Birdy

A grieving tween plans for the worst in this emotionally raw upper middle grade debut by Moss (Flesh & Blood). Following Birdy’s mother’s death from a prolonged illness, the 11-year-old and her seven-year-old brother Mouse leave New York City, moving upstate to live with distant relatives Aunt Mitzie and Uncle Shadow. While Mouse is optimistic about the new experience, Birdy worries over a social worker’s comments that the siblings’ relocation is only a stopgap. Birdy’s wariness prompts her to feel distrustful of Aunt Mitzie and Uncle Shadow’s small kindnesses, such as supplying Birdy with her favorite snack. Suppressing feelings of budding happiness about her new home, Birdy resolves to take care of Mouse by preparing for potential disaster, hiding away food and stealing from Aunt Mitzie’s savings jar. The arrival of another distant family member—soft-spoken naturalist Uncle Clay from Maine—and the youths’ enrollment in summer camp offer additional opportunities for joy and distraction from their mourning. As Birdy’s grief for her late mother and anger over trauma associated with past instability fester amid her good fortune, she writes in her diary, “I need to try and be happier—but I don’t know how.” Sensitive language addresses the myriad challenges the protagonist faces, making her efforts to traverse processes of bereavement and change both understandable and heartbreaking. The cast cues as white. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 10–14. Author’s agent: Michael Carr, Veritas Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House. (Feb.)