From the opening pages
I had wanted to yell and hit and break things. The wind had been blowing so hard earlier in the day that it rained sideways. I'd only been driving for a few months, and was too nervous to drive Dad's car during the storm. I was over two hours late. "Dad's going to kill me for taking his car!" I slumped against the wet hood, and squeezed my eyes shut. My mind endlessly revved: Why did Mom die? Why did Granddad have a sick heart? Why did Dad move so far away from our home in Savannah?
At least the agonizing whispering was over — doctors, shrinks, nurses, neighbors, coaches, teachers, relatives, friends; they all spoke in a hush like I was fragile or something.
"Mom," I sighed. "I wish you were here to help."
Middle Grade · Adventure · Road Trip
Tripp takes his Granddad from a nursing home in Seattle to their real home in Savannah, Georgia — in his dad's prized 1962 Thunderbird. Along the way they pick up a girl named Angie, hear the screech of the owl that once saved Granddad's life, and discover that some journeys only go one way.
Buy on Amazon →What readers are saying
The Bird is an adventure that opens eyes, makes the heart race, and spirits fly.
Carol Lee Lorenzo · Author, Nervous Dancer
I liked this book. It was an adventure book. It told about Granddad's early memories. Also it reminded me of my grandpa. The author made me want to keep reading to find out what would happen next.
Flamingnet Student Book Reviewer · Age 11, Leopold, Missouri
I have a reluctant reader in my class. I asked him to preview The Bird for me — he'd read your other book and really liked it. He said The Bird was the best book he'd ever read. Then another boy in the class asked if he could read it after Christian gave his book talk. I'm planning on reading it, but I have a feeling it will make its way through the 6th grade first.
Julie Johnson · MICDS, St. Louis, Missouri
Tripp is a boy carrying more than any kid should have to carry — a dead mother, a distant father, a grandfather slipping away in a nursing home far from everything he loves. When Tripp decides to take matters into his own hands and drive Granddad home to Savannah, he sets off a journey that becomes about much more than getting somewhere.
Along Route 2, they pick up Angie — an artist looking for a bus ticket to New York. Somewhere in the miles between Seattle and Georgia, Granddad hears the screech of his owl. And somewhere near the end, he finishes carving it.
The Bird is the book traditional publishers asked Martin to soften — they wanted Tripp to ask permission before taking the car. Martin said no. The version you're reading is the one he meant to write.
Available now on Amazon in paperback and digital editions.
Buy The Bird on Amazon ← Browse all recommended books