The Desperate Adventures of Zeno & Alya

By Jane Kelley

A sick girl and a parrot find hope and friendship against life's storms.

5.3/7 Bookroo expert·4.0/5 Goodreads · 261 ratings

208 pages· 37,309 words· Est. 5 hour read

$15.99Save 6%

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Bookroo's summary

A sick girl, lost in despair, meets an orphaned parrot who knows 127 words. Their unexpected bond, sparked by a banana nut muffin, leads them on a journey through life's storms. Can their friendship bring healing and hope, or will they lose their way? Discover a tale of resilience and the power of connection.

From the publisher

A desperately ill girl and an orphaned African gray parrot find friendship, security and healing when they are inadvertently joined by fate. By the author of The Girl Behind the Glass.

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 208
Words: 37,309
Reading age: 8–12
Audience: Middle Grade
Lexile: 520L

Themes & topics

Books about perseverance Books about home Books about death, grief, and bereavement Books about social themes Books about death

For the grown-ups

The parent guide

What families may want to know

Every family reads differently. These are the concepts our editors noticed in this book — worth seeking out for some readers, worth knowing about for others. The list isn't exhaustive, but it's a spoiler-light head start.

Serious Subject Matter

Alya has leukemia and this story talks about her symptoms and feelings. She improves throughout the story.

After the last page

Talk about it together

Zeno has a few instances where he isn’t treated so well as a pet, and other times when he’s treated fantastically. You might want to have a discussion about pet and animal treatment with your child.

Ask your child how different characters helped one another by focusing on someone besides themselves (Zeno helps Alya, Alya’s brother helps her, Alya helps Zeno) and encourage them to find a way to help someone today.

What readers & critics say