A Bird Will Soar

A heartfelt debut about a bird-obsessed boy whose own family's unusual nest is in danger of falling apart and the lengths he goes to bring his loved ones back together again. Axel would like to be an eagle, his favorite bird. Nobody tells an eagle what to do or makes them behave like conformist pigeons, the bird Axel's mother seems to want. She tests Axel on his social-skills and worries whenever he wanders beyond the barn next door. Still, he knows his mother is an osprey deep down--they're the finest mothers of all the birds. His dad, Frank, is a wild turkey who ran off five months ago and hasn't shown up for weekend visits since. Axel doesn't understand his father's absence, but he busies himself reading the Encyclopedia of Birds and observing the eagle's nest in the nearby woods. When a tornado hits, seriously damaging Axel's house, Frank reappears to help with repairs. Axel isn't happy about Frank's reappearance and he doesn't understand why his mom insists Axel give Frank a chance. Then Axel learns that his dad's absence is more complicated than he was told, and that sometimes even an osprey mom can keep big, difficult secrets. Axel is going to have to be eagle-brave to face the truth and help his family heal.