Barbara's Reviews > Bird Nerd

Fifth grader Nyla Braun is used to be considered a nerd by her classmates. She has interests that are different from most of theirs and is eager to answer her teacher's questions. She's pretty comfortable with this, but sometimes, just sometimes, she wishes that she was more popular or that the things in which she excels were more valued. When her class participates in a birding tournament with a class from the suburbs, she sees it as a possible path to popularity. But her desire to fit in and be accepted clashes with her loyalty to her best friend Tasha when popular Portia extends a different invitation. Tension between the girls increases, and they hardly speak at all even while Nyla becomes increasingly involved in preparing for the competition. There are so many aspects of this story that make it pleasurable to read: Nyla's relationship with her grandfather, her passion for birding, and the details about birdwatching that are woven into the central narrative. Nyla's journey of self-discovery with its ups and downs, is authentic and relatable, and this book's unique focus on birding, nestled within elements of social and class differences, provides additional layers to the story that make it worth reading. This debut novel is a 3.5 for me, and I enjoyed this glimpse in Nyla's world in Philadelphia.