Bird

Bird
by Angela Johnson
Dial Books, 2004

Genre: Ficion

Honors:

• ALA Notable Children's Books 2005
• Book Links 10/21/10
• Booklist 09/01/04
• Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 12/01/04
• Christian Library Journal 09/01/05
• Horn Book 09/01/04
• Kirkus Reviews starred 07/15/04
• Kliatt 09/01/04
• Library Media Connection 03/01/05
• Publishers Weekly 10/18/04
• School Library Journal 09/01/04
• Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) 02/01/05
• Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) starred 02/01/05
• Wilson's Children 10/01/10

Review: Young Bird is not a runaway, but she has left her mother's home to search for her step father, Cecil. Following the only clue he left behind, Bird travels to Acorn, Alabama, where she tries to hide out in the barn of the other family that is connected to Cecil. As the summer days pass and school draws near, Bird finds is harder and harder to blend into the background, and she becomes acquainted with two boys in town who share an unknown connection. Her presence helps them both deal with difficulties in their own lives, and in the end, Bird realizes she has a difficult decision to make of her own. There is a gentle hint of romance and a lot of beautiful, simple dialogue shared by Bird and the two boys who make a connection with her: Ethan, Cecil's nephew whose genuine smile and easygoing nature masks his worries that he will never be able to fit in when he returns to school after a long hiatus, due to heart trouble; and Jay, whose family ties have loosened in the wake of his little brother's death from a brain aneurism.

Opinion: I noticed on the cover of this book that Angela Johnson received the Coretta Scott King award for the year that this book was published; however, the book itself is not listed as an award-winner. I wondered at this, as I thought the book was so delicately and thoughtfully written, touching on the aftermath of death, separation, broken families, and finding a sense of home and friendship. I found a copy of Bird housed in the Juvenile Fiction area, but I feel like, were I a librarian, I would like to be able to put a copy in the Young Adult collection as well, as children and young adults alike could benefit from reading of Bird's experiences and her journey to find the missing half of her family.

Ideas: If I had had this book in my collection when I worked at Peninsula, I would have included it in a Coretta Scott King Award Winners display, or a display of African American authors for Black History Month.