Bird Boy

LoveReading4Kids Says

Radiant with the restorative power of nature, not least the magic of birds, Catherine Bruton’s Bird Boy tells the moving, empathetic story of eleven-year-old Will, who’s sent to stay with his taciturn uncle following the tragic loss of his mother.   

Though his uncle’s home in the mountains is a far cry from his former flat, here Will maintains a bond with his beloved bird-loving mother when he spies an osprey’s nest, replete with two tiny chicks. This is remarkable  — they’re one of the most endangered species in the country and haven’t been seen in this valley. But when Will sees ”the little one with the snow-tipped wings and forget-me-not blue eyes”, he’s reminded of Mum.  

With his new friend for support — Omar, an effervescent refugee from Afghanistan — Will keeps a close eye on the chicks. After forming an especially close protective bond with the little one, he finds himself doing everything in his power to save her.  

Superb at evoking the wonder of the wild and portraying the kind of friendship that gives you wings and the strength to soar, Bird Boy also explores migration, and how hard it is to grapple with grief. Heart-wrenchingly honest, it’s also a story of healing — of “learning to let people in, to ask for help, to trust”.

Reviewed by Joanne Owen
Joanne Owen is a writer, reviewer and workshop presenter whose lifelong love of books began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
More reviews by Joanne Owen

About Bird Boy

“Where could you go from here? If you kept going, would you just fall off – into nothing? Or could you fly off into the distance, like the birds he could see hovering over the grey waves – fly off and leave all of this behind? If only Will had wings…”

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