This is a short but interesting look at the ways the mockingbird has intersected with human society. I particularly liked how it covered the journey of the mockingbird commonly being kept cages in homes to the way it is protected as a songbird today.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Birds are amazing and this book was so interesting. Great information written in a very understandable way. From the history of the treatment of mockingbirds to interesting facts, this book is sure to be a keeper.

This book gave a very detailed description of the history of the mockingbird in the United States. It discussed their relationship to humans and the need for their preservation. Although an informative and easy read, it will appeal to only a limited group of young readers.

I chose this book because I loved Moonbird, and I was not disappointed. This had me turning pages to learn more about our partnership with this ubiquitous bird, and has left me curious to learn more. Each chapter focuses on an individual or a specific "episode" in American history and how that influenced our national relationship with the natural world. This approach took an obscure-seeming topic and made it approachable and memorable.

This is one of those books that librarians will have to hand sell, and even then it is likely to appeal to a fairly small number of teens. Readers who are willing to give it a chance will be rewarded!

This was absolutely beautiful, I am so happy that I was able to read this. I loved the writing style and the way words flowed.

Rightfully, music becomes an underlying theme in Duet, Phillip Hoose’s newest book focusing on the mockingbird. Five states, including my home state of Mississippi, have chosen it as the official bird. Mockingbirds have their own music and also borrow from other birds, sounds in nature, and even noises that humans make.

Hoose begins his book with an interesting history of mockingbirds with their popularity leading to people trapping them in cages for their songs. People moved them from room to room to enjoy their songs as they went about their work. At one point, so many had been taken for feathers in ladies’ hats or trapped and caged that they became endangered. Women, in what came to be called “the Plume War,” intervened and called for a boycott of hats with feathers.

Many Native American myths and legends feature mockingbirds. They are often referred to in literature with arguably the most famous quote being Atticus Finch’s saying that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Musicians refer to them in song and borrow from their music. It’s hard to imagine that anybody could read this book without resorting to a bit of internet research to hear the folk song, “Listen to the Mockingbird.”

The author brings understanding and appreciation for the bird and its interaction with humans. Back matter adds ways humans can contribute to this duet. The morning after I finished reading it, I looked up from my computer to spot a mockingbird perched on a branch of the crepe myrtle outside my window. I’d never thought of us as a duet, but our property provides seeds and berries for his food, water sources, and this tree where he hangs out. He provides his beauty and his song. I thank Phillip Hoose for the metaphor.

Phillip Hoose is a well-known and well-respected author of children's nonfiction. I read and enjoyed his Moonbird, so I was excited to find another bird book on offer. The mockingbird has a storied history in the United States, probably known to most through a lullaby and Pulitzer-prize winning novel. The author chose to chronicle our complicated relationship to the mockingbird through the musical concept of duet. Of course, a duet doesn't work unless each side is balanced, which we find in reading has definitely not been the case as our love of the bird led to decreasing wild populations, but also to increasing protections for birds. I found the content fascinating and I am excited to learn more about mockingbirds, but I found the organization of content a little scattered. Hoose chose to tell the story in a somewhat linear fashion, which I think unnecessarily broke the narrative. I would have preferred organizing by topic than chronology.

We have dozens of mockingbirds in our backyard during the spring and summer months; oddly enough this past summer they have been making similar sounds that our dog makes! Of course, they also love to dive-bomb him and chase him around the yard (away from the berry-bushes and grape vines!). I loved the cover on this book, and to be completely honest, I downloaded it simply because of the cover. But I was delighted by the information I found in these pages about these amazing birds.
Growing up during the Hunger Games craze, I found myself reflecting back on the mockingjays the novel discusses early on during my reading of Duet. Of course, mockingbirds were the inspiration behind mockingjays, and it was even discussed in Duet!
Duet was was quick to read—about three hours of interrupted reading!—and easy to understand. This was perfect for middle-schoolers and high-schoolers, providing interesting information and historical connections. I appreciated the anecdotes included and truly enjoyed the history shared by Phillip Hoose about these birds.

I do not read nonfiction often and I am not an expert on mockingbirds, or any animal for that matter so I'm not sure if my review will be the best. From humans first discovering mockingbirds to the various types of songs mockingbirds sing, DUET by PHILLIP HOOSE is a short nonfiction story that details the relationship that mockingbirds and humans have had for decades. It seems well researched with side text boxes, a story about an African American songwriter, mockingbirds being fed to Native children to boost their intelligence, and more included. I didn't know any information about mockingbirds prior to reading this book but now I have some fun facts I can throw out and might be able to identify them on my own.

I loved the information, the narrative, and the ode to mockingbirds that ran through this book. The author did a fantastic job of citing humankind's relationship with the mockingbird dating back to Indigenous people's cultural connections, and then moving through Christopher Columbus' journal entries and civil war-era musical tributes to the mockingbird.

The author wove in the history and contribution of the African American songwriter who was lost to history as a white man took his song and published it. The author also discussed our contribution to deforestation and the loss of habitat for many birds, but the ways that mockingbirds have thrived.

If anyone thinks they wouldn't be interested in a book about a mockingbird, this will disabuse them of that notion. Duet is a fascinating take on our relationship with this marvelous bird.

A short and well-researched read, this feels readable for a teen audience that will definitely teach readers something new. I enjoyed learning about the way that these birds have influenced our own society, and the way that we view and treat nature.

Thank you so much to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my honest review. I highly recommend this author. I have greatly enjoyed his other books, so I was very excited to find this one. This is a fascinating book about mocking birds and their relationship with people through history. I honestly had never thought much about mockingbirds and how they have so impacted our history. This book starts with how mockingbirds won the respect of Native Americans. I had no clue Cherokee Native Americans fed mockingbird heads to children to boost their intelligence and communication. That is so fascinating. The book continues throughout the history of our country to modern times. The mockingbird is a beautiful and intelligent creature and I am so thankful for having learned all of these well researched facts and details about this amazing bird. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves birds, nature, and history. I can’t wait to get a finished physical copy. Thank you again to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my review.

This book explains and celebrates the unique relationship between people and mockingbirds over time--beginning with the relationship between the birds and Native Americans, the arrival of Columbus, and the early colonial government up through the present. The chapters are filled with details about the habits and abilities of mockingbirds and their relationship with people, the unique features of their songs, their abilities, and the threats to their continued existence. Readers will learn a great deal about the strong relationship between the birds and people, as well as current research about the birds. In fact, the author makes comparisons between the birds and jazz artists, an interesting way to think about them both! I also appreciate the connection between "mockers" and The Hunger Games volume Mockingjay. The book is very readable and is a model for focused research and writing with memorable details.