Birdie

A relatable novel-in-verse about loss...and what happens afterwards.

Twelve-year-old Birdie Briggs loves birds. They bring her comfort when she thinks about her dad, a firefighter who was killed in the line of duty. Life without her dad isn't easy, but at least Birdie still has Mom and Maymee, and her friends Nina and Martin. But then Maymee gets a boyfriend, Nina and Martin start dating, and Birdie's mom starts seeing a police officer. And suddenly not even her beloved birds can lift Birdie's spirits. Her world is changing, and Birdie wishes things would go back to how they were before. But maybe change, painful as it is, can be beautiful too.

With compelling verse and a lighthearted touch, Eileen Spinelli captures the poignancy of adolescence and shows what can happen when you let people in. This new paperback edition includes discussion questions after the story to encourage conversations about friendships, family changes, and other themes of the story.


About the Author
Eileen Spinelli made her debut in 1991 with Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch(Simon & Schuster), which won a Christopher Award. Since then she has written more than forty children's books, including When No One Is Watching, Jonah's Whale, and Do You Have a Dog? (all Eerdmans). She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and fellow children's writer Jerry Spinelli. Visit her website at www.eileenspinelli.com.