Hummingbird Season

by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic

A poignant and necessary story about finding hope during difficult times, set in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Archie's life--and the whole world--is turned upside down by Covid-19. Suddenly there are no more Friday night dinners out, no more going to school, no more hanging out with friends . . . no leaving the house at all.

Even though he's inside with his family all day every day, Archie can't help but feel more alone than ever before. While everyone else seems to be adapting to their new normal just fine, it's like Archie is permanently on mute, unable to find the words to describe how he feels--and sometimes, unable to find someone who will listen. The bright spot of Archie's days at home is watching and learning about the hummingbirds that feed outside his windows. But just when it seems like this could be what brings his family together again, California experiences its worst wildfire in history, and Archie's favorite hummingbird disappears. In a time when hope is hard to hold on to, Archie must find his voice and find hope once again.

Hummingbird Season is an honest and healing novel in verse documenting the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic and the things that bring us together when circumstances keep us apart.

"Readers will gasp in wonder and empathy, cry and sometimes laugh, cheer at the upbeat conclusion, and feel every emotion that’s so powerfully expressed. Brilliant." —Kirkus, in a starred review

"Lucianovic beautifully crafts this novel in verse, giving voice to a boy who is boisterous at times but often feels left on mute, lost in the shuffle of a changing world. The poetic form is a wise authorial choice, with short sentences and smaller sections giving readers who have lived through COVID some space to process their own feelings without overwrought prose. Archie, his family, and Ruby remind readers there’s comfort to be found in being together, even when everything else feels like it’s falling apart. " —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This book would make for a great lead-in to classroom discussions or writing prompts, giving kids the opportunity to share their own memories of lockdown. VERDICT This beautifully written novel in verse offers a sensitive reflection on the pandemic and its emotional toll, even for those families who were able to stay healthy and ­financially stable during lockdown." —School Library Journal

"“Lucianovic portrays Archie's interior world in straightforward first-person verse that effectively captures the voice of an elementary schoolboy living through extraordinary times.” —Horn Book Magazine

“Readers will identify with [Archie's] struggles with long-distance learning and feelings of isolation. His discovery of and growing fascination with a hummingbird propels him towards positivity and eventually helps him make the empathetic connections he longs for.” ―Publishers Weekly

"Hummingbird Season broke me open with its vivid portrayal of the early pandemic. Heartbreakingly relatable, everyone who lived through lockdown will find themselves in the pages of this book. Archie’s emotional journey is rendered in clear, poignant verse, a balm to our scars and a reminder of the necessity of hope." —Joy McCullough, author of National Book Award longlist title Blood Water Paint

"In a world that so often wants to pretend that kids are immune to collective trauma, Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic writes stories that validate their experiences and assure them that they are not alone. Hummingbird Season gently, lovingly gives today’s readers space to process what they went through during the early pandemic, and it shows us all how to find hope, beauty, and connection whenever times are hard. Warm, thoughtful, and deeply lovely, this book is a gift." —Anne Ursu, author of National Book Award longlist title The Real Boy

"Hopeful and full of joy, Hummingbird Season is a celebration of all that is beautiful in the world." —Jane Kuo, author of In the Beautiful Country

"In this engaging novel in verse, readers will identify with Archie as he navigates through the confusion and messiness of the pandemic lockdowns. I felt like I was in the company of a trustworthy friend who finds hope and connection amid isolation and uncertainty, and I cheered for Archie to find the strength to speak up for himself and others who needed their voices heard. Told with a perfect balance of humor and empathy, Hummingbird Season is a story that helps us feel less alone." —Lynne Kelly, author of Song For a Whale

"Like a strand of spiderweb in a hummingbird nest, 
this novel is strong, beautiful, and more than a little bit magical. A necessary read for everyone who’s endured our strange times: sad and funny, tender and hopeful. It’s an instant classic." —Martha Brockenbrough, acclaimed author and VCFA faculty member

Genres: Middle Grade, Poetry, Novel In Verse, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Family, Fiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published February 13, 2024

About the author

Stephanie has done a few things in life. She has sold women shoes and frozen yogurt as well as smelly, expensive body lotion and smellier, even more expensive cheese. She has worked on a Jacques Pepin cooking show and been a cookbook editor. She has written about books, food, parenting, TV, vampire dating habits, cocktail trivia, and picky eating.

She has lived in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Ann Arbor, England, Boston, and San Francisco.

She has attended a swank ball at University of Cambridge with Prince Charles (not that he was her date or anything just that he was also invited) and rebuilt trails with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

Now she writes children's books surrounded by a few kids, a few cats, and one husband. She loves reading books and watching television shows in equal numbers and thinks everyone should try pairing Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups with bourbon.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hummingbirds have always been little, zip-zagging wonders of nature to me. They move so fast! Like a blur of magic. You blink and they’re gone. That is where the magic lives and breaths though….when you do catch sight of a hummingbird, it will make you smile and burst with curiosity for the world around you.

“I stare at the tiny bird
who is staying in one place
by working very hard
and very fast to do it.

And suddenly with another buzz
it’s gone.

Leaving me behind.

Wishing I could follow.”

Readers follow Archie and his family through the scary, very uncertain, first days and many, many months of the pandemic. You have to meet Archie and hear his voice. He’ll make you laugh and tear up as he struggles through time indoors, masks, loneliness, and ZOOM. It’s a lot. School for kids became something entirely different. So many children felt isolated and unseen. Archie’s story will sound familiar to some and perhaps help others understand that time not too long ago more. And the brothers! Archie has an older brother, Hank, who is going through his own struggles during lockdown. The brothers are so brother-ly. Haha….You’ll love them.

I haven’t read many books with the pandemic in the plot. Have I been avoiding them? Maybe. I needed more time to heal I think. Hummingbird Season is written in verse though, which was a brilliant idea! Words like COVID-19, pandemic, and social distancing are on the page, but somehow don’t weigh down a reader as much in verse style. The pages appear lighter and more manageable with fewer words. Powerful words, fun words, and new words! Along with some drawings, images, and humor. It’s a joy to read really. My heart loved it. I loved the words!

Words like “thwalloping" and "hopebeat" felt created just for Archie. Storms were described as “flashing crashing light” and that otherworldly middle of the night vibe was oh-so-beautifully captured with these simple words….

“It is late
so late
I feel like there are numbers
on the clock
I’ve never seen before.”

On top of all that, we have hummingbird magic, sounds, and facts. I learned a lot and want to learn more! From feeders to speeds to slumber! It’s all in this little book. Along with huge HOPE. The pandemic was a dangerous time for all of us in more ways than one. It was a lonely time. A time when hope was needed and found in new and creative ways. Archie found his hope in his hummingbird. Where will you find yours?

Read this book! I highly recommend it for readers of all ages. It’s a beautiful read.

[Laurakania · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reading an ARC of this book - a sweet novel in verse told by a first grade boy about the very beginning of Covid. He is used to Friday. Ugh t dinners with the entire family - the only time they can all be together. Now, they are always together - but he is alone. Being a few years past the days of remote learning and social distancing, the memories he has are some fond reminders(mom is baking - all the time and she doesn’t care how much they eat!) Other things we would all like to forget. A well told, page turner.

[Eliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children's Books for letting me read an ARC of this book through NetGalley!

Hummingbird Season
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (5/5) or 9.42/10 overall

Characters - 9
Archie was such a likeable, enjoyable, and most importantly, relatable character. He had clear interests and had self-growth along the way. I enjoyed seeing the change in his brother's demeanor over time as well. The parents and teachers didn't play as large of a role, but they still seemed receptive to hearing Archie's thoughts and helping him with his emotions.

Atmosphere - 10
This book seemed to capture the thoughts and feelings of the 2020 COVID lockdown perfectly. Even though Archie was much younger than I was during the same time, I could totally understand and empathize with his struggles and joys.

Writing - 9
Coming into the story, I did not realize that it was a book in verse, but I think that element really added to the emotion in a way that a "normally written" book would not have.

Plot - 9
Despite this book's relatively simple premise of a boy with asthma feeling trapped inside by COVID, there was still a well-developed and interesting plot.

Intrigue - 10
I first picked this book up because I thought the cover was gorgeous and the title sounded interesting, but the book was so much more emotionally impactful and the words flowed so delicately that I couldn't put the book down.

Logic - 9
This book was quite logical and there weren't any moments that pulled me out of the story because they felt unrealistic. The timeline felt a tad wonky, but nothing that couldn't be overlooked.

Enjoyment - 10
I REALLY enjoyed this book. It made me simultaneously feel like a young kid again, while also bringing me back to the first moments of COVID (and the eventual return to "normalcy"). Archie's feelings were so raw and real that I could deeply understand where he was coming from, at that made it so much easier to root for him. Overall, a delightful, emotional read for me. :)

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story centers on COVID-19 and while I've read a few with that topic this one seemed to make it it's primary focus. I liked the main character, but found the novel in verse writing style to be staccato, ending too abruptly between each poem. It didn't flow well. Still, a good book for our students to read who have experienced the pandemic themselves.

CW: COVID (theme)

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2

[Mara K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good book! Written in verse, it tells the story of a kid during the pandemic. I really liked this book, and it went too quickly, in only an hour and a half

[Sara Mount · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC through Netgalley.
Although this novel in verse was set during COVID, the feelings expressed throughout were universal. Loneliness, isolation, and feeling unheard are such a common experience for preteens and Lucianovic expressed them so well through the imagery of the Zoom mute button and the use of white space on the page. The relationship between two brothers of very different personalities forced to share the same space was also nice to see unfold. Even as an adult, I could relate to the feelings of anger, confusion, and isolation felt by the main character. There were even some tears as the story drew to a close.

[Kathy Mathey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this little verse fiction a lot... captures the helplessness and confusion during COVID through the eyes of a student. Teaching through this time was equally distressing and perplexing.

[Kim Bahr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story of a difficult time

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feelings of isolation and a desire for connection come through loud and clear in Lucianovic’s NIV for elementary students. Set during the 2020 COVID shutdown with all but essential workers stick at home working and schooling via tablets and computers, Archie is feeling alone even more poignantly than others, or so he thinks. His older brother, Hank, seems to be adapting easily and is still maintaining connection with friends on and off screen. His parents are stuck in front of their screens and Archie searches for something to help them all find some hope and a way to regroup as a family. That hope comes in the form of a tiny hummingbird. Readers will learn about the small bird species while also stepping back into a time that many will remember well. And there lies my hesitancy to fully endorse this book. I absolutely found myself connecting to the emotions felt by both Archie and Hank and the experiences of their whole family. Lucianovic’s use of figurative language, spacing in her poetry, and ability to convey emotions with only a few words is not in question, but with nearly every moment inexplicably tied to the quarantining during COVID, Hummingbird Season may lose relevance with each passing year. Libraries will need to weight the cost-benefit of a beautiful NIV with the fact that it may only have a shelf life of a few more years.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Interesting novel in verse for younger children about what it was like to live and go to school during the pandemic. There are a lot of good details about how hard online school was, and how much time was spent being around one's family but not necessarily interating. I did enjoy the idea of making a hummingbird feeder; I think a lot of us found new things to do to keep engaged.

It boggles my mind that my students, who would have been Archie's age (9) during the pandemic, now WANT to sleep all day and not come to school. I'd buy this for elementary school, but may pass on purchasing for my middle school.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hummingbird Season follows a young boy through the opening days, weeks, and months of the COVID pandemic. While some people aren't yet ready to relive those experiences, others will relate to Archie's confusion and frustration as he tries to make himself heard. Despite spending his time at home with his family, he feels alone because he struggles to make himself understood. His parents and brother don't seem interested in what he has to say, and he feels like he's on permanent mute when he's remote learning. But his first sighting of a hummingbird inspires him to learn more and put out feeders. This interest provides a new topic of conversation both at home and at school. But a wildfire causes Ruby to disappear leaving Archie wondering if there's any hope left. Archie's easy to relate to as he struggles with the conditions that all of us struggled with in one way or another. But with the help of his family and his hummingbird friend, he holds on to hope and it helps him find a way to unmute himself and find people to listen to him. The free verse makes for a perfect vehicle for Archie to share his feelings as he goes through the ups and downs of his pandemic experience. Children who are ready to find a way to speak will find much to inspire them in this novel in verse.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy as it seems, this is a “shout-out” for PE teachers!

This book is about COVID and all the isolation that surrounded that time. However in it is one short page:

PE Class

I move my tablet
so I can move
without my tablet.

I click the link that connects me
to the PE teacher’s class.

I don’t know her.
She’s from a different school
but she’s teaching a bunch of schools at once
hundreds of students at once
which seems strange.

And she’s a stranger
in an orange shirt.

Right away
she starts telling jokes.

She doesn’t take roll.
She doesn’t give us online behavior rules. She just tells jokes.

Then she has us play games!
Inside our houses!

Running and jumping and throwing and stopping and dashing and leaping

(but somehow safely?).

And then she tells more jokes.
And I’m laughing.

Laughing
sweating
and laughing.

And my heart beats hard
and my stomach muscles
are sore from the happiness
of laughing.

Thank you, PE Teachers, for what you did for all of us during COVID!!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
. . . And I think EVERYONE should read this book! Not just for this tiny excerpt, but for the depth of this author’s understanding and transparency about how awful and yet HOPE-FILLED this time (COVID) became for all of us!

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

“When I don’t go to school, I feel invisible.”

I will never forget when my then-6-year-old said this to me and my husband. It was devastating. She was one of the lucky kids who got to return to in-person learning in the fall of 2020. But it forever changed her and our family.

Hummingbird Season brought memories from that time — both hard and heartwarming — rushing back. This novel in verse is an honest look at how the things that tore us apart also brought us together.

Author Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic’s ability to communicate emotions through thoughtfully paced tand expressive text makes you think:

“Parentheses are like whispering.
People can hear you
but also pretend not to hear you.

They are the mute button
of words
unmuted for your eyes.”

Readers will immediately identify with Archie or his brother, Hank — both are forced into online school, separated into different areas of their home while their parents also work from home.

Hummingbird Season is perfectly timed for kids of my daughter’s generation — those who are just turning 9, 10, 11, or 12 and would have lived this themselves.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel in Verse
Readers see this family as Covid begins and moves through the first Spring, Summer and Fall.
Archie is definitely struggling with being alone and having to stay in the house. He doesn't do well with the online classroom and feels even more alone as his Dad, Mom and brother all withdraw to their own areas to work and attend school. His first glimmer of hope comes when he sees a hummingbird. After learning about them, he orders feeders and connects to one specific bird who comes by to feed. The California wildfires move through the background for part of the story and affect life in their home and area. Lucianovic captures the gamut of emotions during that time and offers glimpses of hope amid the anxiety and fear. By the end, Archie feels seen and has been brave enough to participate in his classes. I love when he sees his classmate who is not participating amidst the noise. He models how we should interact with each other.

[Ashley Urquhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pandemic was hard for so many people, but we were lucky in the sense that my kids were either nonexistent or too young to really be affected when COVID started. This book gives such a real look into how older kids had to deal with the changes the pandemic brought. Archie and his brother Hank experienced the pandemic in different ways and had separate reactions. This book brings the pandemic back to mind in a real way and makes me feel all the more thankful that we’re through the lockdown stage.

Overall, I thought this book was sweet while also being thought provoking. I know what my pandemic experience was like, but I never considered how hard it must have been on school-aged kids. This could be a good read along with kids who may have struggled or continue to struggle with all of those changes.

Note: I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a huge fan of hummingbirds, I picked this one up solely for the cover art-but it didn’t disappoint! This middle grade novel centers around Archie, who is struggling to adjust to “the new normal” of his life during the Covid-19 lockdown. One day Archie notices a hummingbird outside his window, and decides to buy a feeder and learn more about them. When the hummingbird, Ruby, disappears during heavy smoke from a nearby wildfire, Archie worries about her and wonders if she will return. In the midst of this, Archie and his older brother are fighting, and Archie is struggling without the routine of school and seeing his friends. Told in verse, this book offered a good perspective of kids dealing with quarantine, especially someone with a compromised medical condition. The style of the language was geared more for younger middle grade readers.

[JL Salty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: g - no sex, no profanity
recommend: elementary readers curious about what it was like during Covid

LOVE the novel-in-verse format. I think the author did a great job of developing a plot and expressing the emotions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially for kids and families.

I think this book has good ... historical value, but as of this writing it's going to miss its mark. The elementary kids who experienced the pandemic are too old for the book, the kids who don't remember aren't curious yet. BUT I think this was a good look at what it was like to be scared and uninformed, suddenly in a new school situation, running out of essential items for the first time... All the things that we experienced in 2020 - 2021. The writing might have been cathartic for the author, but I'm afraid there won't be much audience for this book.

[Madison LibraryBookFamily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having survived social distancing while trying to do distance learning with two small children this book hit close to home. The story is told from the point of view of the youngest son in a family of four. His world is changed when Covid shuts the world down. Archie is full of sorrow, anger and loneliness. He struggles to find his place in an online first grade classroom. When he sees a hummingbird he starts to find hope. A short novel in verse that draws you in and pulls on your heart strings.
I’m grateful for the essential workers who got us through the pandemic. Grateful for teachers who tackled new challenges and helped families in distress.

[MamaBReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in one day. It was a beautiful and touching read about the days of the Covid pandemic when schools shut down. The family in this story had the same age spread as my own family so the struggle was very familiar. I was one of those teachers who had to find a way to shift education into the virtual then hybrid world. I also understand the social shift that occurred between my family (a bunch of rule followers) and those around us (less so). It may not age well as I have students who don’t know anything about 9/11, but for those of us who lived through it, this is a beautiful read.

[Deena Lipomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

When schools closed along with everything else in spring 2020 because of Covid-19, Archie is overlooked during online school and ignored by his brother until he puts out hummingbird feeders and learns more about these fascinating birds. This novel in verse hits on a lot of accurate experiences and feelings during that time period that readers can relate to, along with the relief felt when some things go back to "normal" with masks. It is a good story about loneliness and how each of us thrives under different circumstances.

[Carrie Kruck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book full of heart and humor that will be a comfort to kids and families still processing the experience of the COVID shutdowns. An important book too for those kids too young to remember it in great detail but affected by it nonetheless, and curious to learn more (like my own 10-year-old!) But the main themes of finding connection in times of loneliness, finding hope in times of darkness, and finding your voice when you feel lost in the world, are what make this book truly shine and will resonate with readers for years to come.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
Archie begins to feel increasingly alone and muted as his family shelters in place during the COVID19 pandemic. He discovers a hummingbird outside his window and becomes interested in hummingbirds and then anxious when wildfires seem to have driven his hummingbird away. The hummingbird and the care for it ground Archie and bring his family together as they are all managing their own anxieties from the lockdown and isolation. This novel in verse captures the feeling of being muted in an online world and the sense of being unseen and unheard.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will break your heart right open. Lucianovic has a gift for knowing what kids are feeling--and their feelings were so strong during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Archie is a sensitive kid having a very tough time. His big brother is pulling away, he can't see his friends, and everything is different. But he holds on to hope and hummingbirds, and is able to pull through and help others on the same journey. This book will be helpful for kids processing their own feelings, and historically significant for readers of the future.

[LS Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this novel in verse did a good job capturing the emotions and events surrounding the start of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic for the youngest students. I'm not sure current readers have the emotional and mental bandwidth to appreciate this book right now. The effects are still too fresh. But I think this book is vital and will be much more needed and appreciated in a few years in the future.

[Glenna Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Archie has a lot of trouble with virtual school during the pandemic. He feels that everyone, even his family to some extent, has him on mute. He is someone who needs to be heard, to let his feelings out and to process out loud. When Archie discovers a hummingbird in his yard, somehow, Ruby, his new hummingbird friend, helps those around Archie to unmute and become a true community. Written in verse, this book explores the realities and feelings of the Covid pandemic lockdown.

[Holly Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

What did we learn from remote learning during COVID? What was it really like for kids? Families? How did they find hope? This nove in verse is from the perspective of what might have been a kindergartener or first grader from March 2020 through the next school year. It's hard to remember how hard it was. But this little friend is so lonely throughout, it's painful to read. And without hope for a big chunk of time. Only by finding a hummingbird does he find hope. I found it painful, but ultimately uplifting. I'm just not sure it needs to be in an elementary school collection. But I was really glad to have read it.

[Sue Goldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book, mostly for upper elementary/middle school readers about what it was like to "go" to school and just plain exist during Covid lockdown. The book is written in poetry and digs deep into the emotional life of the younger son in a California family. What does it feel like when the world is on mute.... or when you'd like to mute out the rest of the world? We all need to be heard and understood. We all need hummingbirds and hope!

[Jessica_loves_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listening to this book took me right back to those early days of the COVID shutdown where we taught online and we feared going anywhere outside our bubble. In this book a young boy, struggling with the isolation he is feeling, takes on feeding the hummingbirds in his neighborhood. His observations of the tiny birds were what I loved most about this middle grade book written in verse. Even I learned a few new facts about my favorite birds!

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great look at navigating the changes that happened during the pandemic. Archie has a hard time adjusting and feels very lonely, but starts concentrating on the hummingbirds and finds a purpose again.
This is a really lovely novel in verse that so many kids will be able to relate to.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!