With Just One Wing [Paperback]

Coretta Scott King Honor winner Brenda Woods’s poignant, heartfelt story of an adopted boy and the bird he rescues

Everyone expects Coop to be musical like his beloved parents, but he’s not. That’s one of the few things he finds awkward about being adopted—well, that and the fact that he sometimes wonders why his birth mother didn’t love him enough to keep him. This summer, he’s stuck at home with a broken arm after falling out of a tree trying to get a closer peek at a mockingbird nest. After the eggs in the nest hatch and the fledglings fly away, he and his friend Zandi notice that one of them stays behind. Taking a closer look, they realize the bird only has one wing. Since it won’t survive in the wild, they adopt it and name it Hop, and then learn everything they can about birds so they can care for Hop properly. Unfortunately, when a hawk injures Hop, the vet says it’s illegal to keep mockingbirds as pets. Faced with a difficult decision about surrendering his beloved little bird to a bird sanctuary, Coop starts thinking about his birth mother’s motivation in a new light.* “Throughout this wonderful story, Coop has several moments where he connects his life to the birds. Although bird-watching may be a leisurely pursuit, the story is very fast-paced. Coop makes several impetuous decisions that don’t always end up how he imagines, and readers will be turning the pages quickly to see what happens. Regardless of whether readers are adopted or know someone who is, the story sings as an absorbing tale of a young boy who goes off course at times, but with his family’s love and support, comes out just fine on the other side. Fabulous characters and an excellent plot hook readers from the start and keep them reading. Highly recommended for all libraries.” —School LiblÓ3