I remember the first time I read "The Giving Tree".

A friend (at the time) handed it to me and said that he would hang out while I read it so he could get my immediate reaction.

I finished the book, handed it back to him, and said "Stupid fucking tree".

His jaw hit the floor.
We no longer talk.
I'm sure this is part of the reason.

Oh well, it's still a stupid fucking tree.

The thought that always comes to my mind in regard to this inane tale, is that it could have easily been a story about a win-win relationship, whereby both the tree and the boy benefit and grow. Boy takes of care of tree - waters, prunes, mulches...and tree provides fruit, shade, and excess pruned off wood for burning or whatever. The intelligent use of resources...mutual growth via exchange....but Nooooo, it's all about stupidity on both sides.......creeps me out.

I also am not a fan of "The Giving Tree", or a lot of books they encourage little liberals to read. I found the beginning of the interview interesting, until Greenwood started exposing her really liberal side.
I would prefer kids read more Objectivist-type books like "An Island Called Liberty" by Joseph Specht, or perhaps "Anthem" by Ayn Rand, which can be understood at some level by grade school (unless Common Core is in full swing in your school) . Actually, Glenn Beck's "Snow Angel" teaches a lot about love and survival, and could be easily (hopefully) read by junior high school.
What really lost me with the interview, was the mention as animals as people. Scary. They might be part of my family, but who needs some government agency coming into your home, as they do so often now over kids. Makes me glad ours is fully grown. Beside, the UN is out to set pets free from ownership, and set them loose, under Greenwood's thinking. Remember when they tried that in Britain with minks? They ate the neighborhood pets and were starving anyway. Domesticated pets were not meant to be people and are not objectivists, any more than Ted Turner's wolves will ever become vegetarians, shock collar or not.. Not having read Greenwood's book, I cannot say I would not recommend it, until I did. I would want to read it before advising a child to read it however.

Ok, I had no idea what "the giving tree" was. But, I have to say I am really glad my parents never pulled that crap on me when I was a kid.

I remember reading that book as a kid, but I can't remember what happens in it or what the point is. So it must not have made an impression.

All giving should be voluntary.

@stormi, totally! Anthem!

I used to be that tree!

I have used The Giving Tree story a few times in conversations with my son. You see, his sister, who also happens to be my daughter, sponged off of her mother until she was in her mid 20's. Yes, her mother was the giving tree type, which is part of the reason for the divorce. As an analogy, I pointed out to my son that his sponging sister was chopping down her mother's trunk to burn as firewood. He got the point. Indeed, I think that as a story, it has a lot of potential about what NOT to do in life.