Brown Bird
Puffin/Penguin Random House, May 2024
Cover illustration by Devon Smith
2024 Storylines Notable Book Award
One of the Listener's 50 Best Kids' Books of 2024
One of The Spinoff's Best NZ Books of 2024
Sometimes it can take one special friend to show you what you’re capable of, even if does take you a while to believe it.
Eleven-year-old Rebecca tries to make herself invisible so people won’t call her weird. Resigned to spending the holidays by herself in a new neighbourhood while her mum works long hours at the supermarket, she meets Chester, who has come to stay for the summer. He is loud and fun and full of ideas. But will Rebecca be able to cope with being taken so far from her quiet comfort zone?
Rebecca is about to find out that she can be braver than she ever thought possible . . .
A gentle, warm-hearted novel about leaving the comfort of your shell and making friends, for fans of Judy Blume, Jacqueline Wilson, Kate DiCamillo and Kate De Goldi.
'Everything, absolutely everything about this novel is perfect – exactly as it needs to be: the incredible attention to (fascinating) detail; the characterisation of each of the people who live in the story; the development outwardly and inwardly of the narrator, Rebecca. The tone, the style, the touches of humour, of inclusiveness, of everydayness, of the ordinary and extraordinary – all of it perfect. ... Jane has given voice and power to so many who move through our world, slightly off-frequency.'
— Tania Roxborogh (Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea)
'Brown Bird is warm, wise and well-crafted. It’s written in a way that is accessible to a middle grade audience with lots of dialogue and humour ... It’s a pleasure to read as an adult and will offer children, particularly those who might tend towards anxiety, lots to identify with, and to enjoy.'
— Kete Books, May 2024
'Brown Bird covers so many things young people go through and is firmly situated in a modern, hopeful and inclusive society that young readers will recognise. The book beautifully portrays the diversity of the street as a normal part of life. The characters’ kindness and goodwill are infectious, creating a sense of inclusivity young readers will appreciate. This is a brave book about brave people in the modern world, reminiscent of Judy Blume and Jacqueline Wilson.'
— Louise Ward, Hawkes Bay Today (2 May 2024)
'This is the novel that I wish that speccy, scared 11-year-old me had owned. But these books are hard to find because they’re hard to write. “Quiet novels” draw from the drama of daily life – and even deeper – the hidden drama unfolding minute by minute inside an anxious child’s mind. To write a character like this is to lift the child self at the core of every adult and let them speak. Rebecca is a girl after my own heart and her story of one summer navigating the neighbourhood with her bold new friend Chester (a lesson in remembering that even brave and outgoing kids can be hiding enormous worries, too) made me cry at least five times.'
— Claire Mabey, The Spinoff, May 2024 (https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/21-05-2024/five-reasons-i-wrote-a-quiet-childrens-novel)
'Arthur has a knack for quirky humour popping up in just the right places, alongside the more daunting prospects for the protagonists, as well as feeding in issues of diversity and difference without being heavy handed. Highly recommended for 9+. Excellent for anyone who’s taken a while to believe in themselves.'
— Stella at Volume, Volume Book of the Week (10 May 2024)
'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. ... 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.'
— WhatBookNext.com, May 2024
'Absolutely gorgeous ... This is the perfect book for any deep-thinkers, old souls or those who wear their heart on their sleeves.'
— Hera at University Book Shop Otago, Book of the Week (May 2024)
'Rebecca is not your average main character, but she is certainly representative of a lot of kids who don’t see themselves in books very often. Brown Bird does an amazing job of letting the reader into Rebecca’s overwhelming and sometimes crippling thought process, without it being too much—even though we can see that for Rebecca, and others like her, it often is too much on a regular basis. ... [A] delightful, compassionate book that will warm any reader.'
— The Sapling, May 2024 (https://www.thesapling.co.nz/reviews-two-new-books-for-middle-readers/)
'Like its endearing central character Rebecca, on the surface Brown Bird is a quiet, tender coming-of-age story about growing up and into oneself. Yet its subtle depths churn with emotion around a rich compassionate heart. Highly recommended.'
— Mandy Hager
'Rebecca is eleven years old and is a girl after my own heart. Jane Arthur has created a character that will haunt delight transfix you. Rebecca is awkward and weird. She has nightmares and tricky feelings, and loves reading and baking in equal measures. I still recognise myself in this girl, teetering on the cusp of adolescence, caring what other people think of her. I just love her! [...] So much to love about Brown Bird – it’s warm and spiky, sad and glad. ... Brown Bird is a book of self discovery, a book of thorns and a book of roses. It is a book to treasure, whatever age you are.'
— Paula Green, NZ Poetry Box, June 2024 (https://nzpoetrybox.wordpress.com/2024/06/21/poetry-box-feature-brown-bird-by-jane-arthur/)
