Welcome to The Last Apple Tree by Claudia Mills Book Tour hosted by The Children’s Book Review. 

About the Book

Twelve-year-old Sonnet’s family has just moved across the country to live with her grandfather after her nana dies. Gramps’s once-impressive apple orchard has been razed for a housing development, with only one heirloom tree left. Sonnet doesn’t want to think about how Gramps and his tree are both growing old—she just wants everything to be okay.

Sonnet is not okay with her neighbor, Zeke, a boy her age who gets on her bad side and stays there when he tries to choose her grandpa to interview for an oral history assignment. Zeke irks Sonnet with his prying questions, bringing out the sad side of Gramps she’d rather not see. Meanwhile, Sonnet joins the Green Club at school and without talking to Zeke about it, she asks his activist father to speak at the Arbor Day assembly—a collision of worlds that Zeke wanted more than anything to avoid.

But when the interviews uncover a buried tragedy that concerns Sonnet’s mother, and an emergency forces Sonnet and Zeke to cooperate again, Sonnet learns not just to accept Zeke as he is, but also that sometimes forgetting isn’t the solution—even when remembering seems harder.

Review of The Last Apple Tree

Sonnet and Zeke couldn’t be more different—or more annoyed to be stuck together for a class project. She’s the new girl juggling a forgetful grandfather, a distracted mom, and a high-energy sister. He’s fresh out of homeschooling, with an eco-obsessed dad and zero social experience. But when their worlds collide, they dig up a family secret that could either tear Sonnet’s family apart or finally bring it some peace.

Told in dual perspectives, this story is packed with heart, humor, and a dash of mystery. Both Sonnet and Zeke are complex, frustrating, and utterly endearing—like real kids figuring life out one awkward moment at a time. It’s a touching tale about friendship, family, and the importance of listening to the stories that came before us. Sweet, thoughtful, and perfect for middle-grade readers, this one lingers long after the last page.

I received a copy of this book to share my opinion.

About the Author

Claudia Mills is the author of over 60 books for young readers, including most recently the verse novel The Lost Language and the middle-grade novel The Last Apple Tree, as well as two chapter-book series: Franklin School Friends and After-School Superstars. Her books have been named Notable Books of the Year by the American Library Association and Best Books of the Year by the Bank Street College of Education; they have been translated into half a dozen languages. 

Claudia is also a professor emerita of philosophy at the University of Colorado and a faculty member in the graduate programs in children’s literature at Hollins University. She has written all her books in her faithful hour-a-day system while drinking Swiss Miss hot chocolate.

Website

Giveaway for The Last Apple Tree

Enter for a chance to win one ten signed paperback copies of The Last Apple Tree by Claudia Mills. But wait, there’s more! One lucky grand prize winner will get a special one-hour Zoom author visit with Claudia herself, plus signed copies of The Lost Language and a book from her wonderful chapter book series.

The Last Apple Tree: Book Giveaway

Click here for the entry form.

The Last Apple Tree Book Tour

Follow along on the book tour hosted by The Children’s Book Review to see what others are saying!

Email – Website

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