Age Group: 9 - 12 Years

Description:

Ten-year-old Ayla and her best friend Kiri have always been tree people. Each has their very own tree on their leafy street — Ayla's slender river birch, Kiri's tall white pine — both planted to celebrate their births, both perfect for climbing, dreaming and sharing secrets. But after a sudden accident, Kiri is gone somewhere far away, and Ayla can only wait in the branches of her birch, aching to talk to her friend again. Then one morning, a mysterious old-fashioned telephone appears tucked among the leaves. Where did it come from? And why are neighbours quietly stopping by to make calls — especially to people who have passed on? Told in luminous, poetic fragments, this tender, achingly beautiful middle-grade novel inspired by Japan's real-life "wind telephone" gently explores grief, friendship, family and the healing power of community.