Blue Birds

Blue Birds
Age Range
10+
Release Date
March 10, 2015
ISBN
978-0-399-16810-9
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It’s 1587 and twelve-year-old Alis has made the long journey with her parents from England to help settle the New World, the land christened Virginia in honor of the Queen. And Alis couldn’t be happier. While the streets of London were crowded and dirty, this new land, with its trees and birds and sky, calls to Alis. Here she feels free. But the land, the island Roanoke, is also inhabited by the Roanoke tribe and tensions between them and the English are running high, soon turning deadly. Amid the strife, Alis meets and befriends Kimi, a Roanoke girl about her age. Though the two don’t even speak the same language, these girls form a special bond as close as sisters, willing to risk everything for the other. Finally, Alis must make an impossible choice when her family resolves to leave the island and bloodshed behind. A beautiful, tender story of friendship and the meaning of family, Caroline Starr Rose delivers another historical gem.

It’s 1587 and twelve-year-old Alis has made the long journey with her parents from England to help settle the New World, the land christened Virginia in honor of the Queen. And Alis couldn’t be happier. While the streets of London were crowded and dirty, this new land, with its trees and birds and sky, calls to Alis. Here she feels free. But the land, the island Roanoke, is also inhabited by the Roanoke tribe and tensions between them and the English are running high, soon turning deadly. Amid the strife, Alis meets and befriends Kimi, a Roanoke girl about her age. Though the two don’t even speak the same language, these girls form a special bond as close as sisters, willing to risk everything for the other. Finally, Alis must make an impossible choice when her family resolves to leave the island and bloodshed behind. A beautiful, tender story of friendship and the meaning of family, Caroline Starr Rose delivers another historical gem.

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A Timely Tale from the Past
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I've recently read I Am Malala and I've been inspired by her fight to empower and educate girls around the world. So, it was a delightful surprise to read Blue Birds and find the same powerful message of worth and strength woven into this moving piece of historical fiction.

I have always been fascinated by the lost colony of Roanoke and could not wait to read this book because of it. I was not disappointed. I learned so much interesting information from both the story and the author's note. Caroline Starr Rose painted a vivid picture of the devastation of miscommunication--which is such a timely topic as we do our best to navigate terrorism and the plight of refugees. But she also wove an intricate story that is a testament to the power of friendship, kindness and bravery. Blue Birds will be a tool in the struggle to prevent the worst of our history from repeating itself. A wonderful book that should remain in the hands of readers for a very long time.
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