Crystal Chan

Bird Crystal Chan

Marc Notes: Twelve-year-old Jewel was born on the day her brother Bird died and lives in a house of silence and secrets, but a new boy in her Iowa town may help find the answers Jewel wants despite her Jamaican grandfather's warning that he is a duppy, a malevolent spirit.; Ages 8-12. Publisher Marketing: Entrenched secrets, mysterious spirits, and an astonishing friendship weave together in this extraordinary and haunting debut. "Nothing matters. Only Bird matters. And he flew away." Jewel never knew her brother Bird, but all her life she has lived in his shadow. Her parents blame Grandpa for the tragedy of their family's past; they say that Grandpa attracted a malevolent spirit--a duppy--into their home. Grandpa hasn't spoken a word since. Now Jewel is twelve, and she lives in a house full of secrets and impenetrable silence. Jewel is sure that no one will ever love her like they loved Bird, until the night that she meets a mysterious boy in a tree. Grandpa is convinced that the boy is a duppy, but Jewel knows that he is something more. And that maybe--just maybe--the time has come to break through the stagnant silence of the past. Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 11/15/2013 (EAN 9781442450899, Hardcover) Booklist 12/01/2013 pg. 66 (EAN 9781442450899, Hardcover) School Library Journal 01/01/2014 pg. 79 (EAN 9781442450899, Hardcover) Publishers Weekly 01/27/2014 (EAN 9781442450899, Hardcover) Shelf Awareness 02/21/2014 (EAN 9781442450899, Hardcover) Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 03/01/2014 (EAN 9781442450899, Hardcover) Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2014 pg. 69 (EAN 9781442450899, Hardcover) Publishers Weekly 02/24/2014 (EAN 9780804167741, Compact Disc) School Library Journal 05/01/2014 pg. 64 (EAN 9780804167765, Compact Disc) Contributor Bio:  Chan, Crystal Crystal Chan grew up as a mixed-race kid in the middle of the Wisconsin cornfields and has been trying to find her place in the world ever since. She has published articles in several magazines; given talks and workshops across the country; facilitated discussion groups at national conferences; and been a professional storyteller for children and adults alike. In Chicago, where Crystal now lives, you will find her biking along the city streets and talking to her pet turtle. "Bird" is her first novel.