Bird Fiction for Middle Grade

I recently read two middle grade novels that have bird watching at their core. The Secret Language of Birds, by Lynne Kelly is about a girl who discovers a pair of endangered birds nesting in an unusual place. And Bird Nerd, by Jennifer Ann Richter features a birding tournament between two schools that gets a bit more competitive than expected. 

While both books feature our feathery friends, they are also about and finding your own flock. So let’s crack open their covers and see what they’re about.

Bird Nerd 

by Jennifer Ann Richter 

240 pages; ages 8-12

‎ Holiday House, 2024

What happens when your fifth-grade teacher decides to enter your class in a birding competition – and the only other team is from a wealthier suburban school? Nyla Braun, a bird nerd, has high hopes of leading her City Birders to victory. All she needs is a place with trees where birds hang out, and to find a way to motivate her class.

While birdwatching draws her closer to her grandfather, her desire to win conflicts with a long-standing friendship. And her high expectations lead to disappointments along the way. Not only does her feeder design fail to win a prize, but squirrels invade! 

One of the things I liked about this book was the way the author, Jennifer sprinkled bird words throughout the book. The teacher perches on the edge of her desk. There’s a skirt that’s “goldfinch yellow.” But what I particularly love is that Jennifer included an author’s note at the back – YAY for back matter in fiction – where she lists resources for bird nerds (or the merely bird-curious) who live in cities or suburbs or anywhere, really.

Review copy provided by the publisher

The Secret Language of Birds 

by Lynne Kelly 

240 pages; ages 8-12

Delacorte Press, 2024

Nina has always felt like an odd duck, but she is determined to fit in at summer camp. Where she discovers a rare bird – a bird that hasn’t nested in Texas for over a hundred years. The problem… when she discovered this bird, she was in a place she was Not Supposed To Be. An old cabin that is off limits to the campers. So when Nina finally decides to report this bird to the wildlife folks, she has to reveal where she saw it.

The cool stuff: there is a mate. Where did he come from? There is a nest, and an egg. Nina definitely wants to watch developments, and figures out how she and her cabin-mates can keep an eye on the birds. There is, of course, trouble. And Nina does find her flock.

One of the things I like about this book is the authentic birding stuff. Nina uses a bird app (if you’re looking for one, Merlin is great) and squirrels and raccoons raid her feeder just like they do in real life. There’s also cool bird facts, like how jays and crows are related and how birds can recognize faces. And then there’s this quote that I want to hang over my desk: “…a 

This book is from my personal library

The seasons are changing. I see more birds at the feeder every day. So this might be the perfect time to put a birdy-novel in the hands of a middle-grader. If you’re looking for bird books for the littles, check out my post over at the GROG a couple weeks ago.

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading.

Explore Outdoors ~ Almost Snowcones

 When the beech leaves dry up over winter, they curl into cones - perfect for catching snow. Some years I find perfect snowcones. This year, not so much. But still, they're fun to find on a winter walk.

How do the leaves in your neighborhood catch the snow?

Illustrated by Kate Cosgrove...

I’ve been wanting to review these two books for a while ... so I put them on my desk right next to my keyboard so I wouldn't miss them (unless I piled other stuff on top, which I did...). Anyway, there they are, and I'm looking at them thinking, hmmm... they feel like they belong together in a review. Sure, trees and flowers are both plants. But there’s something else nibbling on my attention. Something about how the illustrations feel free and flowing. And I realize: Kate Cosgrove illustrated both of them! I hadn’t noticed it before because - let’s be honest - when we talk about books we usually talk about who wrote them. 

Themes: flowers, trees, art

Just Flowers 

by Erin Dealey; illus by Kate Cosgrove 

40 pages; ages 5-8

Sleeping Bear Press, 2024

There’s something to be said about a book featuring flowers that opens with a cold and snowy day. “One blustery brr day, in a dreary, dull town, a new neighbor moved in.” Izzy watches the new neighbor stomping about in his yard, grumbling, “where are the roses?”

She sees what he doesn’t – small white flowers called snowdrops. “Galanthus,” Izzy tells him. “Gesundheit,” he replies. Spread by spread Izzy discovers wonderful flowers in her neighbor’s yard: tulips, buttercups, impatiens, delphinium. But all he wants is roses.

What I like love about this book: I love the collection of flower names in the book: dahlias, asters, cup and saucer vine. I love that sometimes Izzy provides the genus name for the flowers. And I love how “just flowers” make the people around Izzy bloom. The last spread highlights all the flowers and plants in the book, with common and scientific names. It’ll make you want to head outside and identify plants you find in your neighborhood.

And, of course, there's the art!

A Tree Is a Community (Books for a Better Earth) 

by David L. Harrison; illustrated by Kate Cosgrove 

40 pages; ages 4-8

Holiday House, 2024

From bugs to birds and beyond, the short free-verse poems on each page in this book celebrate the animals that make up the community in and on the hackberry tree in author, David Harrison’s back yard. But first, we need a spring rain to moisten the soil and give the trees roots a good drink!

In spring,

the rain 

ROARS!

GUSHES!

POURS 

Down through that 

rich, 

dark 

soil.

What I like love about this book: You mean besides the ants and bees and moths and beetles? I love the vibrant verbs. Bugs crawl and climb and scurry. Birds flip and flap, fly and tote. This is a great book to find action words. At the same time, we see the diversity of wildlife using the tree as a home, and watch the passing of the seasons. And if that’s not enough, there’s some extra stuff on the back end pages: David’s note about why trees are important, a list of books for further reading, and an index to the tree dwellers – possums, page 23.

Beyond the Books:

Make some flowers to pop in a recycled bottle or can – or maybe some flower-stamp cards for your friends. All you need is some corks, acrylic paint, cardstock (or index cards) – and buttons and green pipecleaners for the flowers. Here’s how.

What sort of communities do your local trees support? Choose one or two to follow over the spring, summer, and fall. Who uses your tree over the seasons? How does your tree change from spring to fall? Choose a way to share your observations with your friends – maybe you want to paint pictures, like Kate Cosgrove, or write poems, like David Harrison. Or maybe photography is more your thing, or pressing leaves. 

Kate Cosgrove talks about her illustration process for her very first picture book, And The Bullfrogs Sing, by David Harrison (Holiday House, 2019) and her art for A Tree Is a Community on Kathy Temean’s blog here and here. And you can watch an interview with her local TV station here.

We’ll join Perfect Picture Book Friday once they’re finished with the Valentiny story contest. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Explore Outdoors ~ Lichens

 One of my favorite winter activities is Lichen Looking. That's because trees don't have leaves during this season - or if they do, the leaves are dried and rattly. And they don't have flowers. But they do sport lichens and other fungi. And, in this case, it was neat to observe how the snow gathered on the curls of lichen and bark.

I found this tree at a city park. What sort of lichen can you find in your neighborhood?

A Deep Dive into the Scopes Trial

 

A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight over Science in Schools 

by Debbie Levy 

288 pages; ages 10-14 

Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2025 

This is a book about a science teacher who was simply doing his job when someone pointed out that teaching what was in the text book was now illegal.

This is a book about two lawyers whose words could sway public opinion.

This is a book about a simple idea: that living organisms change over time, in response to environmental pressures, and those changes are passed on to their offspring.

This is a book about an idea so dangerous that it threatened to rip apart the fabric of society, pitting devoutly religious (but scientifically uneducated) people against scientifically literate (and in many cases devoutly religious) people.

And it all started with a meeting at the soda fountain in Robinson’s Drug Store in Dayton, Tennessee on a warm afternoon in May. The mayor wanted to put his town on the map. Two months earlier, the governor had signed into law the Butler Act, which barred teachers from teaching evolution. John Scopes, hired to teach physics and math and – especially – coach football, was filling in for the biology teacher who’d been sick. And the folks at the soda fountain wanted to know: have you been teaching evolution? When Scopes said yes, they asked whether he’d be interested in standing for a test case to challenge the law. With that, the local constable arrested him (then let him go to finish playing tennis with his students), and the rest is … 

... history. Author, Debbie Levy weaves facts gleaned from extensive research and primary sources into a gripping tale that makes you wish all history books were this fun to read. She shows the evolution of Clarence Darrow from baseball player to lawyer to defender of unions and freethinkers. She shows the development of William Jennings Bryan from studious child to debate team to brilliant orator and lawyer. She shows the evolution of the idea of natural selection, highlighting that even though scientists at the time of Darwin were fuzzy on the details (Mendel’s work came to light two years after Darwin’s death), they “were not fuzzy about the fact that evolutionary change happened” and that inherited traits played a role.

Levy pulls together history and science for this deep dive into the 1925 Scopes Trial. She provides insights into the various party’s motivations and also addresses interrelated topics of racism, white supremacy, and eugenics. I particularly like the final chapters. She examines the evolution of thought about Evolution, tracing it through the national politics of 80s up to now. I’ve been asked many times whether I “believe” in evolution – but not once has anyone asked me whether I “believe” in gravity. She also examines the persistence of resistance to science. “Is it because scientific theories aren’t well understood?" she asks. "Is it because they make people uncomfortable?” Is it the same thing that makes people resistant to historical facts?

Back matter includes a timeline, source notes, and an index – all of which make this an extremely handy book to have in your classroom or library. I give it 5 trilobites!

 

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~ Ice Needles

 

It pays to look at the ground when you're walking. You might find a shiny coin, or - as in this case - some interesting crystals. One icy day in mid-December I was walking through the woods here in upstate NY and I saw thick, icy crystals pushing up through the moss-covered soil. I was taken by the way they curled, and their seeming fragility - though they'd have to be pretty strong to push through the moss!

Turns out they are ice needles, or "needle ice" -  something that naturally occurs when soil temperatures stay above freezing while air temperatures fall below 32 degrees F. Each needle is thin, but they stick together when they get into the frigid air.

What interesting things have you noticed this week?

Up into Space!

Who doesn’t love adventure! And where can you go for the most wild, far-out adventure these days? Up, up, up into the sky … maybe even into space. These three books explore themes of space, exploration, and biography.

Up, Up High: The Secret Poetry of Earth’s Atmosphere

by Lydia Lukidis; illus. by Katie Rewse 

40 pages; ages 8-11

Capstone Editions, 2025

Where does the sky end and space begin? This is one of the questions author Lydia Lukidis sets out to explore in her newest book about the atmosphere. 

Written in poetry, she looks at what is beyond the tallest trees and biggest buildings. 

To find out,

squeeze into a space suit.

Strap yourself

into a spacecraft.

Hang on tight.

Five, four, three, two, one …

      blast off!

What I like about this book: It’s a journey. As we rise into the sky we wave at a climber atop a mountain, pass through tumultuous clouds, and watch as meteoroids streak by.  Higher than the space station! Higher than a satellite! And then it’s time to turn around and head back to earth. Text boxes on each spread explain some of the phenomena we see on our journey, and back matter presents the layers of our atmosphere in an easy-to-understand graphic.

Up, Up High is the companion book to Deep, Deep Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench which I reviewed a couple years ago. Check out Christy Mihaly’s interview with Lydia earlier this month at the GROG blog. Lydia is a member of #STEAMTeam2025. You can find out more about her at her website, www.lydialukidis.com

Reaching for the Stars: A Mission to Space 

by Roxanne Troup; illus. by Amanda Lenz 

40 pages; ages 4-8

Schiffer Kids, 2024   (August 28)

For years, NASA planned and exciting new mission. Just a few more minutes until ignition. 

Suit up for a lyrical space adventure that heads beyond the moon to where stars are born, comets zip, and galaxies come in all shapes. This book celebrates the return to space exploration beginning with the Artemis mission to the moon.

What I like about this book: It's a fun way to encourage kids to imagine themselves going to space. Actual NASA photos are incorporated into the illustrations, making it even more realistic. At the back is a glossary of words that are "out of this world" as well as notes from the author and illustrator. 

She Went to Space: Maine Astronaut Jessica Meir

Fran Hodgkins  

32 pages, ages 5-8 

‎Down East Books, 2025 (earlier this month!)

The sky was black. It wasn’t the sky, really. It was space. And Jessica Meir was stepping out into it.

Jessica Meir hails from Caribou, Maine, the second-largest city in Aroostoock County and just 12 miles from the Canadian border. The county itself is huge, about the size of Rhode Island plus Connecticut, and well-known for potatoes, timber, tourism and – now – birthplace of an astronaut. Not just any astronaut, either. In 2019, Jessica and her partner-in-space Christina Koch made history completing the first spacewalk made solely by women. They spent more than seven hours outside the International Space Station replacing a broken power unit.

What I like about this book: The biography is compelling, but Fran adds more. There’s a checklist of requirements to be an astronaut - do you qualify? And there’s a side-by-side comparison of ocean and space… to help explain why Jessica studied the ocean in order to eventually (she hoped) reach her dream of becoming an astronaut. 

Back in October I interviewed author, Fran Hodgkins about why she wanted to write Jessica’s biography. You can read that interview here.

Beyond the Books:

Where does the sky end and space begin? How far do you think you'd have to go up, up, up to get out of our atmosphere? And does space start before that point or after? Here's how a NASA scientist explains it.

You can find some fun activities in Lydia's educator's guide. One of them is to compare how a rocket (or any object) falls - with and without a safety parachute. Check it out at her website here.

Was an astronaut born in your state? Find out here at this NASA link. Then find out more about them… and write your own Local Astronaut story!

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Explore Outdoors ~ Wintery Flowers

 Welcome Back! Shadow or no, and regardless of what the Groundhog thinks, it's time for me to come out of hibernation, shake the snow out of my brain, and share cool science and books for the spring.

I spent part of the winter months in south Boston area, near the ocean. The air seemed to be warmer, the climate milder, and the flowers bloomed into December...

Here are a couple I captured at first snowfall, right before the Solstice.

 

You can tell the air was warm(ish) because the flakes are so big - large enough to distinguish them on flowers and leaves. Within a couple weeks all the flowers had lost their petals and leaves were dried and crinkly.

What do the flowers look like in your neighborhood this week?