The Secret Language of Birds

By Lynne Kelly

A girl discovers mysterious birds at camp, sparking a quest for answers.

4.1/5 Goodreads · 1,248 ratings

240 pages

$17.99Save 6%

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Bookroo's summary

Nina, feeling out of place at summer camp, stumbles upon a pair of rare birds nesting in the marsh. These whooping cranes haven't been seen in Texas for a century. Reporting her find leads to more questions, as experts can't identify one of the birds. With fellow campers, Nina embarks on a journey to uncover the bird's origins. As she delves deeper, will she also find where she truly belongs?

From the publisher

From the award-winning author of Song for a Whale comes a poignant and heartwarming tale about a girl who discovers a pair of endangered birds about to lay eggs in the marshes of her summer camp…and the secret plan she hatches to help them. Nina is used to feeling like the odd one out, both at school and in her large family. But while trying to fit in at summer camp, she discovers something even more peculiar: two majestic birds have built a nest in the marsh behind an abandoned infirmary. They appear to be whooping cranes, but that’s impossible–Nina is an amateur bird-watcher, and all her resources tell her that those rare birds haven’t nested in Texas for over a hundred years. When Nina reports the sighting to wildlife officials, more questions arise. Experts track all the endangered birds, but they can’t identify the female bird that Nina found. Who is she, and where did she come from? With the help of some fellow campers, Nina sets out to discover who the mystery bird really is. As she gets closer to the truth, will she find a flock of her own? This instant classic from award-winning author Lynne Kelly captures the coming-of-age moment of learning to spread your wings in a way you’ll never forget.

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