Hummingbird features a plucky protagonist with a debilitating bone disease—who doesn’t see herself as debilitated.
Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd. Scholastic, 2022, 348 pages.
Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12
Recommended for: ages 10-14
Handle with care
Olive Miracle Martin is used to it—the first thing people see of her is “fragility.” It’s obviously true, in one sense: her osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, means stunted growth and constant threat of breakage. But her spirit is indomitable, and eventually breaks down the reservations of her parents. It’s a red-letter day when her mom, her stepfather, and her dad (who occupies the yurt in their back yard) finally agree to let her attend Macklemore Middle School, after years of homeschooling. Finally! All kinds of possibilities await, chief among them being acquiring a Best Friend.
Strong and sound within
Experienced readers of MG fiction know Olive will face challenges she doesn’t expect. Mainly, it’s a jolt to see herself through the eyes of other kids. Heretofore her attitude about her condition has been positive and upbeat, encouraged by all three parents. Miracle is her middle name, after all. Her mother reminds her, “I don’t take you to church—or anywhere—because there’s something wrong with you that I want God to fix. You’re a whole person exactly as you are.” Okay, but a building full of middle-schoolers, bumping each other in the hall and staring in the lunchroom, don’t see her that way. For the first time, Olive starts pining for a different body, at the same time as her Appalachian town might be gearing up for a miracle. A once-in-a-generation phenomenon is announced by a flurry of snowy white particles resembling feathers, as the legend revives of a magical hummingbird capable of granting wishes to a few select citizens. What if Olive could be one of them?
There’s a riddle to unwind, and friends to acquire, and stories to hear, tell, and make. Olive is a winsome narrator, plucky (in the best sense), imaginative, and ever hopeful. Her new BFF is the perfect quest partner, and even the mean girls turn out to be not so mean. Though Olive attends church and is continually gobsmacked by creation (for which she credits the Creator), her religion is more of the mystical magical kind with no theological content. That said, and allowances made for an exuberant female pastor and a theatrical boy with glittery fingernails, Hummingbird is an enjoyable read with an appealing protagonist.
Overall Rating: 3.75
- Worldview/moral value: 3.5
- Artistic/literary value: 4
Read more about our ratings here.
Also at Redeemed Reader:
- Review: We reviewed Natalie Lloyd’s A Snicker of Magic in 2015.
- Reviews: Shane Burcaw’s Not So Different tells what it’s like to live with a disability similar to Olive’s. Also see our roundup of this year’s Schneider family award books.
- Reflection: “Where Does the Magic Come From?” examines the tendency of MG writers to substitute “magic” for spiritual truth.
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Thank you for the review! I’ve been reading through a number of books that have characters with disabilities to include in our school curriculum. Overall I found this book interesting with a main character that displays some very positive aspects as she grows up with a disability. There were a few quotes, though, that I would want to talk through with my kids. One place says, “Because sometimes there’s more than one truth.” I think this is an important topic to address. There’s a distinction between the truth that Johnny likes chocolate ice cream and Sally likes vanilla. It is true that we can have different preferences but it also important to note that there is truth that is true for everyone. This would be a great discussion starter with our kids. Also, when the main character is referencing a budding romantic interest for her uncle she says, “Maybe some people find church in a building. But I wondered if Uncle Dash had found it in a person.” Again, this is a way to lead into important conversations about a variety of topics involving our relationship with God and other people. Thanks for all the work you do in reviewing books for us.
Becky–thanks so much. You are exactly right; we see literature as a way to open up thought and discussion and help kids develop a discerning world view while still in the home.