The Theory of Hummingbirds

August 1, 2017

Gr 5-8-Alba has talipes equinovarus, also known as a "club foot," and she calls her foot "Cleo." Alba's best friend, Levi, has his own physical challenges managing his asthma. The two form a tight bond, sharing time inside the school library during recess. Levi has an interest in science and science fiction, and thinks the librarian may have discovered a wormhole in her office. Alba has never met her dad and lives with her mom, a therapist, and a menagerie of animals her mother adopted from guests at the senior home where she works. Alba wonders if her newest surgery will allow her to prove herself by participating in a cross-country race. Fascinating hummingbird facts flit throughout this contemporary realistic story and a glossary helps readers know more about the birds. An author's note states that Kadarusman, like Alba, was born with talipes equinovarus. Kadarusman's writing has a light touch, and the story will resonate with a wide audience. VERDICT Readers learn that a group of hummingbirds is called a "charm"-and are sure to be charmed by this heartfelt tale.-Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2017
Two friends learn to respect each other's big ideas. Twelve-year-old Alba's club foot, aka Cleo, has always been "directionally challenged." Cleo has often worn casts or braces; like the hummingbirds that fascinate her best friend, Levi, Alba has never run. But when the cast from Cleo's final operation comes off, Alba plans to run in her school's cross-country race. Levi, an "above average thinker" and Stephen Hawking fan, is distracted by what he believes is a wormhole in the school librarian's office--and he doesn't believe Alba can run. As the race approaches and Alba also notices the librarian's odd disappearances, Alba and Levi must put aside their squabbles. The wormhole plot seems slightly juvenile for 12-year-olds, and characterization is somewhat uneven. Levi, who is white and has asthma, talks of little else but wormholes. Stubborn, self-conscious Alba, also white, is more sympathetic, particularly in her belief that running will earn her a place in "magical Normal Land." Her goals occur in small steps, easing her into the difference between her dream and the reality without diminishing her accomplishments. Alba's relationship with her single mother is touching, and the budding relationship between her mother and her doctor is awkward but optimistic. Alba's narration is dotted with hummingbird facts, which Kadarusman--who had a club foot herself--explains in a glossary. A quick, sweet read. (author's note) (Fiction. 9-11)

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