  | Wild bird Author: Van Draanen, Wendelin | |
| Price: $6.50 | ||
Summary:
A remarkable portrait of a girl who has hit rock bottom, but begins a climb back to herself at a wilderness survival camp in the desert.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: UG Reading Level: 4.40 Points: 10.0 Quiz: 191834 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 9-12 Reading Level: 6.20 Points: 17.0 Quiz: 72467 | |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (06/15/17)
Booklist (08/01/17)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/09/17)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 07/01/2017 Gr 8 Up—Fourteen-year-old Wren Clemmens is awakened by cops at 3:47 a.m. and forcibly delivered to a wilderness therapy program in the southern Utah desert. It's no surprise that she is filled with anger, bitterness, and resentment—at her parents, her tattle-tale older sister, and the world. Wren had become caught in a downward spiral of drinking, drug abuse, and shoplifting, and her parents found themselves without other options. Now Wren is forced to confront the unforgiving elements and the stark results of her actions. Gradually, however, she lets down her defenses and learns who she wants to be. This is a strikingly raw and emotional story about making poor choices, facing the agonizing consequences, and ultimately experiencing the joy of getting a second chance. This first-person narrative perfectly captures Wren's cynical yet vulnerable teen voice. The protagonist's transformation is slow but realistic. Flashbacks flow naturally through the book, eventually revealing how Wren arrived at this point. The author deals with some heavy issues but never crosses the line into sensationalism. VERDICT A hopeful novel that demonstrates that people can change. Give to readers who enjoy survivalist tales.—Tim Wadham, Children's Literature Consultant, Puyallup, WA - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 08/01/2017 Loneliness, a bad crowd, and a downward spiral led 14-year-old Wren to this: while on a midnight bender, she’s dragged to the airport and shipped off. Wren’s parents, concerned for both Wren’s health and safety and their own, have sent her to a wilderness therapy camp. Angry and resistant, Wren has no intention of learning how to find water or build a fire, until it becomes apparent that, out here, those skills are essential. Despite herself, Wren is slowly won over by the harsh beauty of the Utah desert and by her fellow campers. The story alternates between Wren’s experiences in the desert and her flashbacks to the decisions—and friends—that led her there. Van Draanen, always versatile, frankly tackles teen drug use and recovery in a book that’s less gritty, and often less bleak, than an Ellen Hopkins novel. Ultimately, everything comes together a bit neatly, but for readers who have come to root for Wren—an out-of-control girl who learns to ask for help—that’s not such a bad thing. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.
