| “Whispers
of a monster, half man, half myth and fairy tales are real
in Berkshire County”
–Nightbird
Teresa
(Twig) lives in Sidwell, Massachusetts, with her mother and
her brother, James. Twig’s mother, Sophee Fowler, avoids
people. Sophee thinks her family should “live in the
corner of everyday life.” The locals think Sophee is
pretty but sad. Twig’s family lives on a 200-year-old
farm family. They own an apple orchard that produces pink
apples. There is a rumor their family was cursed by a witch.
Twig
is the narrator of Nightbird. She sets up a tale
of mystery when she reveals items are vanishing, someone is
spray-painting property, and there are rumors of a mysterious
creature living in their town. It’s bigger than an eagle,
oversized dragon, or maybe an oversized bat. Twig then becomes
part of the cast as we read about her everyday life, how she
interacts with her family and townsfolk, and becomes friends
with her new neighbor Julie. Julie is a relative of the witch
who cursed Twig’s family 200 years ago. The narrative
takes on a foreboding tone, which keeps the pages turning,
because we have to find out what’s really going on.
Twig has a kind outlook of the townsfolk and eventually helps
to unravel the mysteries haunting their county.
Nightbird
is a magical read full of kind people. It’s one of those
youthful tales destined to stay with young readers as they
age. It’s a story of mystery, loneliness, and friendship
as Twig and the town of Sidwell experience something that
frees them all. Nightbird is about summer and growing
up, which makes it the perfect summer read. Nightbird
is a mild fantasy -- there is no a heavy emotion or violence
in the storyline -- so parents can rest easy.
|
