THE HUNT FOR THE NIGHTINGALE
Jasper, a 9-year-old with severe anxiety, used to watch birds with his older sister, Rosie. They kept their own journal of bird facts and looked out for the nightingale’s annual visit. Their hobby offered a calming escape from their tension-filled home lives, with financially struggling parents who were constantly working. Rosie promised to return home from university in the spring, in time to hunt for the nightingale with Jasper—but she never arrived. Dad said she’d “gone to a Better Place,” and Jasper decides that if she isn’t with him, “her Better Place must be with the nightingale.” He packs a bag, leaves a note, and sets off by bus to find them. Along the way, Jasper helps others find their lost things, and each person he meets guides him toward understanding grief and loss. Jasper’s recollection of important memories of Rosie helps him come to terms with her death and emboldens him to communicate to his parents his frustration with their emotional neglect. Jasper’s first-person point of view is punctuated by expressive illustrations of birds, bird facts, and excerpts from the siblings’ bird journal. The bird information foreshadows parts of the story and symbolically represents Rosie’s ongoing presence. The mental health subplot will speak to many readers. Jasper reads white; names cue ethnic diversity in the supporting cast.
