Although this #advancedreaderscopy of #TheSecretLanguageofBirds does stand alone… Jack and I would suggest reading Song for a Whale before you start this book.

We met Nina in Song for a Whale… she is the main character in this book. She’s carrying some heavy feelings about herself and something that happened with Iris. She’s feeling sort of lost at home with her family, at school, and even in her heart. She decided to spend the summer with her Aunt Audrey at the summer camp she runs- Bee Holler. There she not only finds a startling nature discovery… but she discovers a lot about herself. This is a beautiful coming of age story about what happens when you stop letting that voice in your head stir the pot. It’s ok to be vulnerable, honest, truthful, and happy. Fly your flag proudly and the people that see you and like you will come. The real Nina finds a place in this world with the Oddballs by her side.

Jack and I both really loved this book- thanks @netgalley and @lynnekkelly for this gift before it is released on 4/9/24.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in while on a plane trip. Nina's character is especially for anyone who has ever felt like the odd duck or the cuckoo chick in another's nest. She is the middle child in a loud and boisterous family, and her tendency to become impassioned about things (especially birds) sometimes gets her into trouble or gets her made fun of. When her older sister suggests that she attend summer camp with her aunt (who is often talked about by her parents with frowns), she takes time to consider and decides she wants to go.

Without getting into the details of the story (you should just read it), she goes to the camp and is immediately welcomed by her aunt Audrey, and later by three girls who call themselves the Oddballs. While she initially struggles with homesickness, when she discovers a rare bird, she is motivated to stay and help them. Throughout the process, she discovers her talents and strengths, and a place where she belongs.

I loved everything about this book. Nina makes mistakes, but she also learns from them. She discovers kinship with other people, and she learns that she doesn't have to be like her family for them to love her and vice versa. While this story is about an "oddball" who finds her place, I also loved how the author included a deaf character with thoughtfulness and compassion. One of the conversations Nina has with this character moved me to tears and made me think the author has experience with the hard-of-hearing community. As an aside, I looked her up after reading the book and learned she has been a special education teacher and now works as a sign language interpreter.

This was a coming-of-age story that was geared to middle school students, but I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to readers of all ages.

I received an advance review copy from Netgalley and the publisher for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This was such a cute, sweet book. I read Song for a Whale and liked it, but I don’t remember liking it as much as I liked this one. I am always drawn to middle grade books where kids who just don’t seem to really fit in and work to find their place and their people. The setting of the book being at a summer camp where Nina gets to experience new things and get to know her aunt (and a little of her aunt’s story) was perfect for her, the amateur bird watcher. I was worried i would find the bird focus annoying because she is very into birds while i am not, but it was just the right amount. I also found myself being sucked into her adventure and sharing in her excitement over the birds she sees. There’s some good life lessons and very relatable things in here for young people. Also enjoyed the crossover character from her Whale book, as I am sure other kids will enjoy as well. I recommend this one as a stand-alone and as a companion book for Song for a Whale. I already talked to several students about this one coming out, and they’re excited as our elementary did Song for a Whale as a school-wide one book read several years ago. I’m going to have the library order it.

I enjoyed this middle grade novel by Lynne Kelly, my first by her. I loved the camp atmosphere and the camaraderie that the girls shared. I enjoyed learning about whooping cranes and being along for the adventure that Nina, the main character, goes on.

Thank you, netgalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published on April 9!

I read this second book by Lynne Kelly several years after reading Song for a Whale, and I was pleasantly surprised that she chose to have this protagonist drawn to animals, as well.

Nina, the middle child of five, a bit of an odd duck in her family and at school, accidentally gets left behind at a Buc-ees on a family trip. That incident sparked an interest in birds, and she takes to watching them at home, adding a bird app to her phone to help her identify birds by their songs. Her parents support her interest, ordering a trail cam for the yard so she can see what they do when she’s not around.

As her parents start to plan her summer for her, Nina is encouraged by her older sister to spend time somewhere where she’d fit in more, like at her Aunt Audrey’s summer camp. Nina thinks being outside in nature would be something she’d enjoy and her aunt is thrilled to have her visit.

At camp, Nina slowly makes friends with a group of girls who refer to themselves as the Oddballs, and their welcoming her into their group makes her (and them) feel a little less unusual.

On the night of the first full moon, there's a tradition at camp where the older students get everyone to visit the abandoned and haunted old infirmary. A girl named Josephine died many years before and they claim she haunts it. Outside the cabin, Nina drops her flashlight; she and her friends see something white off in the distance and hear a loud shriek. Ghosts, of course!

Nina wonders about what she saw, leading her back to the cabin in the daylight, where she realizes that whooping cranes are nesting nearby. But cranes don’t live in Texas any longer. With the help of the Oddballs and some equipment, the girls monitor the whooping cranes and their nest daily.

Their observations lead them to dig deeper, reconnecting her with an old "friend" and introducing her to scientists who monitor whooping cranes around the country.

I liked that Nina came into her own with a group of girls who enjoyed each other’s company and that these friends were equally committed to helping her monitor the cranes’ activities. I especially liked that Nina reconnected with Iris, from A Song for a Whale. That connection should make your students want to read that book, too. Different perspectives on their relationship! It would be fun to have a discussion with students after they'd read both books.

This is a sweet coming-of-age story about a kid who feels like she doesn’t fit in. I would recommend it to middle-grade teachers and librarians.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the author for letting me read an early copy. The book comes out next week.

The Secret Language of Birds is an insightful and informative middle-grade novel. Author Lynne Kelly has a remarkable empathy and understanding of middle-school-aged girls. Whether it is the bug-loving “Ant,” book-loving Emma, or the narrator, Nina, who is convinced she can’t make friends, the characters and their conversations and actions are incredibly realistic. I can envision my grandchildren saying the same things. Ms. Kelly is also adept at recognizing the emotions of these characters. Each girl feels very genuine.
The novel becomes very informative when Nina spouts facts about birds, which she loves. Even more enlightening is the talk about whooping cranes, an endangered bird. Amazingly, a pair shows up and makes a nest in the marsh, although they have not been seen there for many years. This nesting elicits fascinating facts about whooping cranes and proper birding etiquette. I loved this book and think every middle-grade girl and nearly every boy of that age will love it equally.
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by Delacorte Press via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ll remember this book for a long time! A pleasant heartfelt read. So relatable and can see Nina in myself and my teenager.

Nina is an oddball that loves birds. She loves soaking up all the information she can. We follow her journey when she goes to camp. Finding endangered birds and meeting new friends.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for this wonderful ARC.

Nina has always felt like the odd duck out. Making friends at school feels uncomfortable, and she can’t even make friends with the girl across the street. Nina questions her value in the world when her large family accidentally leaves her at a gas station.

The incident does spark her interest in birds, though, and her older sister, Sage, encourages Nina to try something new for the summer. When Nina’s parents agree to let her spend time at her Aunt Audrey’s summer camp, Nina can’t believe her good luck. Maybe.

Camp will involve campers and maybe the same problems she has during the school year. By the end of the first day, Nina wants to go home. But the girls in the Oddballs cabin invite her to join their group, and Nina decides to wait a few more days.

When Nina joins a midnight visit to the haunted infirmary, the rest of the girls run away when they see a ghost in the marsh. But Nina sees something even more startling—an endangered crane far from its usual home. Getting ditched by all the girls hurts, but finding an endangered bird might change her life. And then, to her surprise, the Oddballs come back to rescue her. Even better, they join in her quest to learn more about the crane—or is it cranes?

As Nina and the Oddballs work together to identify the large, ghostly-looking birds from the marsh, Nina learns the value of friendships and acceptance.

What I Loved About This Book

From the awkward heroine to the tidbits of history, I loved everything about Lynne Kelly’s new release, The Secret Language of Birds. Kelly weaves together ornithology, biology, citizen science, befriending a Deaf person, adventure, ghost stories, and a bit of summer camp charm into a comfy nest of a story.

Parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians will want to purchase (and read) this tale of adventure for the animal lovers in their lives. Look no further if you’re looking for storybooks about conservation, endangered species, and learning to embrace differences.

I didn't read Song for A Whale before I dove into the gem. Now, I have added Song For a Whale to my must-read list. I loved this book on so many levels. I believe my students will connect with Nina. First, Nina is a Texas girl who doesn't stand out in her family or school. She gets lost in the mix a lot. She is the middle child in the middle of a busy family. They don't understand her love for birds. Being an awkward middle schooler who makes social mistakes is relatable for my students. Another connection point for me is that she is a Texas girl. There are places mentioned that are familiar to Texans. One of the cities mentioned is actually near my hometown. I even emailed the author to see if the facts presented about that town were works of fiction or actual facts. I love the mystery and the suspense. My heart raced when she and the Oddballs were sneaking around, even with good motives in mind. It teaches that good actions and motives should be paired together. I also thought her growing relationship with her aunt was another great story. I love that she reconnected with Iris and pulled her into this story. She uses Iris' talents and skills wonderfully. I hope there will be a follow-up book to this story.

I read The Secret Language of Birds by Lynne Kelly because I loved a previous book by Lynne, Song For a Whale. If you haven’t read Song for a Whale, run!, don’t walk to get yourself a copy before you read The Secret Language of Birds. It doesn’t say in the blurb, but the main character in Song for a Whale is also in The Secret Language of Birds. It is a bit of a cameo part, but it does describe some of what happens in the Whale book, and it would have been a spoiler for me. All that to say both books are amazing and well worth reading.

The Secret Language of Birds takes place at a Texas summer camp for kids. Nina, the main character, is 12 and has always had a hard time making friends. She finds her people at the camp, and also is able to feed her passion for learning about birds. Namely, some rare birds for Texas, that seem to be whooping cranes. But that’s impossible - or is it? Lynne Kelly has written Nina’s character development throughout the book exceptionally well. As a retired teacher, I keep thinking how great this book would be for discussing character development with learners. Especially since they would love the story, and learn some science about birds along the way! Definitely a 5-star read, for everyone!

This was a delightful book set in a summer camp for girls in Texas. They four main characters were all new to the camp so they gravitated towards each other which was wonderful because they became friends, probably for life.

Nina's aunt is the director of the summer camp and allows Nina to come for the summer. This is a new experience for Ninca, who has ever spent a long time away from her family so she is quite nervous when all the other campers arrive. Luckily, she meets the other odd ones out and they become the Oddballs. As Nina is an amateur bird watcher who discovers whooping cranes in the marsh...this cannot be as these birds have not been seen in Texas in many years.

As the book progresses, we are able to see the problem solving skills and maturity the young women employ during the summer along with the lessons learned. i really feel, as the reader, you see a group of young women who will be lifelong friends and have fond memories of camp.

I really liked the way the book started with the family at Buc-ees, a well-known spot in parts of the south and southwest. While I had never heard of it until the last couple of years, I was recently gifted a Buc-ees t-shirt. People who know the favorite travel spot will understand how the opening could easily happen.

As an educator, I am asked if I would use this in school. While it would not become a part of my curriculum, I would have no qualms about recommending this book to students to read.

Lynne Kelly's The Secret Language of Birds is an ideal summer read, with friendship, mystery, summer camp, friendships new and old, and maybe even a ghost.

Nina often feels like she doesn't fit. Not at school, where she struggles to make friends. Not at home, where she feels largely forgettable in her large family. Not at any of the day camps her mom has pushed on her over the years. This year, instead of trying another hobby-based day camp where she doesn't feel good enough, Nina decides to go to her aunt's sleepaway camp. She can continue her amateur birding there, and maybe even make some friends. A rare bird sighting sends her and her potential new friends on a new course.

Kelly captures the difficulty of making friends in middle school, especially when one feels like they're too much. Nina is such a well developed character. Her moments of awkwardness and insecurity are relatable, as is the difficulty of sharing your special interest without overwhelming others. Nina's new friends, self-dubbed the Oddball Cabin due to their odd number, create a great friend group.

The whooping crane mystery will appeal to all the animal-loving readers, and may make more than a few start learning more about birds and birding in general.

As a parent, I really appreciate seeing kids do dangerous things safely. The representation of kids exploring their environment independently is wonderful, especially as the reader learns the counselors and Nina's aunt have created a safe space for them to do so. Kids need to take risks, and they need safe places to try new skills. Aunt Audrey's camp is the perfect setting for this reason and many more.

Nina's character arc includes a beautiful redemption as she learns to make amends and practices listening to others as she repairs and builds an older friendship.

The Secret Language of Birds is sure to delight young readers and adults alike with its likable characters, gorgeous setting, and engaging plot.

Thank you to the author, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for a digital ARC such that I could share my honest opinions.

The Secret Language of Birds will be available April 9, 2024.

It’s official, Lynne Kelly is now an autobuy author for my school library. Her 2019 novel, 'Song for a Whale', is one of my favorites, and I was so excited to read her new book. I figured I’d really enjoy it but that it wouldn’t live up to her earlier book. After all, Whale is about a Deaf girl, sealife, multi-generational connections, and a trip to Alaska - some of my favorite things! There’s no way a book about a girl at camp who loves birds would be able to connect with my heart in the same way.

WRONG!

First of all, I audibly squealed when I realized that the new book is in the same world as my previous fave! One of my favorite tropes in MG lit is having a situation written from different POVs and opening the reader’s eyes to how varied our own perspectives can be, and that’s exactly what you see here. Nina was an annoying, cringey girl in the first book, but in 'Birds' we get to explore her experience and perspectives in a deep and meaningful way. I ended up adoring her and admiring so much of her character growth! This book can absolutely be read as a stand-alone, but Nina’s journey of self-awareness and empathy took on such a deeper meaning as a result of reading both books.

If someone asked me why I love Middle Grade books so much, this is a book I would hand over instead of trying to explain how powerful this genre is. This story explores family dynamics, new friendships, damaged relationships, mystery, nature, science, wonder, and technology, while telling an entertaining and emotional story. I loved this book so much, and I will be raving about it for a while!

Read this with my 14 year old. It was a big hit. It took a bit for her to warm up with some of the characters but overall she loved it. I asked her to let me know what she thought too.

The Secret Language of Birds was a neat little story I really enjoyed it. At first I did not like Nina ( the main charter) but I think it’s just because I didn’t like her in Lynne Kelly’s other book “Song for a whale” but she got better. Until she went off saying how alone she it and she doesn’t belong any were. That was just a little annoying, however she found her flock at the end. I really liked how the story played out, I thought it was neat that she named the baby whooping crane Josephine, after the girl who redecorated the whooping crane, the same ones that were almost close to exists hon and haven’t been to Texas in more than a hundred years! Over all I liked The Secret Language of Birds it was a good book.

I loved getting this story for the character who played a side role in Song For a Whale. Having Iris cross over here made for some interesting character growth for Nina as well. While I think some aspects of this book would be a little "mature" for my fourth grade students (there is mention of a bra and boobs, so leaning a little more middle grade), I think this would be a really nice read for middle schoolers. The characters demonstrate testing boundaries (not in unsafe ways), finding their own paths, and staying true to themselves. Great message overall and great story!

The Secret Language of Birds is one of the best books I’ve read this year! It is the sweetest story and kept me reading when I should have been up doing other things. I couldn’t wait to finish camp with the Oddballs and their birds! I haven’t read Kelly’s book, Song of a Whale, but I am pretty sure there is a little tie in going on here so I can’t wait to go read it and I hope that we have another book about these girls. The beginning has a perfect start and introduces one of the themes of each of us having value/significance. There is so much about friendship and these girls helping each other as they discover an understanding of emotions, especially sadness (fossil sadness). There were so many wonderful takeaways, like being true to you and also that the little things we do can make a difference to someone else (if not to ourselves). This is one of the great middle great books that kids and adults can enjoy whether read to themselves or as a read aloud.

Thank you Random House/Delacorte Press, NetGalley, and Lynne Kelly for the opportunity to review this amazing book. The story is about a young girl, Nina, who goes to camp and in a secluded area finds a pair of Whooping Cranes that are rare in that part of the country. In no time she and her friends are taking turns keeping an eye on the birds who have an egg they are sitting on. Following clues they find out who the male crane is by getting a picture of his tracking band and letting the wildlife department know about him. However, the female crane has no band and is a complete mystery and they must try to figure out who she is. The answer is quite awesome and heartwarming. I recommend this book to anyone that loves birds, the outdoors and a happy ending 🥰

Following my love for Lynne Kelly's work after "Song for a Whale," I eagerly dove into "The Secret Language of Birds." Nina, struggling to fit in, finds solace in her newfound love for birdwatching. A summer at her aunt's camp seems like the perfect escape to connect with nature. There, Nina befriends a group of girls, and during an exploration, they stumble upon a rare sight: whooping cranes building a nest! Nina's knowledge sparks a thrilling mystery – who is the unidentified female bird? Join Nina and her friends as they become bird detectives, unraveling the secret while forming a special bond. Kelly's characters, including a delightful return from "Song for a Whale," come alive alongside fascinating bird facts. "The Secret Language of Birds" is a heartwarming middle-grade read, perfect for anyone who needs a reminder to spread their wings and find their passion.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Nina is the middle child in a family of five and she is used to being over-looked in her busy household. Her mother is a planner who typically maps out Nina's whole summer with random activities but this time her eldest sister encourages Nina to find a camp where she can focus on her newfound passion for bird-watching. Luckily she is able to get a spot at a nature camp run by her somewhat estranged aunt. Nina doesn't have the best track records with making friends but she is able to find a niche with a small group of self-proclaimed "Oddballs." While on a midnight excursion with some other campers Nina spots what she thinks may be a very rare and special bird. The plot unfolds from there with rich themes including protecting nature and second chances.

The Secret Language of Birds was the first book that I've read by Lynne Kelly but it certainly won't be a the last. This was a lovely story from start to finish, with an authentic central character. Many thank to NetGalley for the advance copy of this wonderful middle grade novel.

Great middle grades book! The beginning of the story drew me in right away and made me laugh. The majority of the story takes place at a summer camp. Would be a great club for a classroom book club. Topics that could be discussed include appreciation of and respect for nature, friendship, individuality, and more!