Very much enjoyed this book! Kept me reading all night, recommend 10/10. I will be buying copies for my book club

Arden Sachs has always wanted a pet, so when her uncle leaves for a six month sabbatical to Africa, she finally gets her wish. She gets to take care of his laboratory bird, Ludwig. At first she isn't sure whether birds make cool pets, and she is a little afraid of Ludwig. After some more time spent together she realizes that he is the coolest pet ever. She starts to realize other things to. Like...can Ludwig understand her? Can Ludwig do math?! This book has humor and heart and you won't want to put it down. This is one of my favorite books of the year. Don't miss out on this one!

Bird Brain by Joanne Levy was a super cute book about the real relationships between young girls, especially with animals. In this book, Arden is tasked with taking care of her Uncle Eli's parrot, Ludwig. Soon, Ludwig begins to show signs that he is an extra special bird, and these unsual qualities help Arden to navigate the difficult world of school and dealing with bullies all while studying hard for the Science Bowl.

This book was so special and absolutely adorable. I loved the relationship Arden had with Cabbage and the relationship she formed with Ludwig. I found the interactions she had with her siblings and mom were really genuine and showed the ups and downs of relationships at this age. Arden struggles with her bully, but learns that she isn't alone in her problems and discovers that trusting other people doesn't always end up scary. Cabbage and Ludwig assist Arden and help her grow into the confident girl where her self-worth matches the level of intelligence she possesses. I loved the science theme that remained prevalent throughout this book. Constantly watching Arden use her scientific methods to cope with a variety of different issues and situations was nice, and shows that every child had a specific skill set they can use to get through life.

I would have loved to see a few more interactions between Arden and her siblings because I found all their interactions a great representation of sibling relationships.

I would recommend this book to any child of middle-grade age, or even slightly older, who loves animals or who struggles with issues around school. This book takes very common issues of school-aged children, and combines very common interests of animals in children this age. Throughout this book, there are many heart-warming moments and silly jokes that made the reading experience a fantastic one. This book was a magical journey from start to finish.

I'm so thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with early access to this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

I quickly got rather invested in the budding friendship of Ludwig the African Grey and Arden (fabulous name).

I love how Arden uses a scientific mind to help solve her problems and tries to see situations from different points of view of you.

It is a lovely story about friendship, family, and dealing with some not so fun situations (like bullies) that life can throw at you.

I love how this book gives representation on girls in STEM! And well, I also love the bird because I love birds in general haha. This was a great story about a girl who wanted a pet and gets to take care of her uncles bird. I love how important topics such as bullying are being talked about in this book. I also LOVE the cover of the book! It's absolutely stunning.

What a fun, heartwarming and important middle grade book about the importance of standing up to bullies and the power of believing in the unknown. I absolutely loved this latest from Canadian author Joanne Levy!!

In this story we get to know Arden a Jewish, science loving girl who dreams of having a pet of her own. Unfortunately for her the pet she gets isn't the one she was expecting. When her Uncle Eli goes on a six month trip, Arden is tasked with helping care for his African Grey Parrot, Ludwig.

As Arden and her best friend Cabbage study hard for the upcoming Science Bowl tryouts, Arden also gets to know just how smart Ludwig really is. Arden is also dealing with anxiety and bullying from a classmate at school and it takes the help of her friend Cabbage and Ludwig to help her learn that she can stand up for herself and not let the bullies win.

Highly recommended for anyone experiencing bullying of their own, struggling with anxiety or anyone who just wants to learn more cool facts about birds! While this story takes a bit of liberties with what birds can actually do, the essence of Ludwig is based on the author's real life African Grey parrot, Gabby.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy of this lovely story. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own.

While this middle grade novel was not my favorite, I am admittedly not the target audience. This story introduces us to Arden, who (above all else) wants a pet! She is in luck when her uncle asks her to pet-sit…until she realizes he wants her to pet-sit a bird. She was hoping for a dog, a cat, heck even a hamster! She overcomes her initial disappointment though when she learns that Ludwig the African Grey parrot, is super smart- just like her! With a fantastical twist to this otherwise non-fantasy novel, Ludwig this genius bird helps Arden succeed in school and get past a school bully.

Arden, despite not getting the pet she initially wanted, agrees to pet-sit her uncle's African Grey parrot, Ludwig, who turns out to be exceptionally intelligent. As Arden aspires to join the Science Bowl team, Ludwig, with his wit and loyalty, helps unveil a scheme orchestrated by bully Marni during her try-out. Joanne Levy, a proud African Grey owner herself, infuses a touch of fantasy into parrot power in this entertaining and amusing middle-grade novel. "Bird Brain!" provided me with a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Bird Brain is the story of Arden, who is taking care of her uncles African Grey parrot. As a science lover, she learns diligently about caring for a parrot, and works hard to develop a special relationship with Ludwig.

Whilst this book focuses on Arden and Ludwig, there are several important storyline’s around themes of bullying, friendship, and STEM. As a parrot owner I loved the way the generous insights into how wonderful parrots are as pets, but also the significant responsibility involved.

The bullying in the story was portrayed really insightfully, from highlighting the serious nature of verbal and emotional bullying, the experience of getting help, and the emotional and social effects of the bullying. Finally I fully enjoyed the whimsical aspects of Ludwig’s character. The authors note at the end was an excellent summary of fact versus fiction, and I loved reading about Gabby.

Thank you Orca Book Publishers and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

This was a really sweet book that would be a perfect read for a pre-teen.

The story revolves around a science loving 12-year-old girl named Arden.
She has been tasked with "parrot sitting" her uncles African Grey Parrot for 6 months while he does research in Africa.

I thought the emphasis on STEM and girls in STEM was really awesome to see represented as when I was growing up, these types of books didnt exist.

The book deals with real instances of bullying as well, which I know the younger reader will be able to identify with.

Ludwig the Parrot is so likeable as well and kids will love this math loving, secretly genius parrot!

This is a really first person narrative about a girl and her new pet parrot. This is best for late elementary readers as it is a chapter book with no pictures.

This is a really cute story that I can see kids really getting into. As a former parrot owner, I think it gives really good information in a very digestible way.