Chasing Redbird audiobook

Re-reading Sharon Creech books is such a joy. Unlike many of the books I loved as a child, Creech’s books stand the test of time and still resonate with me as an adult.

I loved this book. It's a great book that makes you laugh. If you haven't read this before, you must read it!

This is one of my favorite books! I loved how they used different animals and plants as symbols. I also liked how it told you all of Zinnie's feelings and thought because it added to the mood of the story.

3,5 starsAnother of my pre-teen/teen reads. I liked it less than the other book I read from her, but—anyway—I'd recommend it for young readers.

I always know I'll like Sharon Creech's books. I'd recently read Walk Two Moons and yesterday I needed a new middle grade to read so I grabbed Chasing Redbird off my daughter's shelf. And I had no idea it was a companion book to Walk Two Moons. I was even more enchanted by Zinnia Taylor and her family than I was by Sal and the Hiddles. Zinnia is lost in her big family. She hides in plain sight by being "the quiet one." She has always found solace with her beloved Aunt Jessie and Uncle Nate who live in an adjoining home. But now Aunt Jessie is gone and Uncle Nate seems to be losing it, so Zinny needs something else. She finds the beginning of an old overgrown trail near their property and begins clearing it, discovering in the process that it's the remains of a trail that once went twenty miles from her town of Bybanks to nearby Chocton. She devotes herself to clearing the entire length of the trail, and meanwhile finds herself drawn to the sweet attentions of Jake Boone, who has newly returned to Bybanks.Simply an enchanting story. I couldn't put it down. Sharon Creech is nothing but a dad-blasted treasure!

After Zinny's Aunt and cousin die there's a lot of mysterious! For starters what is she doing that's a crime? Why did this boy give her a ring? Where did it go and why did the cops come and say he stole it? Whats going on...so why is Zinny trespassing? Why is the girl dead in the dresser? Read this book to find out whats happening! I recommend this book to everyone who likes mysteries!!This book can be found in almost every library!! Level V

I found this to be a very touching story. I loved Zinny and her family. The way grief/death/illness is handled was very interesting and heartbreaking. I really felt at home in this book and didn’t want it to end. The audiobook narrator (Jenna Lamia) was fantastic and highly recommend that version.

Well-written and thoughtful young adult novel.

Once again, another great Sharon Creech book.

A coming to turns with several things in life kind of book. I had hoped it would be more at times. With more I mean deeper and more feelings. Still a good book to read.

Love a good Creech. This was a good Creech.

When I was ten, I read Chasing Redbird and it changed my life. It's hard to recall exactly why it changed my life; I was ten almost two decades ago, and time has blurred so many memories and feelings since then. For years I would remember Chasing Redbird. I could never remember the exact details of the plot, nor why I was so affected by it --- but I was never able to forget the way I sobbed when I read, the way my heart seized in my chest. So as my first read of 2022, I decided to reread Chasing Redbird for the first time since I was ten. I was apprehensive going into it, afraid that the magic would be totally lost and that I wouldn't like the book at all. And you know what? The magic WAS lost, just a little bit. The story didn't impact me anywhere nearly as devastatingly as it did when I was a child. However, I anticipated that and I didn't feel disappointed by it. It would be strange if I were as affected by a children's book now as I was when I was a child. What I did find, however, was a refreshed appreciation for Sharon Creech. In rereading this book as an adult, I found a poignant, unique, and touching story about loss --- about a little girl lost in her grief over loved ones she had lost, confused about her place in the universe without her loved ones, and desperately trying to reconcile her continuing existence with their shuttered ones. It was a sweet, touching story and I could see what it was that hurt my fragile, childish heart so badly. And most importantly, I was glad this book existed; glad that books like this existed, so that ten-year-old me --- so that children everywhere and anywhere --- could be swept away and moved and touched by such extraordinary things.

When I was in the 5th grade, Sharon Creech was my favorite author. What I loved most about her was that she wrote realistic fiction (realistic enough for my 5th grade mind anyway.) She wrote about actual children, their families, and their feelings. My love of Sharon Creech led me to Jerry Spinelli, who led me to Louis Sachar, who led me to Kate DiCamillo, and all these authors led me to become the person I am today. With that being said, I was very nervous coming back to "Chasing Redbird". What if I felt that it was shallow or too childish to be entertaining for a twenty two year old? In the end, my fears were unneeded: 5th grader me had very good taste. "Chasing Redbird" focuses on grief and individuality. The thirteen year old protagonist Zinnia is stifled by her very large family, where everyone talks and talks but no one listens. The only person who made her feel special was her Aunt Jessie who died recently, leaving behind a heartbroken Uncle Nate. “Because I know who Zinny is. I know what she sounds like, smells like. I know what she radiates. I know who she is.”I wanted to ask And who is that?, but I didn’t.When she finds an old abandoned trail starting in her backyard, she is determined to clear the trail and make it her own.The storyline is wonderful, with even a little bit of romance thrown in there (Jake Boone must have been my 5th grade crush at some point). The writing is filled with quaint little sayings that make the characters even more endearing. And through the character of Uncle Nate, we are actually shown a man who is so heartbroken with grief that he's "out of his noodle," and is having a very difficult time healing. It's a tough topic to tackle for a children's book, and yet. I also appreciate that Sharon Creech doesn't over-explain everyone's motivations, just because this is a children's book. Some things are left to the reader, for instance, we aren't really told whether Zinnia's mother felt resentment towards Aunt Jessie, or whether she was upset. This is hinted at, especially when Zinnia encounters a mother bear in the woods. However, we are never really told, we aren't shown a conversation between Zinnia and her mother about this. It is precisely this non-condescending attitude toward the intended audience that makes this book a good read for an adult as well. Now that I've confirmed that I still love Sharon Creech, I can go ahead and read some of her other works. Looking forward to it!