Birdie: A powerful, moving animal and friendship tale

This heart-warming story has a well-crafted plot that first draws you in and then leaves you with a feeling of satisfaction. Birdie lives in a children's home specifically for the illegitimate children of white English women and black American GI's. Surrounded by others like her, all under the benign care of the Mr and Mrs Dudley, she is blissfully unaware that her skin colour may draw prejudice. When her great aunt sends to adopt her, she is nervous about leaving the only home she has ever known. She is also totally unprepared for the chilly welcome and belittling treatment she is about to receive.

I found this part of Birdie painfully moving. Birdie's innocent bewilderment is heartbreaking. One day the bullying drives her to hide in the nearby coal mine where she is unexpectedly rescued by the last pit pony in the village. A growing friendship between Birdie and Mr Duke, the pony, becomes a lifeline until she realises the danger that threatens his future. She feels duty bound to protect him and will risk everything in a daring plan to lead him to safety.

There are echoes of Anne of Green Gables here. While her plans may be impulsive rather than foolproof, Birdie's passionate spirit is indomitable and the unstinting warmth of her good heart is infectious. It wins over the people of Barrington Dale and, as a reader, it's impossible to resist.

The narrative is rooted in the author's own experience. After being adopted, she grew up in a small Yorkshire village and as a child was fascinated by the pit ponies who worked in the local mines. Don't miss reading the historical notes at the end which explain all this and more. No wonder the story feels authentic as it unpicks themes of finding a home, a family and a place in the world.

256 pages / Reviewed by Louisa Farrow, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+