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About The Someday Birds
Product Description Winner of the 2018 Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award * Two starred reviews * A New York Public Library Best Kids Book of 2017 * A Bank Street Best Children's Book of 2017 * Wisconsin Library Association CBA Outstanding Books of the Year selection * 2018-2019 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award list selection * 2018-2019 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award nominee * Young Hoosier Book Award nominee * The Someday Birds is a debut middle grade novel perfect for fans of Counting by 7s and Fish in a Tree, filled with humor, heart, and chicken nuggets. Charlie’s perfectly ordinary life has been unraveling ever since his war journalist father was injured in Afghanistan. When his father heads from California to Virginia for medical treatment, Charlie reluctantly travels cross-country with his boy-crazy sister, unruly brothers, and a mysterious new family friend. He decides that if he can spot all the birds that he and his father were hoping to see someday along the way, then everything might just turn out okay. Debut author Sally J. Pla has written a tale that is equal parts madcap road trip, coming-of-age story for an autistic boy who feels he doesn’t understand the world, and an uplifting portrait of a family overcoming a crisis. “Offering a mixture of suspense, mystery, tragedy and humor, Pla’s story captures both the literal and figurative meanings of journey.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Pla gives us a memorable hero in this lyrical and funny book.” —Shelf Awareness (starred review) From School Library Journal Gr 4–6—Charlie, 12, is fascinated by birds, a passion he shares with his dad. Charlie also has autism, which means that he prefers order and the safety of his own rituals to the wide open spaces of the world. Together, Charlie and his father make a list of "someday birds" that they want to see. But the stability of Charlie's life is disrupted when his father returns from Afghanistan with a severe brain injury. No one knows if he will recover, and Charlie and his siblings are anxious about it. It's decided that his dad will be moved across the country to Virginia for treatment. Along with a somewhat mysterious family friend/babysitter, Ludmila, the family set out from California to Virginia. Making the trip a sort of vacation, the children visit national parks and roadside wonders. Charlie makes the best of the disorganized adventure by trying to locate as many of the someday birds as possible, thinking this will please his father and speed up his recovery. Charlie is charming and lovable. He is a quiet and thoughtful boy who manages to be (in his own way) adventurous and brave. VERDICT Readers will genuinely be captivated and touched by Charlie's soft and sensitive demeanor and amused by his ponderous exploits across the country. A strong addition to most middle grade collections.—Patricia Feriano, Montgomery County Public Schools, MD Review “Sally J. Pla does a wonderful job of weaving humor and humanity into this tale of one boy’s triumph.” -- Cammie McGovern, author of JUST MY LUCK and SAY WHAT YOU WILL “Sally J. Pla’s heartwarming debut novel zings with humor, spot-on characters, and a poignant exploration of the effects of war.” -- Edith Hope Fine, author of UNDER THE LEMON MOON “A truly wonderful, unique story. This celebration of family, individuality, and nature will remind you to always be on the lookout for wonder.” -- Wendy Mass, New York Times best-selling author of THE CANDYMAKERS “Achingly real...Charlie’s unique voice and his quest to understand the world around him will resonate with readers dealing with their own pain. Hopeful, authentic, and oddly endearing.” -- Kirkus Reviews ★ “Offering a mixture of suspense, mystery, tragedy and humor, Pla’s story captures both the literal and figurative meanings of journey.” -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A delight from beginning to end.” -- Booklist “Readers will genuinely be captivated and touched by Charlie’s sof
