But the guard was blowing his whistle and the last thing Will heard was Wendy saying with a cheery smile, “I’m sure you two will get on just fine.” Will wished he were one of the seagulls wheeling over the grey bands of sea. He wished he could take off – into the air, over the edge of the world and forget that any of this had ever happened. And pretend that Mum was still alive.
Sent to live with his uncle after his mother’s death (and awaiting a move to be with his grandparents in Australia), Will’s new home in the mountains couldn’t be more different from the high rise flat he used to live in. When he and his new friend Omar – a refugee from Afghanistan – discover an injured baby osprey together, Will smuggles her down the mountain to protect her. As Will helps Whitetip to recover, he finds a strength inside which he never knew he had…
You always know with a Catherine Bruton story that you’re in a sensitive, empathetic read (you can read my review of Following Frankenstein here and Another Twist in the Tale here!) but wow, Bird Boy soars to another level of wonder! Poor Will has had a rough ride and whilst dealing with unspeakable grief, he’s placed with a distant uncle and he must learn to live with him. It’s a heartbreaking but hopeful story and one which I had to read in one sitting as it was such a powerful tale of migration, friendship and the healing ability within nature.
Will and Omar have such a beautiful friendship and I loved the metaphor of them being like a newt and bird. Both of them have experienced their own migration and injustice – their connection is just sublime and it’s such a clever concept to incorporate different types of migration within Will’s grief and how he develops trust towards the kind community he is becoming a part of. As Will and Omar team up to protect defenceless Whitetip, they show why they are the Bird Rescuers. Bird Boy is such a charming story and perfect for MG Leonard or Hannah Gold fans – that ending certainly left me teary! Mental illness, friendship, grief, confidence and the power of healing in nature – Bird Boy is a wonderful story which I know will be popular in my classroom. This would certainly make a perfect class story.
Suggested reading age: 9+
Bird Boy is written by Catherine Bruton and will be published by Nosy Crow on 9th May 2024.
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