As advertised in a post from the district’s Twitter, all ages are welcome to attend and discuss “Wishtree,” this year’s Oak Park community book, at the Corner of Calle Rio Vista and Oak Hills Drive by the high school varsity softball field. At the end of the talk, attendees will be able to tie a wish to the oak tree that is located where the community book talk is held.

Oak Park Unified School District is hosting their 4th annual community book talk on October 1. The fictional middle-grade novel, “Wishtree” by Katherine Applegate, is the official Community Read book of 2018.

For the past three years, the district has hosted the Community Read. The organizer chooses a book that is accessible for all levels within the district. The previous Community Read books have been “Wonder,” “Fish in a Tree,” and “The Hero Two Doors Down.” The community book talk’s goal is to unite the community with a common book that everyone can discuss and analyze together.

“We look for a book that touches on a topic of interest in the community, and select books that can be accessed by all ages,” Jay Greenlinger, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, wrote to the Talon.

This is the first year that Greenlinger and Superintendent Tony Knight are hosting the book talk.

In “Wishtree,” a community comes together annually to tie a wish onto the Wishtree in hopes of it coming true.

“We will discuss themes, characters, important quotes, and how this book impacts the way we think and act,” Greenlinger wrote. “We hope to make the wishtree day an annual event.”

Freshman Erin Winston has participated in past book talks and plans on attending this year.

“My favorite part is discussing the books with everybody,” Winston said.

English teacher Jennifer Hankins attended the community book talk for “Fish in a Tree” two years ago and plans on joining this year’s discussion. She said that “parents usually attend with younger children.”

“Elementary [and] middle school [kids] get … the most representation,” Hankins said.

Hankins said that reading “Wishtree” is not mandatory in order to participate in the talk.

“I think it’s helpful to know the story, to read it before attending, just because I think it will be more meaningful that way,” Hankins said. “But, I think because the themes are so universal … if one just showed up, without having read the book, I don’t think you would feel entirely clueless.”

The novel deals with themes of tolerance, kindness, community and friendship. The plot is centered around a Muslim family —“different,” as the family is described in the novel — moving into the neighborhood, and the community’s subsequent acceptance or rejection of their new neighbors.

“One of the issues that the novel deals with is very much what you see in society today,” Hankins said. “In particular, the issue in the book deals with the idea of ‘otherness’.”

“In the book something happens that’s really hurtful … and the community … gets together and supports the people involved and they’re there to help,” English teacher Tris Wenker said.

Red, the Wishtree and the main character of the story, has been around for hundreds of years and is able to help the community by sharing her wisdom.

“[Red is a] sentimental hope chest for the neighborhood,” English teacher Leslie Miller said. “She was kind of like the safe keeper of all these wonderful things.”

The “Wishtree” book talk will discuss the novel’s themes and allow the Oak Park community to review what is, according to Dominique Browning of the New York Times, a beautifully written, morally bracing story.”