The Apple Tree by first-time author Sandy Tharp-Thee tells the story of a contemporary Cherokee boy who plants an apple seed and already sees the mature apple tree it is meant to be. But the little apple tree is not so sure. Young and impatient, it begins to doubt its calling after apples fail to appear that first fall. How can the boy convince the tree that the seasons need the time to help the tree to mature and produce apples? The story is told in English with Cherokee translation, and includes a Cherokee syllabary. Sandy Tharp-Thee is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, Sandy makes her home in central Oklahoma.  The Apple Tree is her first book; it was inspired by her son’s love for nature, especially plants and seeds. The book is a 2016 Oklahoma Book Award finalist.
2016-2017 First Nation Communities Read, Short List, Southern Ontario Library Service.