Birdie’s Bargain

Birdie is ten when her father has to go back to Iraq for the war. She’s certain he’ll be killed, but she’d been to Bible camp three summers, so she knows her only hope is to make a bargain with God that she will be really good if God will take care of Daddy, bringing him home safe. She’d also learned if she didn’t pray right or believe right, she would burn for eternity in the flames of hell. Birdie tries really hard to pray and believe right even when things at school go badly. She’s bullied by some boys and even by Alicia Marie who claims to be her best friend. But the bad news is coming for Birdie both about her dad and Alicia Marie.

Katherine Paterson has written a compelling story that youngsters should find relatable if they are religious, but many who are not will be put off by the abundance of religion in the story. What Birdie and her family face with her father’s deployment and having to move in with Birdie’s grandmother is plenty to carry readers through. The writing is excellent and the characters are well-rounded and interesting.