Wings

Winner of the 2006 ASPCA Henry Bergh Children’s Book Award in Fiction

The 2006 Golden Kite Award Honor Book for Fiction

“Wings joins the ranks of My Side of the Mountain, Rascal, and other wonderful tales of boys and their wild animal pals.  A testament to the fact that growing up may sometimes be tough, but in the end, spreading your wings is both inevitable and glorious.”

   —The Christian Science Monitor

“Alight with visual detail.  Loss settles on the page with a longing that only time can heal, and that only a top-notch writer can create.”

   —Kirkus

About the Book

At first it looks like a small gray ball of fluff, its head a cloud of frizzy feathers, fine as dandelion seeds. The baby bird isn’t even strong enough to spread its wings, but ten-year-old Nick is determined to save it.  Together with his best friend, he coaxes the wild bird he names Marcy to eat worms and take rides on their fingers.  Then he watches, amazed, as she finally opens her wings – and flies!  As Marcy grows, so does Nick – forced to make some hard choices about friends and family.  And for the first time he dares to ask questions about the death of his soldier father.  But other questions loom in the air: Will Marcy try to fly away? And will Nick be able to let her go?

Beautifully rendered drawings capture the poignancy and joy of this unforgettable story about growing up, loving, and letting go.

More Praise for Wings

“A touching, well-wrought tale."

   —The Horn Book

“Realistic and tender.”

   —School Library Journal

“The story is solid, the writing unobtrusively thoughtful, and the book is broadly accessible.  Compelling.”

   —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Poignant.”

   —Publishers Weekly

“This beautiful story of a boy and a baby mockingbird captures the amazing mystery of attachment and love…Simple and spare and full of wisdom, it’s that kind of wonder of a book.”

   —Susan Shreve

“I’ve just finished reading Wings, and have tears in my eyes and a fully opened heart.  It’s a wonderful book, one of those stories that will stay with readers and touch their lives for a long, long time."

   —Reeve Lindbergh

 

More Honors for Wings

  • A Christian Science Monitor Notable Children’s Book for 2006.

  • A USA TODAY Best Children’s Book of 2006.

  • Barnes & Noble “Best of” List for Children’s Literature, 2006

  • New York Public Library Children’s Books 2006,
    100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

  • William Allen White Award Master List