Trees as Friends?

IDA B AND HER PLANS TO MAXIMIZE FUN, AVOID DISASTER, AND (POSSIBLY) SAVE THE WORLD, by Katherine Hannigan (2004)
AR Level: 5.3 Points: 5
Vocabulary Quiz Available

Ida B is a precocious child who lives with her parents on an apple orchard in Wisconsin. Her father raises her to understand that while we were put here to care for part of the earth, it never really belongs to us. Ida B is connected to nature and loves spending time with the trees, each of which she considers a close, personal friend. After enrolling in public school for Kindergarten, her parents quickly realize that they are better able to eduacate her and encourage her creative intelligence through home schooling. Their lives run smoothly until her mother develops cancer. Trials and tribulations ensue for Ida B, who must go back to public school, and in her mind there isn't a fate that could be worse. This is a warm, sweet book that will leave the reader with a feeling of hope.