Birdsong
by Katya Balen, illustrated by Richard Johnson
Interest age: 9 to 11
Reading age: 8 to 9
Published by Barrington Stoke, 2022
About this book
Since the car crash, Annie hasn’t been able to hear the music in everyday life, as she used to, let alone play her flute. Furious with her mother, and with her injured arm, she exists in angry silence.
When she and her mum move to a new flat, Annie sees a boy scrambling out of a bush in the nearby tangled scrubland. His name is Noah. He shows her a blackbirds’ nest, and the parent blackbirds, who trust him enough to land on his hand. As Annie and Noah’s friendship grows, the blackbirds’ glorious song reignites Annie’s passion for music.
But when tragedy strikes again, will her fragile progress be put at risk?
A moving story about reconnecting with your feelings, and being brave enough to try. The lovely illustrations by Richard Johnson and the super-readable format make the story accessible to a wide range of reading abilities.
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