Beth Hautala has delivered a story that reaches far beyond the pages of a book and leaves a lasting impression. The reader is invited into a world that they may not already be familiar with and does so in an honest and tender way.

Over a summer of traveling zoos, runaway ostriches, theater, and new friendships, eleven-year-old Olivia just wants her life to be "normal". She would love to perform in the local theater's production of Peter Pan and have just one thing all to herself - Olivia's moment to be noticed. But, it really isn't that simple. And what would "normal" mean, anyway?

Olivia and her parents spend a great deal taking care of and focusing on her thirteen-year-old autistic brother, Jacob. Oftentimes that may mean that Olivia doesn't always get to do things just for herself or how she may want to do them. Also, Jacob's autism seems to be getting progressively worse and so the family must continue to adjust for his needs. Olivia has an idea on how she can make it all better. Olivia believes she can pinpoint exactly when Jacob's autism began to worsen - when he lost his toy ostrich. Olivia, who is known for finding anything, is determined to find Jacob's lost toy so she can help her brother and get things back to the way they were.

The Ostrich and Other Lost Things is a poignant story that understands the difficulties and the countless tests of unconditional love. Sibling-hood, parent-child relationships, and even friendships are complex and require nurturing, understanding, forgiveness and sometimes a little bit of space. Olivia and Jacob's relationship is one full of love, grace and a mutual bond that is especially significant. Beth Hautala ushers the reader beyond the autism and reminds you that this is a family of individuals - each one with their own struggles, shortcomings, and needs. However, what I have loved most in this story was the realization of Jacob.

The Ostrich and Other Lost Things is a book that I would recommend to readers young and old. We can all take something beautiful from this book.

I have given The Ostrich and Other Lost Things 5/5 stars ( )

Olivia is good at finding things. When her autistic brother, Jacob, a couple of years older than her, begins to have an increase in the severity of his symptoms, she is convinced that everything got worse for him after he lost the toy ostrich that he so loved. She gives herself a mission to find it. In the course of looking for the toy, finding a new friend, who is blind, doing community service as penance for a minor crime, acting in a local play, and trying to solve a zoo-related mystery, Olivia learns a great deal about both Jacob and herself.
Even when watching Olivia make decisions that are clearly bad ones, I couldn't help but root for her. She was a likable, but believably flawed narrator. ( )