Customer Reviews

Chasing Redbird

5 star:		(140)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This book was an awesome book. It was about a girl named Zinnia (Zinny for short). Zinny is kind of lost in her big family with her three sisters, her three brothers, her parents, and her aunt and uncle. When a tragic incident happens with her Aunt Jessie, she is beside herself with grief, and is convinced that what happened was her fault. One day, she is walking behind her house, and sees an overgrown trail, and decides to uncover the whole thing, from her little town all the way to Chocton. It turns out to be a very long way, and constantly along the trail, she finds things that relate to what is happening in her life at the moment. The end is very satisfying, and I am convinced that anyone (girls especially) from the ages of 10 to probably 14 or so will really enjoy this thought-provoking novel.

Set in Kentucky like several of her other books, this is the story of an extended family living in a duplex of sorts on the family land. Zinny Taylor, the thirteen year old daughter of one of the two families is the story's first-person teller. She tells us of her own family and that of her neighboring uncle and aunt. The aunt and uncle lost their only child, a daughter the same age as Zinny, as a toddler. Zinny herself is from a brood of some half dozen siblings but is the one closest to the uncle and aunt. Zinny sets the task for herself of clearing a long-overgrown path that runs from behind her home to a town nearby. She is emotionally working through that beloved aunt's passing away, but also through what may be her first bit of genuine romantic interest from a fellow who has returned to town. In some ways this is the story of Zinny's going through grieving. But it is also a tale of a loving family told in realistic ways through the voice of a realistic main character. Another fine work from a favorite YA author. If you like this one, Walk Two Moons is even better, and just as good are Absolutely Normal Chaos and The Wanderer.

This is an adventurous story about a thirteen year old girl named Zinny. Zinny has two brothers and three sisters. Zinny is the outcast child of the family. A lot of the time Zinny stays with her Aunt Jessie and Uncle Nate. She was very close to them. Zinny's aunt Jessie dies and her life is changed a lot. After her aunt Jessie died Jake Bone (an old friend of Zinny's family) comes around and starts to give items to Zinny a lot of different items. Zinny's sister May is very mad because she has a crush on Jake Bone. One day Zinny found out Jake was a thief. He stole cookies from miss flints store (supposedly). Zinny figured that out because she knew Miss Flint would never give out free anything and Jake had said that he got them for free. A couple of weeks after Aunt Jessie's death uncle Nate started acting very weird. He was always chasing something around with a stick and trying to catch it. But no one knew what he was doing. One day he came home and started to wave around a camera and he was screaming "proof, proof, PROOF" the whole family asked him what he was doing and he said "its proof. Of what." The children said of what "MY REDBIRD" he yelled. Before Aunt Jessie's death, Zinny found a trail and after aunt Jessie died she felt like she had to finish it. Because that's what she thought aunt Jessie wanted her to keep uncovering it. She felt that if she didn't finish it she would die. And she was scared that they would put her in the death drawer. Because Aunt Jessie believed that a persons first and last resting place should be in a drawer.

I read Chasing Redbird in seventh grade,and now I'm in 9th.I would just have to say that this book is one of my favorites,despite the fact that it isn't a best selling novel or a classic,the types of books I usually read.

Chasing Redbird is about,as you know,Zinny,the middle child of a large family who is often overlooked and made fun of by her brothers and sister.She stumbles upon a trail that leads to self-discovery and also answers many questions for her.

The reason why I enjoyed this book so much was probably because I haven't read a story like it.Sharon Creech weaved together a story including humor,sadness,and even romance(in a teenage form).All those elements were expressed well throughout the book,as well as the importance of family.

This book may seem mundane to many,but it wasn't for me.I don't really know who to recommend this to,but maybe to those who are willing to read a simple,intricate story.

To tell you the truth I read this book years ago; but, since I only just discovered this site, I am going to write my review now.Besides, I remember the book quite clearly. How could I forget it? It was absolutly my favorite book for years to come.
This book really gets you on the lead character's side. You're right with this book from the third page, making the book very hard to put down.
Since a lot of kids could relate to most of Zinny's problems,(losing a friend, loved one dies, family troubles,privacy, ext.)this book is very realistic.(I went through quite a few things that Zinny went through too)
It's filled with tons of different emotion that might rub off on you and make you cry.
You might think that not a lot of stuff can happen if it's about a girl uncovering a trail. It's surprisingly not boring. This book has quite a few characters. It has more than enough to keep this book interesting, and more than enough to keep your flashlight on after 2:00 A.M.
You'll enjoy this book at any age. I'd suggest it for junior high though. Older people might be looking for something that makes you laugh or something that is a bit heavier.( although this is probably the most mature-written junior high book I've ever read.)
I gave this book four stars because this book was enticing, but I've read better. It was so good that I think schools should definitly get their kids to read this, bet I've read other books that have truly captured my heart.(I think this book captured my heart at some point, but I've grown up a bit now. Not to say I still don't enjoy this book.)If you are a junior high kid, I'm rating this book five stars to you.
PLOT: (I won't spoil anything, I promise)


Zinny is someone you might call troubled at a first glance but really, I feel, and you'll feel too, she doesn't get a chance to explain her self or let her feelings out. After all she has many brothers and many sisters which she has to share with, it's not like her parents are going to have a lot of time for her solely. Fortunately, she has her Uncle. Unfortunately she doesn't have A. Her best friend.(1. foot note)
B. Her very missed aunt.
C. A childhood friend/cousin who left her troubled.
D. A healthy,(by the looks of it) sane uncle.
Soon she discovers a trail. She plans to keep this trail to her self, but when her brother follows her from the back yard to the trail, well, she can pretty much scratch that thought. All is not lost; her family eventually forgets about their invasive endeavors and leave her to her trail peacefully again.
That leaves Zinny determined to complete the trail. She feels obligated to finish it. She feels that if she doesn't, god may come swiping down from the clouds and determine her fate.
A refreshing change to the plot is when a 17 year old(3 years older than zinny) boy(I forget his name)takes interest into Zinny. This boy is from Zinny's family past.
Zinny isn't ignorant though. She thinks this boy is using her to get through to her sister. She's paranoid with good reason, this has happened before. The gifts from the boy keep coming, and getting better all the time too.(usually getting her in trouble. Some of the gifts aren't exactly legal.) Usually each gift leads to a adventure, which makes the plot even better.


Hope you enjoy the book! I know you will!


Footnote. 1. I thought this was pretty interesting. All of Sharon Creech's books are connected by the lead characters' relationships with other lead characters from other Sharon Creech books. Zinny's best friend is the lead character from another one of Sharon Creech's books: Walk Two Moons.

This book is crafted so wonderfully. One moment Zinnia, the book's narrator, is making you laugh hard, and the next she's making you cry. That's just part of the brilliancy of this book. Zinnia is a wonderful, insightful, witty narrator. She does a wonderful job of guiding you and guiding herself on and through her personal story. The idea of uncovering a lost trail is enthralling, and Zinnia's tale of personal loss and guilt is saddening. I enjoyed this book very much.

I read Walk Two Moons a year ago and absolutely loved it. I read it about twelve times and my book is practically falling apart. I saw Chasing Redbird in a bookstore and grabbed it off the shelf. I was hooked by the first sentence. This is a book for everyone who's wanted to have something of their very own, and feels surpressed by a big family, but that doesn't really make a difference because I am an only child and I understood everything Zinny Taylor went through and cried for her. She had been forever with her Aunt and Uncle and her cousin Rose, her neighbours, and away from her huge, loud family. When her cousin Rose died from whooping cough that she caught from Zinny herself, Zinny's life was shattered. What made things worse was when her Aunt Jessie ('Redbird') died suddenly. Zinny yearns to get away, to remember whatever she can about her aunt and cousin, and to find her own identity. She discovers an old trail, that stone by stone she digs, all by herself, and as she is digging these stones, she is digging her mind. She finds memories of Rose that had been buried deep in her mind, and she also finds something else: herself. She had always been thought of as a stingy, quiet girl, but she always knew that that wasn't HER, it was just what was thought of her. She was still not very self-confident, though, as she thought that the VERY attentive Jake Boone did not like her, but May, her older sister. He proves her wrong, though. This is a magnificent piece of storytelling that grabs you and doesn't let you go until the very end.

Chasing Redbird Review

In Chasing Redbird, by Sharon Creech, a young teenager name Zinny explores her life and a mysterious trail. With help from a young man and her dead aunt, she uncovers many mysteries in her life and on the trail.
In this book there are many characters that play an important role in Chasing Redbird. Zinnia or Zinny Taylor is the most important character in this book. She is a young teenager who thinks she killed her little cousin and now her aunt. Another important character is Jake Boone, a tall and handsome young man. He moved back to Bybanks, Kentucky, where this story takes place. He is a few years older than Zinny, but he still falls in love with her. That's the first time Zinny has been loved before, too. Zinny's family includes May, Gretchen, Bonnie, Will, Sam, Ben, and her mom and dad. Her Aunt Jessie, Uncle Nate and Zinny's cousin Rose lived in the house next to them. When Rose was four (the same age as Zinny was) she caught a cough from Zinny. She soon after died. And then, nine years later her Aunt Jessie died mysteriously. After her death Zinny's Uncle Nate went around to chasing after her, even though others could not see her.
This book takes place in Bybanks, Kentucky near Chocton (a nearby town). Zinny lives on a farm in the country. Zinny decides that she is going to unlock that mystery, behind her Aunt Jessie's death by clearing and recovering the trail. The trail is almost 20 miles long. After glorious and frightening experiences while clearing o the trail on foot, it was finished. At the end of the trail she sees her dead Aunt Jessie and finds a boarded up cabin. After getting her sick Uncle Nate, up to the cabin, Zinny finally discovers the secret to her past, why her aunt died, and how she had nothing to do with it. With help from Jake Boone her Uncle barely survives, and Zinny is relieved. The trail becomes a historical landmark and Zinny lives happily. The theme of this book was to entertain the reader and for Zinny to unlock the mysteries of her past.
I liked this book and all its contents. I liked this story because it was easy to understand and had an interesting way of describing feeling. This was a great story and was an easy, yet fantastic read. Because of Sharon Creech and her great writing skills, I was glad that I got a chance to read this book!

I think this book
should be read
by literature teachers
in any school system.
It is filled with detailed things.
Zinny is a character who a lot
of kids can relate to.

Chasing Redbird, by Sharon Creech is one of my most favorite books of all time. It gives young girls like me the message that you can do anything if you just put your mind to it. In Chasing Redbird a girl named Zinny does just that. See, Zinny is one of the children of a very large family. Because of that, Zinny does not get that much attention from her mom and dad, so she has taught herself to become very quiet so that she won't cause any problems for her already frustrated parents. Not only does Zinny not get any attention from her parents, but all the guys she ever likes have always wanted to go out with her sister May. Zinny decides because of this that she will never find a boyfriend, and they will always want to go out with May. When Zinny gets tired of sharing things and guys with her brothers and sisters, she finds this trail that leads her to question her life, like will I ever be known as me, or will I just be another one of my mother's children. I love this book because it has a lot of mysteries, but it is also sort of a teen romance.