Parents' Guide to

Birdie and Me

Birdie and Me Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Mary Eisenhart By Mary Eisenhart , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 10+

Intense story of orphans' search for family, acceptance.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 10+?

Any Positive Content?

Green Eggs and Ham</em></a>, <em><a href=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/"/movie-reviews/breakfast-at-tiffanys">Breakfast at Tiffany's</a></em>, and the moment when the kids' uncle calls a school teacher "Nurse Ratched" (from <a href=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/"/book-reviews/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest">One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest</em></a>). A school project involves the poet Elizabeth Bishop. Birdie loves fashion design and is thrilled with a library book about <a href=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/"/search/Alexander McQueen">Alexander McQueen</a>. One of Jack's school friends is obsessed with U.S. presidents, their families, and their pets. In a disastrous episode, Jack knows that you shouldn't put water on a grease fire, but her uncle doesn't and everything burns.</p> ">

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There's a lot happening in this tale of two orphans trying to make their way in a world of deeply flawed, usually well-meaning, people in the wake of their loving but mentally unstable mom's death. Nine-year-old Birdie gets unwelcome attention because he favors sparkly clothes and purple makeup, and his 12-year-old sister, Jack, is his main protector. Their emotions and vulnerability as they navigate what's often been a volatile, senseless world in search of family and stability, plus the sympathetic adults and wisecracking kids who help, make Birdie and Me a relatable, thought-provoking read that's sometimes as overwhelming to the reader as it is to the characters. Here, the kids remember their mom and their life with her:

"'I hated it when she got upset. Because then she'd disappear and it didn't matter how many times it happened, I always wondered if she'd come out of her room again.'

"'She always came out, though,' says Birdie. 'And you always made really good grilled cheese and ramen and bean burritos when she was hiding in her room.'

"'But I didn't want to do that, Birdie. I wanted her to do that. I always wanted her not to disappear.'

"'I know,' he says. 'Me too.'"

Book Details

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