Rebecca is shy. Really shy. She’s not sure why, and she wishes she was more like the kids at school. They can make friends easily, play together in the school grounds, and enjoy being there. Rebecca finds all those things difficult, overthinking everything and missing opportunities. She feels like her brain is going a hundred miles an hour, but her body just stands still waiting for her brain to decide what to do. Even at night, her brain is racing and she wonders if she is the weirdest eleven year old ever.

It’s the summer school holidays. Six weeks of sunshine, quiet, books and baking stretch out before her and she is really looking forward to it. With her mum working, Rebecca will spend her time next door at Tilly’s, doing all her favourite things.

The holidays were going to be great

Already I felt lighter, like when you stop trying not to sink, stop fighting the water and instead suddenly you float.

Tilly is kind and understands Rebecca and her shyness, but she also has a surprise for her. Tilly’s nephew is coming to stay.

Chester is loud. He’s cheerful, always moving, always starving and needs to be doing something or planning it. When he decides to begin a odd-job service including them both, Rebecca gets swept up in it. She has always looked at the ground when passing any of the neighbours, but she slowly lifts her gaze to meet a wonderful mix of people via Chester’s enthusiasm.

These summer holidays are to be very different. Rebecca learns about her neighbours, herself and that Chester’s constant cheer is hiding something. By the time school returns, Rebecca doesn’t feel so weird after all.

Brown Bird is a gentle story of a girl who feels like she will never fit in. She can’t understand how people can be confident among strangers, enjoy lots of people around or make snap decisions, even if she wishes she was more like them.

I really enjoyed this story of a tween in small town New Zealand, in day to day life. Having her quiet, calm, and perfectly wonderful boring plans tipped on their head is the catalyst for Rebecca to wrangle some of her anxiety, and feel brave enough to lift her gaze to her world. She also learns more about herself as others instantly accept her for who she is, and she meets another, just as shy.

Brown Bird made me think a little of the classic Because of Winn Dixie as a girl is growing up, and a community comes together.

Thanks to Penguin Random House NZ for the ARC of this book.

Author – Jane Arthur

Age – 9+

(2024, Penguin Books NZ, New Zealand author, Aoteroa, Friendship, Growing Up, Periods, Puberty, Anxious, Anxiety, Shyness, Fitting in, Identity, Understanding, Odd Jobs, Holiday jobs, School Holidays, First Person, 1st person)