Homebird

by Terence Blacker

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0027106853
• ISBN13: 9780027106855
• Release Date: April 1993
• Publisher: Bradbury Press
• Length: 139 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.8" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Great title, great story: Homebird

I am in my 40s, father of two boys, and for me "Homebird" is one testament to my belief that some of the finest fiction available is in that horribly-named "adolescent fiction" category. I found this title serendipitously, and read it in two sittings. Granted it is a brief story, but truly difficult to put down as within a few pages the boy's plight is made clear, and how he will get himself out of his fix becomes a looming question. Three points that should be made about this book. The first is my only real criticism: that the dialogue and language seem condescendingly designed to appeal to a 12-year-old boy, Brit or otherwise. That said, however, a recurring device I liked was the protagonist's habit of checking himself for cliche ways of thinking, speaking, and acting. The second notable point is the method he finally uses to resolve his situation. I won't give it away, but it is realistic -- and the author depicts it in what I feel is the only honest way possible. Thirdly: Though I fondly read the first Harry Potter installment, "Homebird" seems like an antidote to that fantasy. The hero is not an orphan, but he like Harry he is plunged into a foreign world where all is not quite what it seems. And the Homebird finds that while friends come from unexpected places, the familiar is his best friend. Lastly, the title itself is perfect for its lyrical, yet frank representation of the protagonist. After getting past the sometimes-cloying dialogue and narrative, the reader aged 9 and up will find an appealing and realistic hero, a moderately-menacing central plot, and a plausible resolution.