Bird Brain

by Joanne Levy (Author)

Bird Brain
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade

A bird and a BFF

Arden Sachs has always wanted a pet: a purring kitten or an adorable puppy, or even a fuzzy guinea pig. But living in a cramped condo with her mom and siblings means she's unhappily pet-free.

Then her Uncle Eli, a professor and scientist, asks Arden to look after Ludwig, his African Grey parrot, while he's away on sabbatical in Guinea. A little afraid of the bird, Arden reluctantly agrees to prove that she can handle pet ownership.

But when Ludwig goes beyond his usual sounds and imitations to spout numbers and words that seem way too complex for a parrot, Arden wonders if there's more to this bird than meets the eye.

As they get to know each other, Arden realizes Ludwig is not only super smart, he's also fiercely loyal, helping her with everything from her school presentation to her bully problems, and her pursuit of a spot on the Science Bowl team. Ludwig may not be the pet Arden wanted, but he might turn out to be exactly the pet she needed. 

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Booklist

Levy offers a well-paced, realistic story that explores bullying and its effects on the victim over a period of time, while offering fascinating information about African Grey parrots. 

Review quotes

"With well-drawn characters and an appealing first-person narrative, Levy's latest is a fine choice for middle-grade readers who prefer relatively short chapter books."

— "Booklist"
Joanne Levy

Joanne Levy is the award-winning author of a number of books for young people, including Double Trouble, Fish Out of Water and The Book of Elsie in the Orca Currents line and the middle-grade novels The Sun Will Come Out, Small Medium at Large and Sorry For Your Loss, which was nominated for the Governor General's Literary Award and won the Canadian Jewish Literature Award. She lives in Clinton, Ontario.

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781459837713
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Orca Book Publishers
Publication date
March 20, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV002190 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Pets
JUV039230 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Bullying
Library of Congress categories
Human-animal relationships
Pets
Bullying
Parrots
Middle school girls
Bullies and bullying

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