Nightbird

by Alice Hoffman Narrated by Jenna Lamia

Overview

Bestselling author Alice Hoffman's bewitching Nightbird is perfect for ages 10-13: love and friendship empower a lonely girl to embrace her uniqueness and discover her strengths.

Twig lives in Sidwell, where people whisper that fairy tales are real. After all, her town is rumored to hide a monster. And two hundred years ago, a witch placed a curse on Twig's family that was meant to last forever. But this summer, everything will change when the red moon rises. It's time to break the spell.

Editorial Reviews

The New York Times Book Review - Leigh Bardugo

Hoffman has a beautiful way of throwing open a door on possibility so that the reader begins to see magic everywhere…Sidwell seems gentler than the settings of Hoffman's works for adults, but still buzzes with charm and mystery…The world of Sidwell is one of quiet sorcery. Power can be found not just in the crackle of summer lightning but in ritualistic and common chores—the planting of a garden, the making of a proper pie crust. Hoffman reminds us that there are secrets everywhere, and in these moments of unexpected discovery, Nightbird soars.

Publishers Weekly - Audio

04/27/2015
Set in a realm where enchantment intermingles with everyday realities, Hoffman’s story centers on 12-year-old Twig Fowler, her baker mother, and her older brother, who all keep to themselves in their farmhouse in Sidwell, Mass. Twig’s mother is said to have supernatural cooking skills, but the real magic is the curse that hits the males of the Fowler family—they grow wings. Twig’s brother, James, flies at night, befriends birds, and no one in town knows he exists because the family fears their reaction. Twig remains friendless until she meets new neighbor Julia Hall and her older sister, who might be able to help reverse the spell plaguing the Fowler family. Reader Lamia has perfected the character of Twig, who sounds shy and youthful as the story unfolds. The adult characters come alive as well, each with such a distinct voice that it’s easy to forget there’s only one person performing. Between Hoffman’s lovely prose and Lamia’s terrific performance, this is a delightful audiobook that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Ages 10–up. A Random/Lamb hardcover. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

01/19/2015
Once again, Hoffman (Green Angel) works her magic to transport readers to a realm where enchantment intermingles with everyday realities. Sidwell, Mass., is famous for its apples, “so sweet people come from as far as New York City during the apple festival,” and the mysterious winged monster rumored to reside there. Twelve-year-old Twig Fowler leads an isolated existence in an ancient farmhouse with her mother, a skillful baker. The two of them rarely venture into town because no one must discover their family secret: that Twig’s older brother (whose very existence they’ve kept secret) has been afflicted with a 200-year-old curse. Twig remains friendless until she meets new neighbor Julia Hall and her older sister, who might be able to help reverse the spell plaguing the Fowler family. The book’s evocative setting and distinctive characters will immediately hook readers, and the history of Twig’s family, uncovered bit by bit, will keep them engaged. The risks Twig takes in reaching out to the Hall sisters bring gratifying rewards and unexpected connections to others in the community. Ages 10–up. Agent: Tina Wexler, ICM. (Mar.)

From the Publisher

Praise for Nightbird

“Hoffman reminds us that there are secrets everywhere . . . Nightbird soars.”
—The New York Times
 
“Alice Hoffman has a gift for melding magic and realism in a way that makes nearly anything seem possible.”
—Shelf Awareness, Starred
 
“The mix of romance and magic is irresistible.”
—Kirkus Reviews

School Library Journal

01/01/2015
Gr 4–6—A sweet, if somewhat uneven middle grade tale by beloved adult author Hoffman. Twig is the daughter of the best baker in the town of Sidwell, NY. But Twig has a secret—the town doesn't know that she has an older brother, James, hidden away because of his large black wings, a result of the curse on the men in their family. James's clandestine nighttime jaunts around Sidwell have led fractious locals to talk of hunting down "the monster" in their midst. When a new family moves into the cottage that belonged to the witch who cursed Twig's ancestor, events are set in motion that will change all of their lives forever. Hoffman juggles multiple themes: an environmental thread, with a focus on the rare owls in the woods around Twig's home; a broken family thread (Twig hasn't seen or heard from her father since she was a toddler); a friendship tale of outsiders finding each other; along with bits of romance, curses, and magic. A clever narrator, beautiful imagery, and the quirky cast of secondary characters who populate the oddball town are the bright spots in this mix of fantasy and mystery. Unfortunately, the climax ties every plot line together neatly, and the overly pat ending undercuts an otherwise sophisticated narrative. Still, the spunky protagonist, copious descriptions of mouth-watering baked goods, and terrific cover art guarantee this magical story will find an audience.—Elisabeth Gattullo Marrocolla, Darien Library, CT

FEBRUARY 2015 - AudioFile

Jenna Lamia’s performance conveys the mystery and beauty in this tale about a girl who must balance her family secret with trying to discover the monster that lives in her small town. Lamia’s portrayal of Twig is spot-on, with high tones that capture the 12-year-old’s curiosity and a softened voice and deliberate pacing that convey her ability to temper her open-mindedness with logic. Other characters are also effectively represented as Lamia’s stirring range of voices highlights their personalities and relationships with one another—especially the heartfelt bonds between Twig, her brother, and her mother. Lamia’s narration brings out the haunting qualities of the story without becoming frightening, making this a suitable and engaging listening experience for older children. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2014-12-22
There's a monster in Sidwell, Massachusetts, that can only be seen at night or, as Twig reveals, if passersby are near her house. It's her older brother, James, born with wings just like every male in the Fowler line for the last 200 years. They were cursed by the Witch of Sidwell, left brokenhearted by their forebear Lowell Fowler. Twig and James are tired of the secret and self-imposed isolation. Lonely Twig narrates, bringing the small town and its characters to life, intertwining events present and past, and describing the effects of the spell on her fractured family's daily life. Longing for some normalcy and companionship, she befriends new-neighbor Julia while James falls in love with Julia's sister, Agate—only to learn they are descendants of the Witch. James and Agate seem as star-crossed as their ancestors, especially when the townspeople attribute a spate of petty thefts and graffiti protesting the development of the woods to the monster and launch a hunt. The mix of romance and magic is irresistible and the tension, compelling. With the help of friends and through a series of self-realizations and discoveries, Twig grows more self-assured. She is certain she knows how to change the curse. In so doing, Twig not only changes James' fate, but her own, for the first time feeling the fullness of family, friends and hope for the future. Enchanting. (Magical realism. 9-12)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169293708
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	03/10/2015
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

Read an Excerpt

You can't believe everything you hear, not even in Sidwell, Massachusetts, where every person is said to tell the truth and the apples are so sweet people come from as far as New York City during the apple festival. There are rumors that a mysterious creature lives in our town. Some people insist it's a bird bigger than an eagle; others say it's a dragon, or an oversized bat that resembles a person. Certainly this being, human or animal or something in between, exists nowhere else in this world. Children whisper that we have a monster in our midst, half man, half myth, and that fairy tales are real in Berkshire County. At the Sidwell General Store and at the gas station tourists can buy T-shirts decorated with a red-eyed winged beast with visit sidwell printed underneath.

Every time I see one of these shirts in a shop, I casually drop it into the garbage bin.

In my opinion, people should be careful about the stories they tell.

All the same, whenever things go missing the monster is blamed. Weekends are the worst times for these odd thefts. Bread deliveries to the Starline Diner are several loaves short of the regular order. Clothes hanging on the line vanish. I know there's no such thing as a monster, but the thief has struck my family, as a matter of fact. One minute there were four pies sitting out on the kitchen counter to cool, and the next minute the back door was left open and one of the pies was missing. An old quilt left out on our porch disappeared one Saturday. There were no footprints on our lawn, but I did have a prickle of fear when I stood at the back door that morning, gazing into the woods. I thought I spied a solitary figure running through a thicket of trees, but it might have only been mist, rising from the ground.

No one knows who takes these things, whether pranks are being played, or someone—or something—is truly in need, or if it is the creature that everyone assumes lives within the borders of our town. People in Sidwell argue as much as people do anywhere, but everyone agrees on one thing: Our monster can only be seen at night, and then only if you are standing at your window, or walking on a lane near the orchards, or if you happen to be passing our house.



We live on Old Mountain Road, in a farmhouse that is over two hundred years old, with nooks and crannies and three brick fireplaces, all big enough for me to stand in, even though I am tall for twelve. From our front door there's a sweeping view of the woods that contain some of the oldest trees in Massachusetts. Behind us are twenty acres of apple orchards. We grow a special variety called Pink. One of my ancestors planted the first Pink apple tree in Sidwell. Some people say Johnny Appleseed himself, who introduced apple trees all over our country, presented our family with a one-of-a-kind seedling when he wandered through town on his way out west. We make Pink applesauce, Pink apple cake, and two shades of Pink apple pie, light and dark. In the summer, before we have apples, we have Pink peach berry pie, and in the late spring there is Hot-Pink strawberry rhubarb pie, made from fruit grown in the garden behind our house. Rhubarb looks like red celery; it's bitter, but when combined with strawberries it's delicious. I like the idea of something bitter and something sweet mixed together to create something incredible. Maybe that's because I come from a family in which we don't expect each other to be like anyone else. Being unusual is not unusual for the Fowlers.



My mother's piecrust is said to be the finest in New England and our Pink cider is famous all over Massachusetts. People come from as far away as Cambridge and Lowell just to try them. We bring most of our pies and cupcakes to be sold at the General Store that's run by Mr. Stern, who can sell as many as my mother can bake. I've always wished that I was more like her instead of my awkward, gawky self. As a girl my mother attended ballet lessons at Miss Ellery's Dance School in town, and she's still graceful, even when she's picking apples or hauling baskets of fruit across the lawn. But my arms and legs are too long, and I tend to stumble over my own feet. The only thing I'm good at is running. And keeping secrets. I'm excellent at that. I've had a lot of practice.

My mother has honey-colored hair that she pins up with a silver clip whenever she bakes. My hair is dark; sometimes I don't even know what color it is, a sort of blackish brown, the color of tree bark, or a night that has no stars. It gets so tangled while I'm out in the woods that this year I cut it out of frustration, just hacked at it with a pair of nail scissors, and now it is worse than ever, even though my mother says I look like a pixie. Looking like a pixie was not what I was after. I wanted to look like my mother, who everyone says was the prettiest girl in town when she was my age, and now is the most beautiful woman in the entire county.

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