With Just One Wing

February 15, 2024
Grades 3-5 As an infant, Coop was left in a designated "Safe Haven" at the hospital and adopted the following day by his parents, Willow and Thelonious Garnette. Occasionally he fields awkward questions about inheriting their musical talents, and sometimes he wonders why his mother abandoned him. While recovering from a serious accident, 11-year-old Coop spends his summer watching birds in his grandparents' yard. Drawn to a young mockingbird that was born with one wing and is unable to fly, he names it Hop, nurtures it, and becomes very protective of it. When he makes a painful decision to take Hop to a bird sanctuary, he likens his emotions to his birth mother's when leaving him at the hospital. Woods, whose The Red Rose Box (2002) was a Coretta Scott King Honor Book, writes Coop's first-person narrative with simplicity and directness, whether detailing the observations of an increasingly avid bird-watcher or his reflections as he balances his personal longing to keeping Hop with his realization that Hop will be happier elsewhere. A warm, accessible family story with credible conflicts and satisfying resolutions.

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February 26, 2024
During a “summer of curveballs,” an adopted boy draws parallels between his own life and that of the injured, abandoned bird he rescues in this emotionally grounded tale of family, love, and perseverance by Woods (When Winter Robeson Came). Twelve-year-old Coop is ready to spend summer break playing video games at G-Pop and Nana’s house and scoring three-pointers for his youth league basketball team. But G-Pop’s newfound enthusiasm for bird-watching gets Coop and his friend Zandi hooked on the hobby. Things take a literal dive when Coop suffers a concussion and broken arm after falling out of a tree while investigating mockingbird eggs in a nest. After discovering that one of the nestlings has only one wing, Coop and Zandi rescue it and educate themselves about its care and behavior. They also learn that they can’t legally keep the chick, leading Coop to realizations of his own. Woods presents Coop’s ponderings about his birth mother, and how he fits into his adoptive family, with tenderness and sincerity in this smoothly plotted story that captures the fine-tuned rhythms of Coop’s busy, engaged, and musical family. Characters read as racially diverse. Ages 10–up.

May 15, 2024
A boy's summer takes an unexpected turn, leading him to discover a new passion. Cooper Garnett, who's almost 12, is planning to have the best summer ever, playing basketball and learning to golf with his grandfather. But his hopes are dashed after he falls out of a tree while trying to touch the eggs in a mockingbird nest, breaking his arm and giving himself a concussion. While recuperating, he spends time at his grandparents' house. As Coop, his grandparents, and his friend Zandi watch the hatchlings venture out of the nest, they notice that one is different--it has only one wing. After Coop and Zandi learn that the little mockingbird likely won't survive to adulthood on its own, they decide to rescue it and keep it safe. Through caring for the bird, named Hop, Coop comes to realize that loving someone sometimes means making hard choices. Woods uses simple, conversational language to bring the briskly paced story to life. Drawing parallels between Coop's complicated emotions around his adoption and his feelings toward the rescued bird, she makes a complex topic feel accessible while also illustrating what it truly means to love and protect. Though Coop and his grandfather are well developed, other characters fall a bit flat. The use of names and language cue characters as Black. A heartfelt tale that intertwines a young boy's personal journey with his love of nature. (Fiction. 10-13)

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Starred review from December 13, 2024

Gr 2-6-Twelve-year-old narrator Coop Garnette is adopted. Coop spends a lot of time with G-Pop who has retired from the Los Angeles Philharmonic. G-Pop watches the birds from his back porch; Coop and Zandi, a girl from the neighborhood, have also started watching the birds. When Coop sees a mama bird sitting on her nest, he wonders about his birth mother. A fledgling who gets left behind turns out to only have one wing, leading Coop and Zandi to cooperatively care for their new friend Hop. Throughout this wonderful story, Coop has several moments where he connects his life to the birds. Although birdwatching may be a leisurely pursuit, the story is very fast-paced. Coop makes several impetuous decisions that don't always end up how he imagines, and readers will be turning the pages quickly to see what happens. Regardless of whether readers are adopted or know someone who is, the story sings as an absorbing tale of a young boy who goes off course at times, but with his family's love and support, comes out just fine on the other side. VERDICT Fabulous characters and an excellent plot hook readers from the start and keep them reading. Highly recommended for all libraries.-Laura Fields Eason

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