November 1, 2022
A boy adjusts to a new town as his mother awaits a heart transplant. After living in three cities in the past two years as his mother sought treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy, nearly 12-year-old Graham Dodds finds himself in Sugarland, his mom's Florida hometown. His new roommate, Nick, the surly son of his mom's childhood friend, isn't exactly welcoming. Fortunately, Graham quickly befriends Lou, a plucky girl whose father needs a new heart. When Mom gives Graham her old bird-watching journal, he's convinced that if he spots a Snail Kite--the one rare bird she never found--she'll be OK. But after a contest promises $5,000 for the best Snail Kite photo, Nick and his friends sabotage Graham's efforts. Can Graham spot the bird in time? And could his mother be right--does everything happen for a reason? The symbol-laced plot occasionally seems to reinforce the maxim, which readers may find either comforting or problematic. Miller viscerally portrays Graham's alternating fear and hope, his heartwarming bond with his mother, and his complex feelings for the late father he barely knew. Unfortunately, most secondary characters are one-dimensional, something particularly apparent when a late, abrupt twist invokes the trope of a disabled person serving as a nondisabled character's life lesson. Most characters default to White. An earnest but uneven tale of family, friendship, and hope. (Fiction. 9-12)
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December 1, 2022
Grades 4-7 Graham's life is often uprooted for his mother's cross-country medical treatments, and their latest relocation brings them to her Florida hometown. He works to remain optimistic--his mom firmly believes that everything happens for a reason--and even her worsening health conjures a strange hopefulness, as it improves her odds of a heart donation. Befriending a fellow hospital visitor, an unconventional girl named Lou, Graham tries to settle in as best he can. When he uncovers his mom's old birding journal, he observes that one beloved bird was never crossed off her sightings list: the endangered snail kite. When Graham and Lou catch wind of a local birding contest to spot this species, Graham feels certain that finding the kite is imperative to his mom's health and happiness. Graham and Lou hatch a perilous plan, but time runs out, in every sense. It's a sincerely stirring story, and Graham is beautifully written, given room to explore complicated emotions and navigate a deep relationship with his mother. A compassionate contemplation of the business of truly living a life.
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