by Joan Bauer
First published 2006
Tree stands head and shoulders above every other seventh grader at his school. Teachers and classmates look at his towering frame and assume he must excel at sports, especially basketball. They see someone who appears older and more mature than his peers. But Tree knows the truth about himself. His height makes him clumsy on the basketball court, not graceful. His adult appearance creates expectations he cannot meet. At home, his world crumbles as his parents navigate their recent divorce. Tree feels caught between childhood and adulthood, between what others expect and what he can deliver. He must learn to find his own way to stand proud and confident, even when everything around him feels unstable.
Genres: fiction, coming-of-age, contemporary, adolescence, realistic-fiction, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
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