HUMMINGBIRD, by Natalie Lloyd, Scholastic Press, Aug. 2, 2022, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 8-12)
Hummingbird, by Natalie Lloyd, follows a girl who won’t let her bone disease get in the way of accomplishing her dreams.
Twelve-year-old homeschooled Olive is tired of being seen as “fragile” just because she has osteogenesis imperfecta (otherwise known as brittle bone disease) so she’s thrilled when she finally convinces her parents to let her attend Macklemore Elementary. Olive can’t wait to go to a traditional school and make the friends she’s always longed for, until a disastrous first day dashes her hopes of ever fitting in.
Then Olive hears whispers about a magical, wish-granting hummingbird that supposedly lives near Macklemore. It’ll be the solution to all her problems! If she can find the bird and prove herself worthy, the creature will make her most desperate, secret wish come true.
When it becomes clear that she can’t solve the mystery on her own, Olive teams up with some unlikely allies who help her learn the truth about the bird. And on the way, she just might learn that our fragile places lead us to the most wonderful magic of all . . . —Synopsis provided by Scholastic Press
Hummingbird is magical realism at its best. Author Natalie Lloyd introduces magic into her settings that feel real. Of course, a hummingbird grants wishes. How could it not?
But it’s not just the themes that make this book magic. It’s Lloyd’s use of first-person prose mixed with Olive’s free-verse thoughts that truly take it over the top.
Despite its magical nuances, Hummingbird is grounded in reality. Lloyd draws on her own experiences with osteogenesis imperfecta — she used a wheelchair or walker until seventh grade. Because of this, the book rings with authenticity.
Hummingbird is a fantastic read. Olive is the character you want to succeed, and her supporting cast of characters add yet another layer to this fast-moving book. It’s one of my favorite middle-grade novels of 2022.
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