Chasing Redbird is not your average coming of age novel, and Zinny Taylor is not your average heroine. Instead of chasing boys and searching for love, this spunky thirteen-year-old is chasing dreams and searching for herself; on a quest to find an identity she can call her own. As the middle child of six siblings, Zinny constantly suffers the question, “Which Taylor are you, again?” It seems to Zinny that all of her siblings have a defining feature that sets them apart, all of them except her. There is the strong Will, gentle Ben, cute Sam, nice Bonnie, smart and level-headed Gretchen, and the beautiful, but jealous and boy-crazy, May. Her own siblings even struggle to characterize her, and resolve to label her as the “strangest and stringiest dirt-daubing” sibling-hardly a badge one wears with pride. In fact, the only person who does seem able to identify Zinny as anything special is Jake Boone, a childhood friend who has just returned to this sleepy Kentucky town looking a little more handsome than anyone can remember and a lot more rebellious. Despite Zinny’s constant rejection, Jake is undeterred from winning her affection. As annoying as he might be, she can’t help but wonder if there is more to Jake Boone than meets the eye. Fortunately, Zinny is able to find refuge from the chaos next door with her kooky Uncle Nate and her sturdy Aunt Jessie who dote over her as if she were their own. But, when her safe haven is compromised, Zinny is forced to find another place of peace. It is here that she discovers a trail hidden beneath weeds and dirt that stretches twenty miles to an unknown destination. Determined, and in need of a place to call her own, Zinny sets out to uncover the lost trail, unaware that she will discover much more than just where the path ends.
This book was recommended to me by my thirteen-year-old sister who described the title as a “comfort read,” and no other phrase sums it up quite as well. Chasing Redbird is a well-written easy read, and I can see middle school students really enjoying it. As a college-age female I found myself unable to get away from the book for long stretches of time; not because it was so suspenseful or mysterious, but because I continually longed to go back to Zinny’s world. Author Sharon Creech takes us back to childhood, to the years before boys and girls are expected to fit into rigid gender roles. She takes us back to summers that were spent outdoors, when girls could spend the day digging in the dirt, and not be particularly interested when boys vied for their attention. Whether it is because Zinny so reminds me of the observant, girl-not-quite-woman, Scout Finch, who is also lost in a world of change, or if it is because Zinny’s town resembles the quiet, but mysterious town of Maycomb, I cannot help but connect this novel to Harper Lee’s To Kill an Mockingbird, despite little similarity between the plot and theme. What I loved most about this novel is the fact that Creech made no effort to fulfill our expectations about young female characters. In the age of Bella Swan and Hunger Game love triangles, it is refreshing to read about a very capable, independent, and sarcastic young girl who would rather spend her days camping and climbing trees than go on a single date. Even in Zinny’s weakest moments, when it would be so easy for Jake to sweep in and save the day, she opts to use her wit and sharp tongue to head off danger. Zinny is a reminder for women who might have forgotten their identities before adolescence and a role model for young girls on the cusp of shedding their childhood.
As the middle child of six siblings, Zinny constantly suffers the question, “Which Taylor are you, again?” It seems to Zinny that all of her siblings have a defining feature that sets them apart, all of them except her. There is the strong Will, gentle Ben, cute Sam, nice Bonnie, smart and level-headed Gretchen, and the beautiful, but jealous and boy-crazy, May. Her own siblings even struggle to characterize her, and resolve to label her as the “strangest and stringiest dirt-daubing” sibling-hardly a badge one wears with pride.
In fact, the only person who does seem able to identify Zinny as anything special is Jake Boone, a childhood friend who has just returned to this sleepy Kentucky town looking a little more handsome than anyone can remember and a lot more rebellious. Despite Zinny’s constant rejection, Jake is undeterred from winning her affection. As annoying as he might be, she can’t help but wonder if there is more to Jake Boone than meets the eye.
Fortunately, Zinny is able to find refuge from the chaos next door with her kooky Uncle Nate and her sturdy Aunt Jessie who dote over her as if she were their own. But, when her safe haven is compromised, Zinny is forced to find another place of peace. It is here that she discovers a trail hidden beneath weeds and dirt that stretches twenty miles to an unknown destination. Determined, and in need of a place to call her own, Zinny sets out to uncover the lost trail, unaware that she will discover much more than just where the path ends.
This book was recommended to me by my thirteen-year-old sister who described the title as a “comfort read,” and no other phrase sums it up quite as well. Chasing Redbird is a well-written easy read, and I can see middle school students really enjoying it. As a college-age female I found myself unable to get away from the book for long stretches of time; not because it was so suspenseful or mysterious, but because I continually longed to go back to Zinny’s world. Author Sharon Creech takes us back to childhood, to the years before boys and girls are expected to fit into rigid gender roles. She takes us back to summers that were spent outdoors, when girls could spend the day digging in the dirt, and not be particularly interested when boys vied for their attention. Whether it is because Zinny so reminds me of the observant, girl-not-quite-woman, Scout Finch, who is also lost in a world of change, or if it is because Zinny’s town resembles the quiet, but mysterious town of Maycomb, I cannot help but connect this novel to Harper Lee’s To Kill an Mockingbird, despite little similarity between the plot and theme.
What I loved most about this novel is the fact that Creech made no effort to fulfill our expectations about young female characters. In the age of Bella Swan and Hunger Game love triangles, it is refreshing to read about a very capable, independent, and sarcastic young girl who would rather spend her days camping and climbing trees than go on a single date. Even in Zinny’s weakest moments, when it would be so easy for Jake to sweep in and save the day, she opts to use her wit and sharp tongue to head off danger. Zinny is a reminder for women who might have forgotten their identities before adolescence and a role model for young girls on the cusp of shedding their childhood.