Sparrow Being Sparrow

The Sparrow Series

by Gail Donovan, Elysia Case (Illustrator)

An endearingly energetic fourth grader takes on the big job of finding new homes for her neighbor’s seven cats in this “uplifting” ( Publishers Weekly , starred review) illustrated middle grade novel for fans of Patricia MacLachlan and Sharon Creech.

Sparrow Robinson loves to dance and leap around. She loves cats. She has a million questions about the world, and she’s not afraid to ask them. But she’s just moved to a new town and a new school, and her busy parents have no time for her to get “carried away.” Suddenly, she feels totally out of place.

Sparrow’s favorite thing in all this newness is her neighbor, Mrs. LaRose, who has seven cats and always has cookies and lemonade to share. But after Mrs. LaRose breaks her hip, she decides to move into assisted living—where the cats aren’t allowed! Sparrow has to help.

Determined to find new homes for the cats, Sparrow forgets about her own troubles—but her quest just might be the key to Sparrow finding a home for herself in this town, too.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Chapter Books, Cats, Juvenile, Childrens, Fiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published July 25, 2023

About the author

Gail Donovan was fired from her first job in an ice cream shop for making the sundaes too big. She now works in a library and writes middle grade novels, including IN MEMORY OF GORFMAN T. FROG, named to the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing list; FINCHOSAURUS, winner of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award; as well as the trilogy SPARROW BEING SPARROW (Publishers Weekly, starred review), SPARROW SPREADS HER WINGS (Maine Literary Award winner for Young People's Literature), and SPARROW, ALWAYS. She has also written for the Rainbow Fish & Friends picture book series based on the bestselling work of Marcus Pfister. Donovan lives on the coast of Maine, where she jumps in the ocean all year round.

Reviews

[Maggie Vallette · Rating 3 out of 5]

WAW 3-5 25-26 book. Read this book with my daughter and she loved it. The main character is spunky and unique like her ❤️ This realistic fiction book follows a girl named Sparrow and her quirky personality as she navigates different life changes. She has befriended her neighbor Mrs. LaRose a certified cat lady, but when an accident lands Mrs. LaRose in the hospital, Sparrow must take care of the 7 cats. She finds a sense of responsibility, but must also make sure she is honest to her new friends about the situation. A sweet story and my daughter gave it a 5/5 stars. I can see this being popular with many students

[Amber Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Allen White ✅

A rambunctious girl, a cat-lady neighbor, a new school, and all the feelings of childhood that are sometimes hard to put into words. Sparrow being sparrow takes lots of forms as she navigates her new life. Oh-and 7 cats!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Sparrow and her parents live in a duplex next to Mrs. LaRose, who will occasionally watch fourth grader Sparrow when her mother is working at a dentist's office and her father works nights at the newspaper. When the overly exuberant Sparrow encourages her elderly neighbor to cavort in the yard, Mrs. LaRose falls and breaks her hip. Sparrow feels guilty even though it wasn't her fault, and even Mrs. LaRosa's daughter doesn't blame her. She does ask sparrow to watch her mother's cats, and Sparrow tells her new classmates that they are hers. She feels bad about her lie, but when the cats all need homes because Mrs. LaRose is going into a senior facility, she comes clean and manages to place all of the cats, which is a good thing, because her mother is pregnant.

Sparrow seemed more like she was in second grade to me, and didn't seem responsible enough to take care of that many cats. Definitely a strong elementary feel to this one, and it reminds me of a number of books with younger characters (like Pennypacker's Clementine) that I can't remember because I didn't end up buying them. Definitely a good choice for fans of cats!

[Bekah Page Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

My eleven year old and I read this together and she wasn't sure about it at first but we are glad that we stayed with it and finished it. It was so much more interesting of a book than the description leads one to believe. Good for parents to be able to get a perspective on how their children feel sometimes when we parents do what we sometimes do: speak for our children, answer for our children, say "we" when we really mean us (parents). If you read the book you'll see what I mean. This book navigates some traditionally complex situations and themes: moving to a new neighborhood, new house, new school, new neighbor, new friends, pets, responsibility, going to church for the first time, announcement of a new baby...whew! We follow Sparrow and her parents through all of this and that's a lot for one book. The book even mentions Sparrow's parents took a parenting class and are trying to apply what they've learned! (Ground breaking for a children's book in my opinion!)
I would love to read about Sparrow and her new sibling in a future book. Hope there will be one in the future and I'd like a check in on Mrs. LaRose too. Loved it!

[Thomas Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. I really loved how Sparrow (the main character) had her quirks just like every kid, and the author did a great job illustrating them - making her feel quite real. And that is what the book ended up being about - how she worked hard, and used her unique traits, to accomplish something big.

Throughout the book there are also little fun stories and lessons for kids about how to be a good friend, etc., but they were very well-placed. The author did a wonderful job weaving them into her story, and it became a small beautiful tapestry.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was cute, but it is hard to say who the audience should be. There are themes of making new friends, following directions, dealing with lying and making tough choices, but it also is geared toward a younger audience. I think a 4th grader (the age of the girl in the story) would find it too babyish, but it would be too long and too much for a third grader.

The book was long, although it was divided into short chapters. There aren't any illustrations throughout the book (maybe one or two) so it is a lot of reading.

[Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sparrow is a character, that's for sure. She doesn't feel like she can juggle finding homes for these cats and doing other daily life things, like going to school. But she is determined and figures it out.
This is a good story for anyone who has a child who feels a little out of their depth and needs to take time to learn a little more responsibility.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

[Kimberly Hinman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sparrow has a lot of things happening in her life. The story starts with her neighbor having an accident that Sparrow may have had a hand in. To try and make up for it, she offers to care for the neighbor’s seven cats and the story just snowballs from there. Sparrow means well, like most kids do, but she learns a lot about friendship, family, and controlling her emotions. I liked this cute story and it will make a great addition to my collection!

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was adorable and compelling and even as a 55 year old woman, I identified with Sparrow Robinson. She is irrepressible and excited by life, loves cats and her elderly neighbor, Mrs. LaRose.

The book has a sweet middle grade storyline that will have you laughing and sniffling and you will not want to leave this wonderful kid behind when you turn the last page!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many dog books and not nearly enough cat books. In this delightful book, Sparrow ends up caring for her next door neighbor’s seven cats, when the neighbor breaks her hip in an accident. Sparrow blames herself for the accident and we come to see that Sparrow struggles with self-control and making good choices. She’s also going through difficulty making friends in her new school.

[Keli Jacewitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a 4th grade teacher and wanted to see if this William Allan White award winner would be a good class read aloud. The story is very simple and falls flat, in my opinion. I won't be using it as a read aloud. There are 2 types of readers that will like this book, your cat lovers and kids that are ready for a novel that isn't too challenging.

[Maizie :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing, the writing was just perfect for a little kids internal dialogue and it’s a perfect read aloud for any age! The art that goes along with it makes it just that much more magical!

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really sweet. I loved all the cats, and the only reason I gave it 4 stars is because it could get sort of boring, but it was a really quick read, and one of those books that just makes you happy.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

P. 170 "Lots of times she felt like her mom didn't understand why she said what she said or did what she did. But today it felt like her mom could see inside her. And her mom wasn't trying to fix what she saw."

[Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story, reminds me of a certain little girl in my life.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For kids who like cats and want to read about a spunky girl who has difficulty sitting still in her Catholic church.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, a great story for elementary students.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice story with a very real heroine. My cat-loving third grader loved it.

Note: the story involves going to church, but it's not preachy or proselytizing.

[PottWab Regional Library]

A

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really sweet read for 3rd-4th graders and at just under 200 pages, it is an appealing length! And I always have readers asking for cat books, so this is perfect for them!

[sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A heartfelt, pick-me-up chapter book about an enthusiastic young girl who finds herself in charge of finding homes for six cats and the power of community.

[Makenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read-aloud with Siri! A solid book with an easy to follow plot. Not super memorable but the illustrations were adorable!

[Adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3

[Victoria Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one more than most! I think Becca did too. WAW 2025-2026 list, grades 3-5.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Sparrow's elderly neighbor breaks her hip, she takes it upon herself to take care of Mrs. LaRose's seven cats. As Sparrow and her family find community in their new town, she may also have to help find new homes for the cats if Mrs. LaRose has to move away. I enjoyed Sparrow's energetic personality along with the adorable kitty illustrations!