Bird Boy

H Is For Hawk for Middle-Grade readers. Both heartbreaking and uplifting, this book is filled with valuable insights into mental illness, the healing power of nature, grief, the refugee experience, and finding family, all wrapped up in a perfectly structured story and elegant prose. I can't think of a single off beat in the entire novel. I read it all in one sitting, went through a box of tissues, and was left feeling moved and hopeful.

Wow, what a rollercoaster of emotion. I sobbed at the end. An extremely well written story handling grief, loss, young carers, immigration, with care and showing the powerful healing community and nature have.

I could not put this down and was completely invested in the characters of Will, his new friend Omar, Uncle Ian and of course the Ospreys. The emotions portrayed throughout the book capture perfectly the complexity of grief and that sense of feeling in limbo. Each character experiences their own very different journey in their own way. I can't wait to recommend this to children in my school who I know will love it as much as I did.

From the outset Bird Boy is a moving and beautiful story.

This is the story of Will; his mum has recently dies and he's been sent to live with his Uncle Ian in the countryside- a contrast from his previous life; living in a tower block and home schooled for two years as his mother developed phobias and anxieties about life in the world outside home- 'protecting ' them by isolating from wider society . However, Will's mum did give him the wonder and love of wildlife and a knowledge of the bird world with the help of a guidebook and binoculars.

The move to the countryside is traumatic for Will . He befriends Omar, a refugee from Afghanistan and also with a love of the natural world.
Their friendship leads them to an amazing discovery - a family of rare ospreys. Highly protected birds, an incident leads to the boys having to
'illegally' rescue a young bird and save it from death. Omar gives Will the name, "Bird Boy". Their covert adventure soon leads to other problems resulting a community coming together. There is recognition of Barry Hines' superb classic- Kestrel for a Knave

Catherine Bruton's professional understanding of young people's grief and loss is palpable within the pages and the descriptions about the osprey's recovery and flight are truly fantastic

This is a story about anxiety, suffering, loss and transition - but even more so this is a book about the healing power of nature, a book about friendship and understanding and ultimately a story about family and belonging.

This is a book for readers 10-14; those with a love of nature but also a book that shows how through adversity life can move forward. A book to read alone or dynamic class read.

A TV adaptation has to be considered... an absolute winning novel
Highly recommended

Fabulous story about the uplifting power of nature.

When Will’s mum dies & he has to go & live in the country with his uncle, he thinks that life will never be the same again & he can’t forgive himself for letting his mum down.

When he meets Omar, a refugee from Afghanistan, he realises that everyone carries scars from their past.

Caring for a baby osprey changes everything for Will, as he comes to terms with his past & begins to see hope for the future.

Although I’m not generally a great fan of animal books, I loved this author’s previous book, so decided to give it a try & I’m so pleased I did. It works as both a good story in its own right but also has a powerful message about forgiveness & healing. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

'Bird Boy' is a hopeful and deeply moving novel for young people about trauma, loss, migration, and the healing power of nature. After his mother's death, Will is sent to stay with his uncle in the Lake District. Will has a passion for birds, and along with his new friend Omar (a refugee from Afghanistan), he discovers an osprey nest containing two chicks. When one of these chicks falls out of her nest and breaks her wing, Will and Omar find themselves caring for her in secret.

Bruton explores a number of serious issues through Will and Omar's stories, including bereavement, mental illness and migration. Both Will and Omar see caring for Whitetip the osprey chick as a way of coping with the other traumas they have faced, and both are wary of trusting adults after their previous experiences, but ultimately learn that they must ask others for help.

This is a beautiful novel which is great for older primary and younger secondary readers, both because of its gripping plot and emotional impact. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.

This is such a lovely book. We read this together with the children and it had us all crying. It is such a compassionate book dealing with grief, fear of change and the healing power of nature. We cannot wait to buy a real copy to add to our carefully curated book shelves.

I loved this book. The characters were well developed and you rooted for them. This book lets children see how different and difficult childhood can be for some children and should evoke empathy for both Will and Omar. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of engaging with nature to boost your mental health. A very moving, touching book which I feel my class would really enjoy and I will be recommending. It reminded me of some of Katya Balen's books, she's another great children's author.

Catherine Bruton has written a beautiful book on the power of nature to heal.
Will is broken. His mentally unwell mother has just died and he's moved out of the city to live with his uncle Ian who is a part of a mountain rescue team - deep in the mountains. Will didn't know that Uncle Ian existed and reeling from his mother's death and her previous illness Will finds himself having to be outside and go to school after two years of being bound to their highrise flat.
But Will is obsessed with birds. Bruton avoids clichédapproaches to liberty and freedom but Will does recognise the freedom that he's missing. What emerges from this wonderful Nosy Crow book is an exploration of the powers of nature to heal even the most broken. Uncle Ian is a vetran of the Afghan wars and as an air rescue pilot of a helicopter he can find ways to continue with his passion for flying but in a way that brings help not hell.
Exploring broken people of a wide variety, Will's new friend Omar is a wonderful character, Bruton focuses on not the being broken but on the ways that community and nature can mend them. Gorgeous descriptions of landscape as well as a wonderful rensition of young 12 year Will's experiences and perceptions make this a beautiful book for a class read or to share with Year 7 and 8.
Incredibly moving and thoughtfully explored, Bird Boy is a strong recommnedation from me. It should do well in awards season - I really hope it does.