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Bird Boy

Book Synopsis

From the multi-award-winning author of No Ballet Shoes in Syria, comes a story of migration, conservation, healing and hope as a grieving boy forms an unbreakable bond with an injured bird.

After the tragic death of his mother, eleven year old Will is sent to temporarily stay with his uncle in the mountains. After years trapped in a high-rise flat, with only birds for company, Will doesn’t know how he’ll survive a place like this, but he soon finds solace in the woods, when he’s surrounded by birdsong.

With his new friend Omar – a refugee from Afghanistan – Will discovers an osprey nest, with two small chicks inside. He forms an unbreakable bond with the birds, especially the smallest chick, who they name Whitetip. But when tragedy almost strikes again one stormy night, and Whitetip is knocked out of the nest – breaking a wing, Will is determined to save her. Smuggling her down from the mountain, he finds a way to keep her alive.

As Will helps Whitetip to grow and to heal, he finds a strength inside himself that he never knew he had. Maybe, finally, Will can find a way to take flight too…

Our Review Panel says...

After the death of his mother, Will is sent to live with his Uncle (whom he barely knows) in the wild, beautiful landscape of the Lake District. They discover an osprey nest as he explores the hills with his new friend Omar. Will immediately feels a connection with the smallest chick that they name Whitetip. During a storm, Will finds Whitetip knocked from the nest and rescues her, breaking the law by handling a protected species and moving the injured bird to the barn by his house. With the help of Omar, Will looks after Whitetip in secret, feeding her and determined to save her. However, when her condition deteriorates, he needs to learn to reach out and trust in others too.

As the plot unfolds, we learn more about Will, his mother’s mental ill health, as well as the tragic accident that ended her life. You feel Will containing his grief throughout the story, his emotions and complex thoughts inextricably linked to the bird and its own survival, as if saving Whitetip will somehow atone for his mother’s death.

There are strong links to empathy, PSHE and mental health within the story and depending on the context, this story could be used as a powerful window or mirror to support children in understanding their own lives and the experiences of others.

Themes of taking flight and healing run through the narrative. Most suitable for Upper KS2 and beyond, there are some very emotive and raw scenes, as both Will and Omar begin to acknowledge their trauma, heal, and find the strength to move forward in their grief, with an ultimately hopeful ending for both boys.

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Bird Boy

bird boy

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