Birdy

Gr 4-6–Moss’s debut for young readers stands out from the crowded shelf of novels about orphaned children by remaining refreshingly soothing and calm. When their mother dies, Birdy and her younger brother Mouse have to leave their home in New York City and go upstate to live with distant relatives. While this is, of course, a traumatic experience, it is also a moment of closure for the children, who have been experiencing upheaval and uncertainty throughout the entire length of their mother’s illness, and even prior to that due to financial strife. Their new home is in a completely foreign environment, with their guardians allowing the children to roam outdoors in nature and experience a completely different type of childhood. While there is uncertainty in their situation, Birdy and Mouse find relief in knowing there will always be enough food and adults to take care of them. This feeling compounds when an uncle joins their lives, and they begin to imagine what forever could look like in their new home. Moss has delivered a story about a tough situation that allows readers to fall in love with the story and characters without having to endure the almost-inevitable third act broken heart that so often accompanies these tales. Main characters are cued as white.