Nina is the middle child in a house with five children. On a stop to Bucky's (a Texas roadside convenience store and gas station) she follows the call of a Mocking Bird, gets left behind, and starts a passion for birding. This passion leads her to a visit to her Aunt Audrey's for part of the summer. Audrey is the director of an outdoors camp for girls. There Nina makes new friends and discovers a once in a lifetime bird sighting. Can her enthusiasm get her in trouble or can it be what saves her and helps her to discover herself? Such a hopeful story about self discovery, bird discovery and finding your flock!

Our POV is Nina, thirteen, a tough year even when a person doesn't feel like the odd one in the middle of a boisterous family and at a boisterous school.
Nina tends to obsess about odd things, or what others consider odd. Her mother, in a desperate attempt to corral all that bursting emotion, manages Nina's life, and sends her to the summer camp run by her aunt, though promising she can return at once if she doesn't like it.

When Nina discovers a Cause in a nest of rare whooping cranes, and some actual friends, the story just soars. I just loved this tale--the heart, the observations, the care about animals. I wish this book had been around when I was an oddball Nina's age.

A must for those middle-school readers in a desperate search for someone like themselves.

This companion book to Song for a Whale highlights the whooping crane. Specifically a pair of whooping cranes who are in a part of Texas where they have not been seen for nearly a century. Our main character Nina is the same girl who struggled to communicate with Iris in the previous book. One really nice piece of the narrative of this new book is the healing that takes place when Nina enlists Iris to help with identifying one of the cranes. A wonderful story highlighting the beauties of God's creation and the wonders of birdwatching.

My husband and I spent a chunk of early 2024 down near Corpus Christi and were able to see some of the migrating whooping cranes on their way to Canada. We also made sure and stop at a couple of Buc-ees on our way south. Actually being in that part of the country recently really elevated my book experience!

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. Happy Publication Week!

Nina is a bit of an odd bird. She loves a topic that not many kids her age are interested in - birds. She struggles to make friends and sometimes feels like she doesn't even fit in with her own family. When she is invited to spend the summer at a camp run by her aunt, she reluctantly agrees to give it a try. Her aunt is the black sheep of the family so Nina feels a connection to her. She's just not sure about socializing with a new group of kids. At camp, Nina discovered a pair of rare birds. There is a mystery surrounding them and Nina is determined to solve it with the help of her fellow campers. This is a story about embracing your interests no matter how quirky they may seem to others. It's also about finding true friendship. There is a connection to the author's previous hit book, A Song for a Whale, but having not yet read that one, I can tell you that you don't need to read the books in order.

Thanks to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for a review copy of The Secret Language of Birds.

I cannot wait to read this with my two boys (10 and 11) who are both obsessed with bird sightings. Nina’s story of feeling like an awkward teenager/tween who is not sure where she fits in at school and her larger family is one that most of us can relate to. She finds herself at a summer camp run by her nature-loving quirky Aunt. It was heart-warming to see Nina find a place with a group of girls who all see themselves as outsiders at the camp. While participating in a right of passage at the camp on the first night, Nina discovers what she thinks is a rare bird. The story follows her as she and her friends keep this secret bird safe and their friendship grow.

“Song for a Whale” is one of our favorite books and I loved that Lynne Kelly brought Iris (the deaf main character from that book) into this story. It was so good to see how Nina was able to learn from her previous mistakes with Iris and still forge a friendship, an important lesson for us all. I love the way Kelly brings characters with disabilities into her stories so seamlessly.

Kids will enjoy the adventure and mystery in this book and adults will appreciate the underlying message of acceptance and self-love.

The Secret Language of Birds by Lynne Kelly is about Nina, a girl who loves birds. Nina decides one summer to go to the camp her aunt runs. While there she discovers that two endangered birds have made a nest in an abandoned part of the camp. Throughout her stay at camp, Nina not only gets to observe the birds but finds herself with a group of girls she is able to feel at home with.

This was a well done middle grade book that deals with the trials of friendships and belonging. I enjoyed the connections with Kelly's earlier book Song for a Whale. This would make a great read aloud that could also pull in science and environmental curricular connections . I will definitely be purchasing for my library!

Nina is a thirteen-year-old bird enthusiast, middle child, who is just looking for a place to fit in and feel like she belongs. All her efforts at making friends seem to blow up in her face because she gets so excited sometimes her brain can't stop her mouth. Near the end of 7th grade her sister suggests that she try something new over the summer. That's how Nina ends up at Camp Bee Holler for a month with her Aunt Audrey. There's she sticks out for not being a paying camper, but not being staff either. Luckily, she meets three other girls her age who are also first year campers, even though the camp takes kids as young as ten. Nina's excited to think that she might finally have found some friends, at least until an after-dark adventure leads her to discover a ghost, that might actually be a whooping crane nesting in Texas, where they haven't been seen for over one hundred years. Is it possible? Will her new friends think she's too weird if they find out about her obsession with birds? How can she tell Aunt Audrey about the birds safe when technically she only knows about them because of participating in an activity that was technically against camp rules? How can she keep them safe without Aunt Audrey's help?

This novel is part coming-of-age, part friendship, part adventure, and part mystery geared toward the middle grade reader and it was a quick, enjoyable, entertaining read. I recommend it for fans of birds and fans of middle grade lit. 4.5 stars

Plot: 5
Characters: 5
Writing Style: 5
Cover: 5
Enjoyment: 5
Buyable/Re-readable?: YES INTO INFINITY!1!!

Not only is this one of my favorite books of the year (thus far, it's THE favorite/number one spot), but "The Secret Language of Birds" is one of my all-time favorites, period. I cannot say enough or gush enough about the content, Kelly's writing style, the development, the building, the characters, the messages. The novel is educational and emotional and relatable and grounded and beautiful. Plus, we get a Buc-ee's mention in the third paragraph? Instant win.

This darling gem of a book is told in first-person POV via Nina, a 13 year-old girl with four siblings. It's set in Texas (hence, Buc-ee's), and a chapter book with 30 chapters. Nina, ohmygoodness, I want her as a niece or something; she gives a hoot about fossils...like, what? Furthermore, she's empathetic like me, to the point of crying about said fossils (I'll let the reader discover why), but it's absolutely something I would do/have done. Nina's existential crisis is also quite relatable, because I had a similar one when I was in the first or second grade -- I couldn't stop my tiny self from obsessing over cemeteries. Sort of death, but specifically cemeteries themselves. Every night for weeks on end, I couldn't fall asleep because I'd be panicking about graveyards. And Nina has a similar experience, which is, of course, refreshing to learn you're not alone in your truth, your flavor of 'oddness'. And I am totally adding "fossil sad" to my vocabulary. Again, I'm allowing the reader to discover what that term Nina and her family create means, because it's explained SO dang well. It's a term worth adopting.

I just love this book so much that I feel inadequate in my simple praise. Read it, buy it, give it as gifts, put it in schools, get it in libraries... 10/10, A+, 100%!

Nina has a hard time fitting in. To pass the time, she likes bird watching. This summer, she decides to go to her aunt’s summer camp to bird watch. She makes friends with Georgie, Emma, and Ant but still feels like an outsider. When the group hears a ghost story about the old infirmary, they decide to go add their names to the walls per tradition. They think they see a ghost. Nina soon realizes, however, that it’s not a ghost, but a whooping crane. This bird hasn’t been seen in Texas in 100 years. Not wanting to get in trouble for heading out of boundaries, she sets up a trail camera to see if she can catch the bird on camera. She soon discovers two whooping cranes. Where did the birds come from? Why are they back? Can she make friends and fit in at camp?

The plot is well developed and engaging. The characters are likable, realistic, and easy to relate to. Fans of Carl Hiaasen’s Hoot or books about making friends, wildlife enthusiasts, and summer camps will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections. Grades 3-7.

Please note: This was a review copy given to us by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

This is a wonderful book of a young girl who feels and oddball until she goes to camp to stay with her aunt and becomes friends with the "Oddballs. A very touching story for the girl who feels left out of the world around her. Her confidence comes from her knowledge of birds and find two large white birds. The girls keep them a secret until ranger in charge of the whooping cranes comes to the camp and praises her. A great book even for a tween as it is a very well written clean story. I enjoyed it very much.

A companion MG novel to Song for a Whale out Tuesday!
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Nina would describe herself as the odd duck in her giant family and she often gets left out. So much so that they forgot her at Buc-ee’s once. All Nina wants to do for the summer is attend summer camp where her aunt works. Once there She discovers two whooping cranes have built a nest near the camp. These majestic birds haven’t been seen in Texas for over a hundred years! When Nina reports the sighting to wildlife officials and also discovers the nest holds an egg. Who is the mother bird and where did she come from? Nina sets out to solve the mystery with the help of camp friends, wildlife officials and Iris.
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I loved returning to this world, as Song for a Whale is one of my favorite middle grade books. I also adored all the Texas references such as Buc-ee’s, Blue Bell and state bird/trivia information. This title is a great coming-of-age book for our upper elementary/lower middle school readers. This would be a great class read aloud or book club title.

2.5 ⭐️ I was bored a lot of the time with the bird info dump.

Although this #advancedreaderscopy of #TheSecretLanguageofBirds does stand alone… Jack and I would suggest reading Song for a Whale before you start this book.

We met Nina in Song for a Whale… she is the main character in this book. She’s carrying some heavy feelings about herself and something that happened with Iris. She’s feeling sort of lost at home with her family, at school, and even in her heart. She decided to spend the summer with her Aunt Audrey at the summer camp she runs- Bee Holler. There she not only finds a startling nature discovery… but she discovers a lot about herself. This is a beautiful coming of age story about what happens when you stop letting that voice in your head stir the pot. It’s ok to be vulnerable, honest, truthful, and happy. Fly your flag proudly and the people that see you and like you will come. The real Nina finds a place in this world with the Oddballs by her side.

Jack and I both really loved this book- thanks @netgalley and @lynnekkelly for this gift before it is released on 4/9/24.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in while on a plane trip. Nina's character is especially for anyone who has ever felt like the odd duck or the cuckoo chick in another's nest. She is the middle child in a loud and boisterous family, and her tendency to become impassioned about things (especially birds) sometimes gets her into trouble or gets her made fun of. When her older sister suggests that she attend summer camp with her aunt (who is often talked about by her parents with frowns), she takes time to consider and decides she wants to go.

Without getting into the details of the story (you should just read it), she goes to the camp and is immediately welcomed by her aunt Audrey, and later by three girls who call themselves the Oddballs. While she initially struggles with homesickness, when she discovers a rare bird, she is motivated to stay and help them. Throughout the process, she discovers her talents and strengths, and a place where she belongs.

I loved everything about this book. Nina makes mistakes, but she also learns from them. She discovers kinship with other people, and she learns that she doesn't have to be like her family for them to love her and vice versa. While this story is about an "oddball" who finds her place, I also loved how the author included a deaf character with thoughtfulness and compassion. One of the conversations Nina has with this character moved me to tears and made me think the author has experience with the hard-of-hearing community. As an aside, I looked her up after reading the book and learned she has been a special education teacher and now works as a sign language interpreter.

This was a coming-of-age story that was geared to middle school students, but I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to readers of all ages.

I received an advance review copy from Netgalley and the publisher for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This was such a cute, sweet book. I read Song for a Whale and liked it, but I don’t remember liking it as much as I liked this one. I am always drawn to middle grade books where kids who just don’t seem to really fit in and work to find their place and their people. The setting of the book being at a summer camp where Nina gets to experience new things and get to know her aunt (and a little of her aunt’s story) was perfect for her, the amateur bird watcher. I was worried i would find the bird focus annoying because she is very into birds while i am not, but it was just the right amount. I also found myself being sucked into her adventure and sharing in her excitement over the birds she sees. There’s some good life lessons and very relatable things in here for young people. Also enjoyed the crossover character from her Whale book, as I am sure other kids will enjoy as well. I recommend this one as a stand-alone and as a companion book for Song for a Whale. I already talked to several students about this one coming out, and they’re excited as our elementary did Song for a Whale as a school-wide one book read several years ago. I’m going to have the library order it.

I enjoyed this middle grade novel by Lynne Kelly, my first by her. I loved the camp atmosphere and the camaraderie that the girls shared. I enjoyed learning about whooping cranes and being along for the adventure that Nina, the main character, goes on.

Thank you, netgalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published on April 9!

I read this second book by Lynne Kelly several years after reading Song for a Whale, and I was pleasantly surprised that she chose to have this protagonist drawn to animals, as well.

Nina, the middle child of five, a bit of an odd duck in her family and at school, accidentally gets left behind at a Buc-ees on a family trip. That incident sparked an interest in birds, and she takes to watching them at home, adding a bird app to her phone to help her identify birds by their songs. Her parents support her interest, ordering a trail cam for the yard so she can see what they do when she’s not around.

As her parents start to plan her summer for her, Nina is encouraged by her older sister to spend time somewhere where she’d fit in more, like at her Aunt Audrey’s summer camp. Nina thinks being outside in nature would be something she’d enjoy and her aunt is thrilled to have her visit.

At camp, Nina slowly makes friends with a group of girls who refer to themselves as the Oddballs, and their welcoming her into their group makes her (and them) feel a little less unusual.

On the night of the first full moon, there's a tradition at camp where the older students get everyone to visit the abandoned and haunted old infirmary. A girl named Josephine died many years before and they claim she haunts it. Outside the cabin, Nina drops her flashlight; she and her friends see something white off in the distance and hear a loud shriek. Ghosts, of course!

Nina wonders about what she saw, leading her back to the cabin in the daylight, where she realizes that whooping cranes are nesting nearby. But cranes don’t live in Texas any longer. With the help of the Oddballs and some equipment, the girls monitor the whooping cranes and their nest daily.

Their observations lead them to dig deeper, reconnecting her with an old "friend" and introducing her to scientists who monitor whooping cranes around the country.

I liked that Nina came into her own with a group of girls who enjoyed each other’s company and that these friends were equally committed to helping her monitor the cranes’ activities. I especially liked that Nina reconnected with Iris, from A Song for a Whale. That connection should make your students want to read that book, too. Different perspectives on their relationship! It would be fun to have a discussion with students after they'd read both books.

This is a sweet coming-of-age story about a kid who feels like she doesn’t fit in. I would recommend it to middle-grade teachers and librarians.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the author for letting me read an early copy. The book comes out next week.

The Secret Language of Birds is an insightful and informative middle-grade novel. Author Lynne Kelly has a remarkable empathy and understanding of middle-school-aged girls. Whether it is the bug-loving “Ant,” book-loving Emma, or the narrator, Nina, who is convinced she can’t make friends, the characters and their conversations and actions are incredibly realistic. I can envision my grandchildren saying the same things. Ms. Kelly is also adept at recognizing the emotions of these characters. Each girl feels very genuine.
The novel becomes very informative when Nina spouts facts about birds, which she loves. Even more enlightening is the talk about whooping cranes, an endangered bird. Amazingly, a pair shows up and makes a nest in the marsh, although they have not been seen there for many years. This nesting elicits fascinating facts about whooping cranes and proper birding etiquette. I loved this book and think every middle-grade girl and nearly every boy of that age will love it equally.
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by Delacorte Press via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ll remember this book for a long time! A pleasant heartfelt read. So relatable and can see Nina in myself and my teenager.

Nina is an oddball that loves birds. She loves soaking up all the information she can. We follow her journey when she goes to camp. Finding endangered birds and meeting new friends.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for this wonderful ARC.

Nina has always felt like the odd duck out. Making friends at school feels uncomfortable, and she can’t even make friends with the girl across the street. Nina questions her value in the world when her large family accidentally leaves her at a gas station.

The incident does spark her interest in birds, though, and her older sister, Sage, encourages Nina to try something new for the summer. When Nina’s parents agree to let her spend time at her Aunt Audrey’s summer camp, Nina can’t believe her good luck. Maybe.

Camp will involve campers and maybe the same problems she has during the school year. By the end of the first day, Nina wants to go home. But the girls in the Oddballs cabin invite her to join their group, and Nina decides to wait a few more days.

When Nina joins a midnight visit to the haunted infirmary, the rest of the girls run away when they see a ghost in the marsh. But Nina sees something even more startling—an endangered crane far from its usual home. Getting ditched by all the girls hurts, but finding an endangered bird might change her life. And then, to her surprise, the Oddballs come back to rescue her. Even better, they join in her quest to learn more about the crane—or is it cranes?

As Nina and the Oddballs work together to identify the large, ghostly-looking birds from the marsh, Nina learns the value of friendships and acceptance.

What I Loved About This Book

From the awkward heroine to the tidbits of history, I loved everything about Lynne Kelly’s new release, The Secret Language of Birds. Kelly weaves together ornithology, biology, citizen science, befriending a Deaf person, adventure, ghost stories, and a bit of summer camp charm into a comfy nest of a story.

Parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians will want to purchase (and read) this tale of adventure for the animal lovers in their lives. Look no further if you’re looking for storybooks about conservation, endangered species, and learning to embrace differences.

I didn't read Song for A Whale before I dove into the gem. Now, I have added Song For a Whale to my must-read list. I loved this book on so many levels. I believe my students will connect with Nina. First, Nina is a Texas girl who doesn't stand out in her family or school. She gets lost in the mix a lot. She is the middle child in the middle of a busy family. They don't understand her love for birds. Being an awkward middle schooler who makes social mistakes is relatable for my students. Another connection point for me is that she is a Texas girl. There are places mentioned that are familiar to Texans. One of the cities mentioned is actually near my hometown. I even emailed the author to see if the facts presented about that town were works of fiction or actual facts. I love the mystery and the suspense. My heart raced when she and the Oddballs were sneaking around, even with good motives in mind. It teaches that good actions and motives should be paired together. I also thought her growing relationship with her aunt was another great story. I love that she reconnected with Iris and pulled her into this story. She uses Iris' talents and skills wonderfully. I hope there will be a follow-up book to this story.