fave page is this: 🔥https://x.com/tiafisher_/status/1773319410993782961?s=20

I’m finding this storyline rather hard to follow, and I can’t help but feel that if I, a grown adult with lots of reading experience, finds it tricky, then kids are going to find it very tricky. I had high hopes but unfortunately don’t feel the book has lived up to them .

What a stunning book! The story is so powerful and raw that you are drawn into Kai's story by both his actions and feelings. He is clearly experiencing a form of loss and is struggling, as so many do, to find a way to put that into words as to say it out loud makes it real. I can't wait to see this in actual print as I think this will be a book to share over and over again for many different reasons.

With every verse novel I read, I find myself drawn more and more to their power and to how they get to the heart of a story.

Kai is clearly going through a rough time at home. It isn’t until you get through part of the story, that you understand what has happened. Jen, Kai’s sister has run away and the family have visitation days with her, where feelings are meant to be shared but what actually happens is more of a silent, bottling up of emotions.

Kai is placing blame on himself for Jen leaving and this blame is causing him to tug on his hair, be distracted in school and feel inferior at home and school.

When Mr P gets the class to begin writing poetry about themselves, Kai is reluctant but a boost from the teacher finds him pouring his heart onto the page and admitting his fault.

Towards the end, there are some emotional scenes and they left me with tears rolling down my face. A beautiful, heartfelt story!

When Kai’s big sister, Jen, gets into trouble with the police, he is convinced it is his fault. The conflict that ensues results in Jen running away from the family home. Kai is devastated, he is largely ignored by his parents as they are consumed by their own sadness and are so tangled up in their own grief, they don’t realise how badly he is suffering. He develops trichotillomania as a way to regain some form of control in his upturned life.

He runs to a nearby wasteland and climbs a huge sycamore tree to escape from his world. There, finds some solace in nature and the noises his tree makes, the creaking and the whistling of the wind through the branches, reassure him. His sycamore sings to him and soothes his pain and the confusion that he feels about Jen leaving not just the home, but him.

It is there that he meets Sky, who wears blue Doc Martin boots decorated with yellow flowers, and eventually becomes the only person he feels comfortable with, she has no expectations of him and makes no judgement. Over time, it becomes their tree, not just his.

This heartbreakingly beautiful story is presented in dyslexia friendly format for readers age 9+. It is emotive and deals with the grief and sense of loss experienced when someone leaves. There is a sentence, “Don’t think someone has to die to make you feel emptiness”, which broke our hearts and as Kai’s emotions stay locked away and his life spirals without the safe space of his beloved sister to anchor him, we were rooting for him to talk to someone. What could be a very depressing topic is dealt with sensitively, with a focus on the healing power of nature and time and the importance of sharing your feelings so that you don’t drown in them. We read it from start to end in a single sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette for sending us this eBook for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

The tree that sang to me
By Serena Molloy
Published by Hachette Children's Group

This beautiful verse story tells of difficult times when nothing is going right. But when surrounded by kindness from the most unlikely places, the choices you make and an inner strength puts you back on the right path.

When Kai's big sister Jen leaves home suddenly, Kai believes it's all his fault.
His secret ideas burn within him, but he tells no one, just keeping it all to himself.
But pulling at tufts of his hair gives away his true feelings of anxiety, worry and heartbreak. So Kai escapes to the safety of his favourite tree, high in the branches where no one & nothing can touch him. Or so he thinks. But then a girl called Sky joins Kai on the branches of his tree and a friendship blossoms ... a friendship with the power to heal.

This dyslexia-friendly verse story has lashings of friendship, a troubled family and a journey of self-discovery. Perfect for independent readers aged 9+ a class read for sure and beautifully illustrated in black and white.

Up here
it's like
I'm part of something else
the wind
the leaves
the air
free to be
whoever I want to be.

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.
#Netgalley

Serena Molloy has created a beautiful book.

This is the story of Kai- a young boy trying to make sense of the world around him ; somewhat of a loner finding refuge in his “ personal hideaway tree”

At school he is teased and his only friend is Caleb - equally isolated. Telling his sister that he is the only one without a mobile phone, she surprises him with one as a gift ..but then things go wrong.

His sister runs away from home and family life changes- Kai blames himself . He continues to take refuge in his tree but is befriended by Sky. Sky joins him and sensitively supports him opening his eyes to the simplicity of the world they see from the branches of the tree.

The story of Kai is told in prose- short poetic sections - each with a simple heading. The vocabulary is pitch perfect. The emotions that Kai feels are palpable

This is a story that deals with loss, rejection, family conflict, self harm, isolation at school and home but ultimately friendship, love ,reconciliation and understanding

This is a the type of book that crosses borders in that it provides readers who may not want to read a longer text the opportunity to follow Kai’s story in a beautifully succinct way; it’s also a book to read aloud - to share with a class or group or equally be enjoyed as a book of prose.

George Ermos’ illustrations add further warmth and meaning

Perfect for 9 -11 with accessible vocabulary but full of depth - a winner.
I’ll certainly be recommending The Tree That Sang To Me to fellow teachers and friends

'The Tree That Sang To Me' is a beautiful verse novel for older primary-aged readers. Kai has been having a tough time since his older sister Jen got into trouble and left him home; now he can't stop pulling his hair out, his parents are constantly stressed and as far as he's concerned it's all his fault. Kai tries to make up for this by being a 'better me' but his parents don't really notice his efforts, and family therapy sessions are usually just full of awkward silences. At school, Kai knows that he should stand up for his friend Caleb who is being picked on but finds it easier to turn a blind eye. With the help of his new friend Sky and his teacher Mr P, he finds some consolation in nature, but will this be enough to repair everything that is broken?

I found this a very moving story which explores the challenges faced by many families but also shows how talking, writing and spending time with nature can help. The book is designed to be dyslexia-friendly, and the verse style helps with this, with relatively few words per page - but it also adds to the emotional impact of Serena Molloy's writing. This is a book which will help many young readers navigate similar difficulties, be it understanding an older sibling's changed behaviour, or parents being stressed, or witnessing bullying. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this excellent novel to review.

A verse novel about family tensions over a sister who pushes boundaries and her younger brother. But Kai is upset when Jen is punished by being locked up for something he feels was his fault and misses his sister terribly. He finds solace in a tree, whose branches he climbs and surveys the world to think. But one day another girl too has climbed it. She is very different from Kai, not worrying about what people think of her and she too has her own worries. But their growing friendship helps Kai and when he asks to see Jen he discovers that he has been worrying unnecessarily.
A beautiful read for anyone aged 8 to adult.

I adored this verse novel from Serena Molloy, with so many threads delicately weaved throughout - family, friendship, inclusion, belonging. Kai's story is beautifully told.

The Tree That Sang to Me is filled with big feelings. A heart-warming story filled with emotion.

The Tree that Sang to me is a beautiful novel, written in verse, about Kai and his older and much-loved sister, Jen, who is currently not living at home with the rest of the family. We don't know why, other than that Kai feels responsible. Kai seeks refuge from the tension at home, in a nearby tree. As far as he knows, this is his place, used only by him, until Sky turns up. Unsure at first, Kai begins to accept Sky in this space and to learn that there is a lot to be said for embracing who you are instead of following the crowd.

I loved this story. I enjoyed the pace and how it doesn't shy away from difficult issues, but also doesn't give so much detail that could make the book inappropriate for younger children.

I would love to know more about Sky and her life. I found her comments about school and her mum particularly interesting and I'd love to read a sequel from her perspective.

The Tree that Sang to Me tells the story, through verse, of Kai, who blames himself for something that tore his family apart. The blaming of himself comes out in a variety of ways: in pulling his hair out, struggling at school, and not knowing how to voice any of his feelings. All of these are delicately handed by the author and the upbeat illustrations by George Ermos prevent the story was becoming too depressing or serious.
Some of the elements here are very similar to those found in other verse stories - a teacher encouraging his class to discover themselves through poetry, a 'quirky' side character whose either creative side or immersion in the natural world, help the main character to resolve their issues. Saying that, it doesn't take anything away from the fact that this story packs a punch, especially for a shorter verse novel. The characters are full, the emotions run high and the story deals with topics not often seen in children's books.
I really enjoyed this and it will definitely be recommended to children in my class, who I know will love it.