Bird Boy - Catherine Bruton

Will has just lost his mother and whilst trying to deal with his grief, he also has to deal with the fact that he is now alone in the world and is having to move from the city to the Lake District to live with an uncle he's never met. 

Whilst there, his uncle sends him to Nature Camp where he meets Omar, a refugee from Afghanistan. A victim of the war, he is here alone, waiting for his dad and his aunties to join him. Together they discover an ospreys' nest; they know to leave it alone, but when Will realises one of the birds has fallen from the nest and is sick, he feels compelled to intervene. He tells Omar but the pair decide to keep it a secret: Ospreys are protected species and neither of them want to be arrested for handling the bird.  But are they able to keep the bird safe and will the bird help Will come to terms with the death of his mother?

Grief is explored wonderfully and sensitively in this book.  Will's grief for his mum and his coping strategies are clear to see, but it's also evident that he's blocking some things out.  This information is drip fed into the plot through the course of the book and helps readers to understand the full extent of what Will has been dealing with.  Emotional and heart-breaking, the book shows readers that it's ok to grieve and that it can effect people in different ways.  

Relationships are also explored: Will and Omar meet each other when they need each other the most.  Kindred spirits, they are both grieving in some way and bond over birds - it's beautiful and heart-warming to read the friendship that builds.  The relationship between Will and his Uncle Ian is also wonderful to read.  Awkward at first (they don't know each other and are meeting in the worst of circumstances, and are thrown together on a temporary basis until Will heads to Australia to live with his paternal grandparents), but the bond grows as the relationship builds and you see how much Ian cares for Will and is also grieving.  

Bird Boy is a gentle read but powerful in the messages it shares.  Full of empathy, hope and the power of nature to help us heal, this is a story that will break and warm your heart in equal measure.