★ “This singular story of a grieving and unconventional family belongs alongside Holly Goldberg Sloan’s Counting by 7s, Cindy Baldwin’s Where the Watermelons Grow, and Ali Benjamin’s The Thing about Jellyfish. Highly recommended.”

★ “This strong, emotional, and engaging read is a must-have for any library. The issues are dealt with realistically and challenge the reader to examine their personal feelings, the various modes for dealing with grief, gender fluidity, and how to appropriately support students in their search for who they truly are. A great coming-of-age story.”

“Nuanez’s debut tells an endearing story of family in the wake of tragedy, anchored by the wonderfully loving and supportive relationship between Jack and Birdie. . . . [T]he prose flows seamlessly and the dialogue feels undeniably real.”

“Sure-handed storytelling . . . [A] strong middle grade debut.”

“A beautiful, sensitive story about a sister and brother finding their way through tragedy and grief. Readers will love this eminently satisfying tale; its courageous characters will stay with them long after they turn the last page.”

“There is so much tenderness in Jack and Birdie’s story that you will feel like a better person for having read it. Here is a book you will want to hug before you put it down. You will want to share it with all your friends. You will especially want to give it to anyone who has ever felt like an island. Then you will open the cover and read it again. I promise.”

“Nuanez’s outstanding debut shines with exceptionally well-drawn characters, all hobbled by one unspeakable loss, and all taking seemingly disparate measures to mend their tattered hearts. BIRDIE AND ME is an absorbing, hope-giving story about family love and acceptance.”

“Both hopeful and heartbreaking, Birdie and Me is a tender story about grief, identity, and the beauty and comfort that comes from letting yourself love and be loved. A luminous debut.”

“CJ and I loved Birdie and Me, a heartbreakingly moving story about family, change, creativity, and home. Nuanez captures the tender and tragic aspects of love and loss, grief and growth. It is a much needed and beautifully written story that brings to life a flawed family courageously and carefully navigating loss, learning how to celebrate one another in all their differences. We can’t wait to share it as far and widely as possible.”

“Brimming with heart, humor, and hope, Birdie and Me is a touching exploration of grief, mental illness, and the many beautiful definitions of family.”

“Rarely has a sister-brother relationship been portrayed with such tenderness as in Birdie and Me. In her heart-opening debut novel, Nuanez shows how, in the midst of loss and grief, young people can find love and hope and a deep sense of family in the most unexpected ways.”