Everyone always expects Coop to be musical like his parents, but he’s not, because he’s adopted. This summer, Coop is stuck inside after falling out of a tree trying to get a closer look at a mockingbird nest at his grandparent’s place. After the fledglings have left the nest, Coop and his friend Zandi notice one bird is left behind. Upon a closer look, they realize the bird only has one wing. Knowing it won’t survive on its own, they adopt it and name it Hop. But after a hawk injures Hop, the vet says it’s illegal to keep mockingbirds as pets. Faced with the difficult decision about surrendering his little bird to a bird sanctuary, Coop begins thinking about his birth mother’s own decision.

This will be a good book for younger readers, especially those getting into the longer chapter books. I think this story, though simply written, will open the door up for discussion about Safe Haven babies and adoption.

I do wish that it wasn’t written in Coop’s POV, simply so we could get more information maybe about Zandi, because we only get what Coop thinks about her - so when he becomes upset with her, I didn’t feel like it was that justified.

Overall, this was a cute middle grade read filled with the discussion about adoption and giving something up that you love so much.

*Thank you Nancy Paulsen Books and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The symbolism here is a bit heavy handed. The narrative focuses too much on that symbol and not enough on developing the characters. While the events are easy enough to follow, we fail to connect with the narrative in a significant manner.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this middle grade book.

I absolutely adored this book. It was a super fast read, and a story kids will love. It's perfect for middle grade readers, and I can't wait for my students to read this one.

The heartfelt story of a young boy who was adopted and a bird who he rescues and cares for. Let's start with the cover. I absolutely LOVE the cover to this book. It silently speaks volumes about what the reader will find inside and it's truly captivating.

With Just One Wing is the story about Coop, a young African American boy, who finds our he is adopted and is struggling with finding this information out. Coop gets injured when he is taking a peek in a birds nest in the backyard and the bird parents swoop down at him causing him to fall and he goes into a coma. Coop later wakes and is released from the hospital with a broken arm. After some time of watching the bird hatchlings grow and eventually leave the nest, he realizes one is still left as i only has one wing. Coop rescues the mockingbird and cares for it and names it Hop. One day Hop gets out of the safe sanctuary that was built for him and is injured by a Hawk. While at the vet, the vet informs Coop that it's actually illegal to keep Mockingbirds. So Coop faces a difficult decision. Can he give up something he loves to do the right thing for Hop and follow the law? As Hop would be best cared for at a rescue or aviary where he can be around other mockingbirds.

This book has a beautiful story with a strong lesson and message embedded in it. The characters are lovable and ones you are naturally drawn to and rooting for with every page turned. It's perfect for a middle grader.

Thank you to netgalley for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

I really like the concept of this book. The cover is beautiful, but it has some really big topics, that I don’t think were properly talked about. I know my child would have questions.

SYNOPSIS
Coretta Scott King Honor–winner Brenda Woods’s poignant, heartfelt story of an adopted boy and the bird he rescues.

MY THOUGHTS
This is a wonder of a book for young readers, with that glorious cover that would not let me look away, and a heart-tugging story that uses animal rescue to illuminate issues related to adoption.

I fell in love with the young African American boy Coop, who struggles with the fact that he was adopted, and with Hop, the one-winged baby bird he rescues. I cried when a hawk injures Hop, and even more so when the vet it is taken to says mockingbirds can't be kept as pets, leading Hop to be given to a bird sanctuary.

"How could my mother ever give me up?" Coop ponders repeatedly, until he finally comes to a new understanding after he gives Hop up to the sanctuary. What a moving story, beautifully written and illustrated, and destined to bring this stellar Cincinnati-born author many more awards as she brings comfort and hope to readers. Brava, Brenda! Brava, Nadia Fisher!

Cooper is visiting his grandpop who loves birdwatching and when he climbed the tree to touch a bird’s eggs he falls and gets a concussion. While home recuperating, he finds three baby birds left the nest, and the one left has just one wing. Cooper and his friend Zandi want to save it so after naming him Hop they get a cage and begin feeding him. They decide to build a bird sanctuary. When a hawk attacks Hop they have to take him to the vet who tells him Hop is a northern hummingbird and is a protected species who needs to be in a bird rehabilitation center. Cooper wants to keep Hop and says he’ll do whatever it takes to keep him. Does Cooper get to keep Hop?

“Love is never a waste of time”. Sweet story of a kiddo grappling with what it means to be adopted and a parallel story of saving a baby bird. Representation matters and this easy entry chapter book really fills a gap for kids who wonder about where they come from and where they ended up. Written as if the author was healing their inner child, which made this a 4 star read for me.