There Was Bird is the kind of middle grade that lingers. Magnolia is a beautifully drawn protagonist — a girl quietly suffocating under her family's beauty queen legacy who finds her real self through grief, community, and a missing cockatiel named Third Bird. High weaves loss and healing together with a light, sure hand, and the "Dead Daddies Club" friendship at the heart of the story is both funny and genuinely moving.

The search for Third Bird gives the plot a propulsive, chapter-turning energy, and the emotional payoff earns every mile of it. A standout middle grade about finding what you really need when you go looking for something else.

I re read this and thought it was a fun solid read for middle grade kids. I ended up liking the story and the characters over all after all. It was a cute story.

„First There Was Bird“ is a beautifully written middle grade novel that tells a touching story about grief, forgiveness, friendship, and discovering what truly matters in life.

At the heart of the story is Magnolia, a girl who feels different from her mother, whose world seems to revolve around beauty pageants. Magnolia, on the other hand, longs to climb trees, read books, and spend her days exploring nature. When she loses her father and, shortly afterward, her beloved bird flies away, she begins both a physical and emotional journey as she searches for her bird while learning how to cope with loss. Along the way, she forms meaningful new friendships that help her process her grief.

Set in Mississippi, the novel also thoughtfully explores broader themes such as racism, tolerance, and the culture surrounding beauty queens. It asks important questions about what truly gives life meaning and gently encourages readers to look beyond appearances toward kindness, connection, and authenticity.

One aspect I especially appreciated was the wonderfully diverse cast of characters. The story naturally includes people of different ages, backgrounds, skin colors, and cultures, as well as a wheelchair user and queer characters. This inclusive representation feels authentic and enriches the world of the novel without ever overshadowing the story itself.

Although the book addresses difficult topics, it does so with warmth, hope, and compassion. Ultimately, it is a journey toward healing, forgiveness, and finding the courage to move forward after loss.

„First There Was Bird“ is a heartfelt, memorable middle grade novel that beautifully balances emotional depth with hope. I highly recommend it to young readers and adults alike.

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

A short novel, but it had a lot packed into it…
A young girl, grieving over the death of her father, is devastated when the cockatiel he gave her escapes. She is surprised by all the new friends she makes that want to help her find “Third-Bird”.
I grew up in Texas, so the “Southernness” of this book was familiar. Especially the atmosphere of the beauty salons; women do go there to gossip, but also to confide in the stylists. It is definitely true that hair stylists are often told things that no one else knows about…

*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

This book is a sad one. It tackles several difficult topics, including racism, the death of a parent, and the loss of a beloved pet. Those are heavy subjects for anyone, but especially for middle grade readers.

It also explores making new friends, which adds some warmth and hope to the story. I think the author set out to accomplish some ambitious goals, and for the most part, succeeded. Even so, it's an emotionally heavy read.

First There Was Bird
by Linda Oatman High, author
with Leo Trinidad, Illustrator

Rating: 5 star rating

I just finished reading First There Was Bird by Linda Oatman High, with illustrations by Leo Trinidad, and it is such a sweet book. The story is about an eleven-year-old girl named Magnolia Lee Cooper who is dealing with the loss of her dad after a car accident. Right before he died, he won her a pet cockatiel named Third Bird at a carnival, so the bird is her last connection to him.

She promises to take care of it forever, but things go wrong when she accidentally lets the bird escape while visiting her mom's beauty shop. Losing the bird sends Magnolia into a panic, and she starts a huge search all over her small Mississippi town to find him. Along the way, she gets help from a friend named Jeremiah, plus some quirky characters named Delilah and Violet.

Her mom is also in the picture, dealing with her own stuff since she comes from a long line of beauty pageant queens and cares a lot about appearances. The search for the bird actually forces the whole family to realize that looks don't matter as much as love, family, and sticking together when times get tough.

The book does a great job of showing how hard it is to lose someone you love without making the story feel too depressing. The drawings by Leo Trinidad really bring the small town and all the places Magnolia looks for her bird to life.

Even though I won't ruin the ending, I will say that the way the book ends is heartwarming. It shows that even when you lose something important, you can end up finding the exact friends and community you need to help heal your heart. It is a great story about growing up and finding hope again, and I recommend it for both kids and adults.

Thank you, NetGalley, Red Chair Press | One Elm Books, author Linda Oatman High, and illustrator Leo Trinidad for this ebook review consideration. All review opinions are my own.

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I enjoyed this ARC provided by Net Galley. the main theme of First there was Bird was that when you go looking for one thing you often find something you didn't even know you where looking for.. I enjoyed the friendship between Magnolia and Jerimiah. Though there where some sub plots that while they where resolved , I feel they needed more page time.. I would have liked more scenes between our young protagonists and Robin and Polly. More time also needed to be given to the adults overcoming their racial prejudices, and how they change there attitude to members of the community who at the beginning, they see as outsiders. We are told that they do change there attitudes and see this at the end but would like to have seen more of how this came about, rather then just being told that they had. . I did like how by the end they embraced and realised that it takes all kinds of people to create community and that individuals can be multi faceted, and that we don't have to fit in just one box.