bird

Johnson, Angela. 2004. Bird. New York: Dial Books.

AWARDS:
· Coretta Scott King Award Winner
· NYPL's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
· ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2005
· ALA Notable Book 2005
· New York Public Library Best Book for Teen Age 2005

Plot Summary
Bird is a thirteen year old girl who has left her mother in Cleveland and headed to Alabama in a search of her stepfather, Cecil. When he left the two of them, Bird knew he must be headed to be with his secret other family, so she went to convince him to return to her and her mother. The story revolves around the friendship of Bird and Ethan (Cecil’s nephew), Bird and Mrs. Pritchard (a lonely older woman in town), and the connections between Jay and the other characters.

Bird hides in the shed of Ethan’s house in order to watch Cecil with his other family. She eventually finds it too hard to be friends with Ethan while living there and moves into a room with Mrs. Pritchard. Bird’s secrets continue to add up (where she is from, why she is here, and who she knows) and at an age when most girls become completely self-absorbed, this teenage girl often thinks about her mother, who she misses, her new friend Ethan, and Mrs. Pritchard’s kindness. She is a thoughtful, joyful, resilient, and brave young woman. A true hero in extenuating circumstances.

Critical Analysis
This story provides a warm, honest look into the emotions of a young girl who is lonely. Although it appears that Bird and her mother have a strong relationship, clearly she feels the need for a family that includes a father as well. Johnson provides two other character voices that also speak of loneliness: Ethan and Jay. Ethan gives the reader the idea that even when you live in a large loving family, often loneliness finds a roost to nest in. In Ethan’s case, he had a heart condition that caused him to have a difficult childhood in the hospital and he struggles with making sense of his new heart and school friends. Ethan proves wise and thoughtful, having learned many lessons of loss and facing death so young. Jay is the brother of Ethan’s heart donor. He struggles to watch Ethan playing and enjoying a new life, knowing that he will never be able to see his own brother again.

The thread throughout the story continues to be the different ways in which each character has come to their loneliness and how despite differing situations, they are all battling the same feelings.The imagery of a bird flying as a metaphor for escape or elevating above an unhappy situation is often used. Little attention is paid to why Bird likes to be called this nickname by Cecil by as a runaway she can choose how she introduces herself and seems to embrace this as a new identity. Another example of how adept Johnson is at writing between the lines. And one cannot help but realize that Bird learns about this form of flight, running away that is, from her stepfather Cecil. The author is truly poetic. Her words release a lullaby that rocks the reader into the melodies of her characters. Here are a few examples:

Ethan: “The world whispers when Mama is near. I’m thinking now that the girl dancing under the moon might make the world whisper too.” (18)

Jay: “Maybe his heart is searching for and not finding the place it used to live. I understand that because mine is searching and not finding too.” (34)

Bird: “Ethan holds his chest when he talks and Jay talks like his heart is in his hands.” (98)

Although stories about runaway teenagers are quite common, rarely is one told with such joy, kindness and love. Even while she is hungry, tired, lonely and afraid, Johnson gives Bird a voice of strength, wisdom and peacefulness. The story is not very influenced by the location (being in Alabama) with only brief mentions of the heat, the stickiness, the food. There are only a few minor references to Bird’s hair (afro, 105) typically only worn by black girls. Otherwise, race, background, etc. of each character is not a key component to the story. Johnson presents a tale that speaks across lines. The method of delivery, that is, the way that a reader hears several different characters voices divided into chapters seems common. Johnson does a nice job of weaving these seemingly distant stories together, slowly and subtly as the book evolves.

I enjoyed this story like the best drip of dark chocolate over a strawberry tip. Cool and fresh like the summer berry, yet rich and lasting like the flavor that lingers in your mouth long after.

Review Excerpts
“Johnson writes with a poet's knowledge of rhythm and knows how to use the space between words; the disconnect between what the boys think and what they say is especially well done.” – Gillian Engberg, Booklist

“Readers see how small kindnesses can ease the grip of grief and how large gestures–the literal giving of a heart–can redound to the giver's credit.” – Miriam Lang Budin, School Library Journal
http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Angela-Johnson/dp/0142405442/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-5858162-7285632?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182454816&sr=1-1

Connections
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 2004. Bud, not Buddy. New York: Delacourt Books.
This book is also a Coretta Scott King Award Winner and also with the main character of a young runaway in search of his father. The likeness between these two stories does not end there, however a lesson could be structured on the complex emotions of runaway children in search of parents, issues of loneliness, time period differences between the two stories and the influences of people they come into contact with along the journey.