"Bird" by Rita Murphy is a coming-of-age story that follows the protagonist, a young girl named Bird, who feels out of place in her small, conservative town. After her mother's sudden death, Bird retreats into her imagination, where she connects with the vibrant yet haunting memories of her past. As she navigates her grief and the turmoil of adolescence, Bird finds solace in nature and the world of birds, which symbolize both freedom and the inevitability of change. Ultimately, she learns to confront her sorrow, embrace her identity, and discover the strength within herself to soar beyond her confines. [Generated by language model - please report any problems].

This book is aimed at children at US 7th grade-12th grade.

This book has been graded for interest at 12-17 years.

There are 151 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 2008 by Delacorte Press .

This is Rita Murphy's first novel. It won the annual Delacorte Press Prize for a First Young Adult Novel sponsored by Random House, USA, and has launched Murphy on a writing career that is going from strength to strength. She lives with her husband and son in Vermont, USA