The Boy Who Grew a Tree

Timi is a quiet little boy who loves to grow plants and is a keen observer of nature. When his mum becomes pregnant, Timi isn’t that happy about being sent to after school club and looked after more by his auntie, since Mum isn’t feeling as energetic as usual. Yet when Mum has the baby early, she has to stay in hospital until Timi’s new baby sister is big enough to come home.

When Timi’s new friends persuade him to break into the old library with them, Timi finds a green seedling growing between the floorboards. Quickly, the tree becomes huge, and when the other children discover it, they love it as much as Timi does. Only, the library is due to be demolished soon, and the tree with it. What will they do to protect the tree they have all come to love?

This sensitive and lovely story features a diverse cast of realistic, modern children. It’s also a story about how Timi and his mum move on from the difficult start that Bisi being born prematurely brings, showing how something like a new baby in the family isn’t always easy, especially when you are a one parent family.

Timi being sent away for periods of time to stay with his aunties is represented truthfully, and young readers may well also recognise the role of their own extended family in Timi’s story. There’s a lovely happy ending, though, and young readers with siblings will also recognise the growing bond between Timi and Bisi.