Title: The Last Apple Tree | Author: Claudia Mills | Genre: Middle Grade | Publisher: Holiday House (2025) |  ISBN: 978-0823461882

Publisher’s Book Summary: 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.

My Thoughts: In this multi-generation, contemporary middle grade novel, tweens Sonnet and Zeke clash over a class project that shows just how differently two people can approach the same challenge. But additional layers reveal issues of dementia, family tragedy, parent-child relationships, environmentalism and even a bit of botany. A cornucopia of drama and emotion from the very first page.

It was fascinating to read about the transformation of two children who, at first, avoid each other, but eventually learn to accept both their own and each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The realistic scenarios and interactions between school kids felt spot-on and easy to relate to. (Case in point, I know one twelve-year-old child who is just as embarrassed about his parents coming to school as poor Zeke!) As the drama unfolds, it is easy to feel empathy for these characters and all that they are going through and it was hard to put the book down before reading the warm, comforting ending.

As someone just embarking on writing for middle grade readers, I found The Last Apple Tree to be a masterclass in creating complex, multi-dimensional characters who are realistic and engaging. I especially enjoyed the dual-narrative point of view which gave such deep insight into each character’s mindset. This is a wonderful middle grade novel for both children and aspiring middle grade authors.

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.

For more information, check out claudiamillsauthor.com.

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Giveaway: 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.

Click here for the entry form: https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/the-last-apple-tree-by-claudia-mills-awareness-tour/ Good luck!

Tour Schedule

Monday, September 22, 2025 The Children’s Book Review Book Review of The Last Apple Tree

Tuesday, September 23, 2025 @nissa_the.bookworm Book Review of The Last Apple Tree

Wednesday, September 24, 2025 The Children’s Book Review Author Interview with Claudia Mills

Thursday, September 25, 2025 The Starlit Path Book Review of The Last Apple Tree

Friday, September 26, 2025 icefairy’s Treasure Chest Book Review of The Last Apple Tree

Monday, September 29, 2025 Deliciously Savvy Book Review of The Last Apple Tree

Tuesday, September 30, 2025 Q&As with Deborah Kalb Author Interview with Claudia Mills

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 The Children’s Book Review Book List Featuring The Last Apple Tree

Friday, October 3, 2025 Crafty Moms Share Book Review of The Last Apple Tree

Monday, October 6, 2025 One More Exclamation Book Review of The Last Apple Tree

Tuesday, October 7, 2025 Glass of Wine, Glass of Milk Book Review of The Last Apple Tree

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 Writer with Wanderlust Book Review of The Last Apple Tree

Thursday, October 9, 2025 The Fairview Review Book Review of The Last Apple Tree

Friday, October 10, 2025 Un Viaje en Libro Book Review of The Last Apple Tree

Monday, October 13, 2025 Life Is What It’s Called Author Interview with Claudia Mills

Tuesday, October 14, 2025 Froggy Read Teach Book Review of The Last Apple Tree

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 Spring Falls Chronicle Book Review of The Last Apple Tree

Thursday, October 16, 2025 A Blue Box Full of Books Book Review of The Last Apple Tree

Monday, October 20, 2025 Literary Rambles Guest Post about The Last Apple Tree

Extra! Extra!

The author has created an awesome and FREE downloadable poetry worksheet available for anyone to use as a supplement to The Last Apple Tree.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to share my opinion. A sincere thank you to the author for a review copy of the book read in partnership with The Children’s Book Review.