Hummingbird

by Natalie Lloyd (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

From the bestselling author of A Snicker of Magic comes a heartfelt story about a girl who -- armed with her trusty, snazzy wheelchair -- refuses to let her brittle bone disease stand in the way of adventure.

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 . . .

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Kirkus

A spirited tale of self-belief.

ALA/Booklist

Starred Review
With eccentric family members, a distinctive setting, and a supernatural element that is strangely believable within this otherwise realistic story, there's a lot to love here. 

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

Lloyd (Over the Moon) puts character development center stage as a sixth grader who uses a wheelchair enters the spotlight thanks to a school play and small-town magic. After years of being homeschooled due to her osteogenesis imperfecta, 11-year-old birder Olive Martin enrolls in a Tennessee middle school to meet her "future BFF" and prove that she's "more/ than bones and wheels/ and breakable parts." Learning of her brittle bones, classmates initially treat Olive "like a stick of dynamite." When she subsequently hears about a rare hummingbird that grants wishes to seekers who decipher its riddle, an uncomfortable new desire surfaces: "bones like steel." Teaming up with entrepreneurial classmate Grace Cho, Olive races to crack the riddle while wrestling with thorny self-image questions--soon realizing that other classmates also have "a wish tucked deep in soul." Olive's sparkly personality roars to life through assured first-person narration, metaphors rooted in the natural world, and simple yet piercing free verse that distills her self-revelations. An author's note acknowledges the diversity of disability experiences ("as unique as that individual's heart or fingerprints") and connects Lloyd's lived experiences to Olive's candid emotional arc. Protagonists cue as white; secondary characters represent multiple skin tones, ethnicities, and conditions. Ages 8-12. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary. (Aug.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 5-8—In her latest novel, Lloyd calls on personal experiences to create a realistic and magical adventure for middle grade readers. Twelve-year-old Olive has been homeschooled her entire life. She has osteogenesis imperfecta (also known as brittle bone disease) and uses a wheelchair, and her mother has always feared for her to leave the nest—but Olive is determined to go to public school and make a friend. When her mother relents and Olive starts public school for the first time, she must deal with so much more than she bargained for. Then she hears about a magical hummingbird that grants wishes, and it seems like finding this creature will be the answer to all her problems. With a few new companions along the way, Olive tries to discover the secrets of the hummingbird. This is an uplifting story for readers who enjoy realistic settings with magical threads. Olive is developed beautifully as a main character, giving older elementary and middle school readers plenty to relate to and love. The authentic voice that Lloyd crafts in Olive shines throughout the book. VERDICT A must-have for any elementary school or middle school library, this magical and heartening novel will keep readers engaged until the end. A perfect fit for fans of realistic fiction and fantasy alike.—Elizabeth Pelayo

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for Hummingbird:

The energetic first-person narration, interspersed with Olive's thoughts in free verse, is full of bold personality... Her grappling with fears and bold dreams offers a rare depiction of physical disability that is allowed to be both complicated and empowering. — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Over the Moon:

* Strong themes of friendship and loyalty drive Lloyd's story, which soars under Mallie's heroic lead. Her fiery and bighearted nature pierce the Dust and deceit covering Coal Top, and her physical disability never holds her back. Rather, she bravely proves that questions have power and one's story can be reshaped. — Booklist, starred review

Praise for A Snicker of Magic:

* This tale offers all [the] earmarks of fine storytelling, including colorful, eccentric characters, an original, highly likable narrator and a mighty 'spindiddly' plot. — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* From every angle, Lloyd's first novel sparkles and radiates warmth . . . Working in the folksy vein of Ingrid Law's Savvy, Lloyd offers a reassuring, homespun story about self-expression and the magic that resides in one's mind and heart. — Publishers Weekly, starred review

* A delightful and inspiring debut... Mibs Beaumont and her magically gifted clan from Ingrid Law's SAVVY would feel right at home here. As Felicity loves to say, 'Yes...yes...yes!' — School Library Journal, starred review

Natalie Lloyd
Natalie Lloyd lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She collects old books, listens to bluegrass music, and loves exploring quirky mountain towns with her dog, Biscuit. She is the author of A Snicker of Magic and The Key to Extraordinary.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781338654585
Lexile Measure
610
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
N/A
Publication date
August 02, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV015020 - Juvenile Fiction | Health & Daily Living | Diseases, Illnesses & Injuries
JUV035000 - Juvenile Fiction | School & Education
JUV039150 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Special Needs
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Families
Family life
Schools
Tennessee
Children with disabilities
People with disabilities
Middle schools
Hummingbirds
Wishes
Osteogenesis imperfecta
Brittle bone disease

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