Her name was Rype.
That wasn’t really her name. It was what the strangers called her. She didn’t remember her real name.
She didn’t remember anything at all.
Rype was hiding in the hollow of a tree trunk when they found her. She was hungry, small, cold, alone. She did not speak their language, or understand their mannerisms. But she knew this: To survive, she would have to go with them.
In fourteenth-century Norway, the plague has destroyed the entire village of Skeviga. To stay alive, Rype, the only one left, must embark on a sweeping adventure across Europe with the son of an English ship captain and a band of troubadours in search of a brighter future and a new home.
Zahler unflinchingly depicts a world in chaos due to disease, drawing contemporary parallels and thoughtfully highlighting issues of power structures, collective trauma, and remembrance. – Publishers Weekly, starred review
VERDICT: A great addition to any middle grade historical fiction collection. – School Library Journal, starred review
“Exciting, touching, and compelling, Wild Bird celebrates the important things in life: courage, persistence, friendship, and love. It’s something special. Don’t miss it.” – Karen Cushman, Newbery Award-winning author of The Midwife’s Apprentice
“Survival against the odds. Ruffians and royalty. Pious folk and knaves. The Sickness of Europe in the 1300s rings relevant to today’s readers, as we travel with an orphaned girl through so many losses, and witness her transform them to comfort, joy, even laughter through the truth of song. A quick-paced treasure.” – Donna Jo Napoli, author of In a Flash
“Wild Bird is a portrait of the past, with so much to teach us about ourselves and our own difficult moment in history. Riddled with heartache, but full of vibrant life, Rype’s journey will stun you. I came away from this powerful book with tears in my eyes and a little more hope for the future. A deeply moving tribute to the power of art and memory.” – Laurel Snyder, author of My Jasper June and National Book Award longlist Orphan Island
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
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