Chasing Redbird facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Sharon Creech |
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| Illustrator | Marc Burkhardt (map) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's |
| Published | 1997 HarperTrophy - An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 261- Paperback |
Chasing Redbird is an exciting book written by Sharon Creech and published in 1997. It tells the story of a girl named Zinnia Taylor, often called Zinny. Fans of Sharon Creech might notice that Zinny sometimes talks about her friend Sal. This is a special nod to Salamanca Hiddle, the main character from Creech's famous 1995 book, Walk Two Moons, which won the Newbery Medal. Both books take place in the same world!
Contents
Zinny's Big Adventure
Zinnia "Zinny" Taylor is a thirteen-year-old girl who starts out quite shy. But she can also be very adventurous! Zinny loves spending time outdoors. She lives close to her aunt and uncle, Jessie and Nate. Her parents are often busy with her many brothers and sisters. Because of this, Zinny often spends her time with Aunt Jessie and Uncle Nate. They enjoy going on long walks in nature together.
A Sad Secret and a Discovery
Aunt Jessie and Uncle Nate once had a daughter named Rose. Rose was about Zinny's age when she passed away from a sickness. Aunt Jessie finds it hard to talk about Rose. Zinny has always felt a little bit responsible for Rose's illness. This is because Rose caught the sickness from Zinny.
Years later, Zinny stumbles upon an old, overgrown trail. This trail is more than two hundred years old! It's like finding a secret path from the past.
Clearing the Trail
Then, something very sad happens: Aunt Jessie unexpectedly passes away. Zinny feels very sad and blames herself for this, too. To cope with her sadness, Zinny starts to clear the old trail. It becomes a huge project for her. She decides she must clear and walk the entire trail before the summer ends.
Clearing the trail becomes an important mission for Zinny. She hopes it will help her feel better and find peace. While working on the trail, Zinny also starts to deal with her feelings about Rose and Aunt Jessie.
New Feelings and Self-Discovery
During her adventure, Zinny meets a boy named Jake Boone. She starts to have feelings for him. But she also wonders if Jake likes her back, or if he's just trying to get closer to her older sister, May.
Through all these challenges, Zinny finally finds something special that is all her own: the ancient trail she worked so hard to clear. It helps her understand herself better and find her own path forward.
Looking Back
The author, Sharon Creech, uses a special writing trick in the book called flashbacks. This means the story sometimes jumps back in time. These flashbacks show us what Zinny's life was like before her aunt passed away. They also help us understand how much her life changed after Aunt Jessie was gone.
