SOLVED. Children’s fiction. Boy struggles at home and at school and wants to run away to the blue mountains. Has strong links to birds and mental illness. [s]

[Jaime]

Children’s fiction. Boy struggles at home and at school and wants to run away to the blue mountains. Has strong links to birds and mental illness

[Lisa]

This description reminds me of My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George.

[Kris]

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George - Lisa's suggestion

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Jaime, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

[Kris]

No response, moving to Abandoned folder.

Jaime (OP) last posted in the group in June 2018.

[Jaime]

Sorry! I am still looking hahaha

[Rainbowheart]

Jaime, did you rule out Lisa's suggestion above?

[Jaime]

Yes! Sorry definitely not that :)

[Rainbowheart]

By "the blue mountains," do you mean the ones in Oregon?

[Kris]

Thanks for the update, Jaime. I moved your request back to the "Unsolved" folder.

Around what year did you read this book?

What are the references to mental illness?

Story's time period and location?

[Capn]

Rainbowheart wrote: "By "the blue mountains," do you mean the ones in Oregon?"

Also Australia.... I added a bunch of antipodean ones (esp. Colin Thiele) to the Young Ornithologists list here: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[Jaime]

Yes, it’s based of the Australian Blue Mountains. He is a pen friend with a scientist who lives in the Blue Mountains.

[Jaime]

Just to add some more information. I have been searching for this book for years.. it is an Australian book.
It’s about a boy who is obsessed with birds and wants to go to the Blue Mountains because he has a pen friendship with the scientist that lives there. He has a really hard time in school and with family stuff. I remember at the end of the book he tries to escape and he goes to the train station and the story explains that he becomes a bird.
There is definitely a bird name in the title .

[Rainbowheart]

I'm sure we can track it down!

What year did you read it, approximately?

[Jaime]

About 2011

[Capn]

And the scientist he writes to is an ornithologist or biologist or similar? Or something else entirely? :) (Mad scientist?!)

[Jaime]

Haha Hi Capn! He is a botanist or similar.. an expert on birds I seem to think. (Not mad.. i dont think?)

[Rainbowheart]

Was the boy a teenager or a younger child?

Do you remember if he actually does run away, or if he just thinks about it?

[Jaime]

He does run away at the end of the book but he only gets as far as the train station. It finishes on this large visual scene of him turning into a bird and it implies many different things including he could of died

[Joseph]

I think this is Bird & Sugar Boy, by Sofie Laguna.

[Jaime]

Joseph wrote: "I think this is Bird & Sugar Boy, by Sofie Laguna."

OMG that is it!!!!

[Joseph]

Great! Enjoy getting reacquainted with it!

[Capn]

Joseph wrote: "I think this is Bird & Sugar Boy, by Sofie Laguna."

Nice solve. ;)

[Rainbowheart]

Awesome news, glad it's solved!