Geo Librarian

EXTRAORDINARY BIRDS by Sandy Stark-McGinnis Bloomsbury, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-5476-0102-8 (e-book) Source: Utah's Online Library Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Eleven-year-old December knows everything about birds, and everything about getting kicked out of foster homes. All she has of her mom is the bird guide she left behind, and a message: "In flight is where you'll find me." December believes she's truly a bird, just waiting for the day she transforms. The scar on her back is where her wings will sprout; she only needs to find the right tree and practice flying. When she's placed with foster mom Eleanor, who runs a taxidermy business and volunteers at a wildlife rescue, December begins to see what home means in a new light. But the story she’s told herself about her past is what's kept her going this long. Can she learn to let go? REVIEW Extraordinary Birds is a beautifully-written story ab...

THE BRIDGE HOME by Padma Venkatraman Nancy Paulsen Books, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-5247-3811-2 Source: Purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade Realistic/Contemporary All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Life is tough on the teeming streets of Chennai, India, as runaway sisters Viji and Rukku quickly discover. For cautious-minded Viji, this is not a surprise - but she hadn't realized just how vulnerable she and her sister would actually feel in this uncaring, dangerous world. Fortunately, the girls find shelter - and friendship - on an abandoned bridge that's also the hideout of Muthi and Arul, two homeless boys. The four of them soon form a family of sorts, sharing food and supplies and laughing together about the absurdities of life. And while making their living scavenging the city's trash heaps is the pits, the kids find plenty to take pride in, too. After all, they are now the bosses of themselves - and are truly hoping to keep it that...