The Someday Birds

By Sally J. Pla, Julie McLaughlin (Illustrator)

A boy's cross-country journey to spot birds may heal his fractured family.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 3,264 ratings

327 pages· 62,765 words· Est. 7 hour read

$16.99Save 6%

In stock. Also at Amazon.

Bookroo's summary

Charlie's life unravels after his father is injured in Afghanistan. On a cross-country trip with his siblings and a mysterious friend, Charlie believes spotting birds he and his father dreamed of will mend their world. As they journey from California to Virginia, Charlie, an autistic boy, navigates family chaos and self-discovery. Will this madcap adventure bring healing and understanding, or will it reveal deeper truths about family and resilience? Join Charlie in a tale of humor, heart, and hope as he seeks solace in the skies.

From the publisher

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)

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