Bird

Title: Bird

Author: Zetta Elliott

Illustrator: Shadra Strickland 

Genre Study - Mixed Genre

Have you ever wished that you could erase something from your life? A person? A memory? Or maybe, a part of yourself? That is what young Mehkai (A.K.A. “Bird”) loves to draw; he can erase anything that doesn’t seem right. Unfortunately, we all know that life doesn’t work that way. We can’t simply erase the parts of it that we don’t like and neither can Bird; however, we can find solace in our hobbies and that is just what Bird does when his life begins to fall apart. Between his brother’s drug addiction and the death of his grandpa, the poor little boy has a lot on his plate. This is something that I am sure everyone can relate to at one point in their life or another which is what makes the story so powerful, and why I myself found it to be so incredibly moving. 

The age level for this book is a tough call. Though the text and sentence structure are fairly simple – the topics are complex and may be too much for younger readers to understand particularly if they live in more sheltered environments. I would worry about the subject-matter of this book with younger children and the way their parents may react if it was something used in the classroom. Nevertheless, as I stated before, the story is very moving and is written so very well. It will certainly find its way into my own collection someday. In the end, though it may not be a story to share with all, the relatability of this story is undeniable and something that I feel many students would find comfort in. I would recommend it to any student who was dealing with similar struggles or any older student who was looking for an inspiring read.