This was delightful. ( )

Narrated by Hope Newhouse. The frostfang is a wolfish creature attempting to dominate the animal realms, and is encroaching on humans by manipulating their doubts and weaknesses. Eren has been designated a champion by a bird prince to help save the forest kingdom and battle the frostfang. Eren is plagued by her own doubts and doesn't believe she can be the champion they need. It will take finding her inner truths to shore up her confidence and save the kingdom. Notably in this work, the birds use the prounoun "they," and "prince" is merely a title, not a reference to male royalty. Also, Eren learns the term that best describes her and how she regards the middle school romance scene: "aromantic." I felt there were a bit too many convenient plot points and characters managing to guess correctly what is happening and what to do when things go south. Ehhh... ( )

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

With this book, I can officially say Jenn Reese is one of my favorite middle grade authors. I adored A Game of Fox and Squirrel for its poignancy and heart, and Every Bird a Prince is likewise deep and powerful in its own way. It is imbued with a message of self-acceptance and empowerment that will resonate with kids (and adults, too).

Eren is a 7th grade girl who is trying to figure out a lot of stuff. Her two besties are going boy crazy and are hyped about an upcoming school dance, while she just wants to ride her bike through the Oregon woods. She’s out riding when she saves a bird that is weirdly icy—and who actually speaks to her, proclaiming her a chosen champion. The world is in danger, and Eren has been called upon… and she’s as unsure of that as she is about most everything else. One thing becomes clear, though: the threat is real. Her mom is in danger. When the boy she's pretending to have a crush on gets embroiled in the mess, too, things get especially awkward as they need to save the woods and the world, together.

This is such a good book. It’s going to cause kids to think, wonder, and maybe look in the mirror and see who is really there. I’ll be including this book on my Norton nomination list for 2022. ( )