Summer's not over yet and neither is summer reading! Still time to slide in a few more books like the oh so lovely Rare Birds by Jeff Miller. This book has the feel of the end of summer - sweet and sad, with a little bit of urgency to get all the things done before it ends.

Graham and his mother have moved all over the US trying to find a cure for her illness. Their last-ditch effort lands them back in her hometown in Florida. Waiting (once again) in the hospital, Graham meets Lou, a girl who knows which ice machine is the best and which janitor is the kindest. Together, they decide to enter a contest to find the Snail Kite, a rare bird that his mom was looking for when she was younger. As they roam through backwaters and swamps, evading alligators and mean rich kids, Graham and Lou learn about what it means to be a rare bird.

This book will appeal to readers who like books that tackle hard subjects in gentle ways (think Lynda Mullaly Hunt or Wendy Mass). Bonus points for having a male protagonist as so many books in the genre do not.

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC.

Graham and his new friend Lou are determined to find the Snail Kite, a rare bird, to win a contest and raise the spirits of their parents. Graham's mother is awaiting a heart transplant, and Graham is sure that finding the bird will lead to a miracle for her. Jeff Miller brings to life a great cast of characters in this middle grade novel.

I waffled over whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars. My indecision was over my gut feeling on how likely kids are to pick this up and read it and my personal reaction to the story, the characters, the plausibility, and cohesion. I went with the later, and so, 4 stars. The story is unique, full of heart, and fully engaging to adults, but the dual plot is problematic for kids. Middle grade kids prefer plots that hone in on one conflict and fully flesh it out, rather than trying to bring multiple ideas into one story.

Here's the gist. Graham's mother has a severe heart condition that requires a transplant. This brings her back to her Florida Everglades hometown where oddly, her chances of getting one are higher. Graham and his mom move in with a guy who she's known since her childhood. The only problem for Graham is that he has a son with a chip on his shoulder.

Graham discovers that his mom had a thing for rare birds and there's one that always eluded her: the Snail Kite (a real bird, by the way, but not orange). Interestingly, there's a girl, Lou, hanging out at the hospital who also has an interest in birds. When they learn about a contest with a substantial financial reward for anyone who gets a photo of the Snail Kite, they become instant, inseparable friends, canoeing the mysterious byways of the Everglades.

For the most part I liked all the characters. When I say "like" I mean I found them all believable. There's two exceptions. One is the age of the characters. They are 12, but sound much older. The other is Nick, the kid with a chip on his shoulder. His personality does a 180 from bad to good and I never fall for that. It's just not reality. I very much like Graham and Lou's friendship. Given what they've been through with so much of their lives spent in hospitals, their attachment is natural. I also like the bullies. They're hardcore, sabotaging Graham's expeditions in the glades.

I love the Florida setting. Miller has done a very good job of setting the scene. I especially love the gator legend and canoe excursions into the glades. I like the kids being on their own, exploring, even though I'm not sure kids today would have such bravery.

What bothers me the most about this book is the dual plot. It's going to make kids tire easily. I've seen this again and again with kids. While the medical part is interesting, it just gives you one more thing to keep track of. The best part of the book centers around the bullies and the Everglades. I wish that had been developed more. The heart transplant plot would be more effective in its own story.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a good read. Even though Graham’s mom is sick; he still tries to be upbeat and positive.
His mom thinks she spots an elusive bird and I like how he helps her try to find it since she never found it when she was a kid. He makes a new friend in the hospital and they both hunt for the elusive bird. Lou was one of my favorite characters. The book mentions various bird species also; so it’s great for kids to look up to see what the birds look like.

“Rare Birds” is a realistic fiction middle grade novel by Jeff Miller which is due to be released on January 31, 2023.

“Rare Birds” is the story of Graham, a boy who just moved to Florida with his mom. His mom is in need of a heart transplant. So Graham is staying with a friend of his mom’s from high school named Dom and Dom’s son. At the hospital he meets a girl named Lou, who becomes his partner in trying to find a rare bird for a contest and to complete a bird watching journal of Graham’s mom.

This book had twists I didn’t see coming (which is a good thing!). It was incredibly emotional and will stick with me for a long time to come. I recommend this book for upper elementary.

It all happens for a reason.

A powerful, emotional, multilayered Middle Grade read, that forces readers to look at themselves and embrace life to the fullest. Coming out January 2023.

Graham is a quirky yet likeable character who tells us his story as his mom seeks a life saving heart transplant. It’s just the two of them as his dad died when he was young and they’ve been moving from place to place in hopes of finding that heart. We pick up the story as they move to his mom’s hometown in Florida, where they move in with Dom, a high school friend of hers. Dom has a son who is angry at the world and none to pleased to be sharing his space with Graham. Just as Graham is starting to learn more about his mom and dads history in Florida and his mom’s unfinished bird journal, her heart takes a turn for the worst and she’s admitted to hospital. At the hospital, Graham meets a girl named Lou and through their shared experiences of tough times, they immediately bond. Lou discovers a bird finding contest that would help to finish Graham’s mom’s bird journal and the adventure begins. Graham, Lou and Nick end up changed forever as they hunt for a rare bird and are forced to face their own inner demons along the way.

Filled with twists and turns, I had a hard time putting this one down. I feel as though it impacted me and so I know this will impact my students as well and I think this will make for an excellent read aloud or novel study with students in Grades 5-8.

Graham is 12 years old and is used to moving around. With his mom’s heart condition, they’re constantly in search of the best doctors and spend plenty of time in hospitals. This time, they’re heading to south Florida. Graham settles into his usual hospital routine until he encounters a girl his age who already knows where the best ice machine is and which janitors he should befriend. They quickly become friends and decide to enter a birding contest together. Can they find the endangered Snail Kite before the contest ends?

This was a really well written book. It deals with a heavy topic in a meaningful and interesting way. Weaving the bird watching plot into the story was an excellent choice, and I loved the way Graham’s mom thought about birds. Both plots were well paced and woven together in a way that complimented each other. The ending was well done and a lovely way to end this work.

The characters were excellently written. Graham was a relatable protagonist, with realistic feelings, thoughts, and actions. I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters as well as their interactions. The secondary characters were the perfect support for this story, having lives and struggles of their own that still complimented Graham’s story. And I loved Lou – she was the perfect sidekick!

I highly recommend this work to Young Adult readers and older readers alike. This was a heartwarming and interesting story that I couldn’t put down and offered important insights into the lives of others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square Kids for providing a review copy of this work. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I loved the balance between the birding adventure and the hospital scenes. The only thing that didn't work for me was the "it all happens for a reason" vibe, which doesn't resonate with me, especially in a story that's dealing with health and mortality the way this one is, but your milage will vary on that. I look forward to this book coming out so I can recommend it!

Middle grade books dealing with heavy topics are my current favorite genre so naturally, when I saw Rare Birds on here, I had to request it.

I’ve read plenty of middle grade books featuring a protagonist dealing with a loved one’s illness, but this is the first time I’ve read one specifically about heart problems and that hit a little close to home. Graham’s pov was incredibly accurate too and I loved it.

And the birds!! I love birds, so I always love when bird watching plots get weaved in there.

My favorite part of any novel (but especially contemporaries) is the inter-personal character dynamics and I loved Graham and his relationships with his mother, Dom and Nick, and of course Lou :). (Lou is 100% the kind of supporting character that I adore, and I loved her.)

Oh, and that ending hurt me personally. I saw it coming, but man, it hurt and I loved it :,)

Perfect for fans of Beth Vrabel’s Caleb and Kit.