When Mama dies, Jack and Birdie are stuck without a home. Their uncle Carl brings them into his home. All the while, Jack finds herself having to protect Birdie, her sibling who is constantly bullied for their creative, colorful clothing. As much as he loves them, Carl isn't a reliable caregiver, and Jack and Birdie have to go live with gruff Uncle Patrick. Things aren't always what they seem with Patrick or in general. In spite of everything, Jack and Birdie recognize the extraordinary in the ordinary.

This book is great for middle graders though younger YA readers will find plenty to talk about. The story deals with family dynamics, gender nonconformity, mental health, bullying, and regret in an accessible and compelling way. The characters very well-developed.

Jack and Birdie are the sibling duo you will love to read about. This book will break your heart and mend it back together again. Buy it for your classroom so all students can enjoy.

After their mother dies, Jack and Birdie are sent to live with their Uncle Carl. Jack, the older sister, tends to write her observations and feelings in notebooks, a habit her mother encouraged in her. She has made friends with a girl named Janet, an aspiring hair dresser, and Jack tends to act as her model. Birdie, her younger brother, has much better taste than his older sister. He is working out who he is, but what he does know is how to dress. For Jack, their mother, and Uncle Carl, Birdie's choice in clothing is perfectly normal.

When Uncle Carl proves to be an unreliable guardian, they are sent to live with their Uncle Patrick. The two live in the same town, so they're still able to visit Uncle Carl when they want to. Uncle Patrick is gruffer than Carl. He forces Birdie to go shopping for more "normal" clothing so that he can fit in. Jack, protective of her younger brother and desperate to collect some of their things from their old apartment, attempts to take Birdie back to their old duplex. They are foiled each time.

One thing I liked about about this novel was how they addressed Birdie. Janet rudely asks him about his sexual identity but being 8 (or 9?), he isn't sure. Janet even throws out the word transgender. But as far as Birdie is concerned, he just likes to dress fashionably and the more fashionable clothes can be found in the girls section.

The book deals with loss, the grieving process for both the children and the mother's older brothers. The mother was much younger than Carl or Patrick, and it can be inferred that she may have suffered from some sort of mental illness - most likely bi-polar.

Something I wished had been addressed more was Patrick's obsession with gardening. He gets Jack and Birdie to help him with the garden. The only purpose it appears to serve is a visual for Patrick losing his cool at one point in the story. Why is the garden so important to him?

I definitely plan on having a copy of this in my library. It's a middle grade story that touches on several important topics.

Jack and her little brother Birdie recently lost their mom. Since their dad is out of the picture, their two uncles are their last resort. First they stay with Uncle Carl who is a bit of a mess. He lives in a tiny apartment, often eats frozen pizza, and is in love with Rosie who parks her food truck, Quesadilla Ship, in his apartment parking lot. Uncle Carl is kind and sweet, but he has a lot of weird quirks about him. He has a pet lizard named Marlboro and he proposes to Rosie nearly every day. But Uncle Carl soon has to let go of Jack and Rosie because he isn't that responsible in making the kids go to school.

This is where Uncle Patrick steps in. He is quite the opposite of Uncle Carl. Uncle Patrick is quiet, lives in a shoebox looking house, and doesn't go anywhere without his dog. He is a bit of a clam, as the kids say. Jack and Birdie have a hard time getting comfortable around Uncle Patrick because yes he is reserved, but he also is trying to lay down the rules and require Birdie to dress more like a "boy". Birdie is often found in donut covered leggings, purple jackets, and rainbow shoes. Uncle Patrick deems this is the reason he is a having problems in school and with his teacher. There are a ton of ups and downs with this new family dynamic and the kids find out something that Uncle Patrick has been hiding from them. Something that he should have never hid in the first place.

This book is all about the grief of losing a parent and the struggles of living with relatives that do not really know who you are. Both Jack and Birdie and Uncle Carl and Uncle Patrick learn a lot from another by the end of this book. I suggest this book for kids in grades 6-9. There was a lot going on in this story and it was hard to stick with it. I struggled with how 9-year-old Birdie talked (seemed out of range for a kid his age), and the fact that these kids didn't have a reliable adult in their lives.

A great book about grief, family and fitting in, especially when you are different. I appreciate how the author does not make the plot and interactions too simple and pat; like real life, this story is messy and complicated and so so real.

This is a poignant and well-written book about children who learn to find family and support in difficult circumstances.

The story centers on a young teen girl named Jack and her brother, Birdy, who is drawn to sparkly clothes and pink and purple. He is not sure if he is gay or if he is transgender, and the book makes clear that it's okay for him not to have a set definition of himself.

The siblings lived with their mother, a woman of verve and energy, but also with periods of sadness as withdrawal. She has died before the story begins, and the children, who had been living with their accepting but somewhat irresponsible Uncle Carl now have to live with their taciturn Uncle Patrick. This book is the story of making new connections in a community and of healing family wounds.

Things are not tied up neatly with a ribbon, but as in life, the characters grow into more understanding and acceptance.

For children in challenging circumstances, this is a book to let them know they are not alone. For children with comfortable lives, it will help them understand the kinds of grief and change that other children are dealing with.

I received a review copy of this book through NetGalley.

Jack and Birdie’s relationship is so honest. After losing their mother, they are sent to live with their uncles who aren’t sure how to care for young kids. Birdie is a young boy who prefers to dress like a girl. The way the author deals with this and the honest look at being transgender from a child’s perspective is very well done.