★ “Noel builds an immersive pigeon culture that includes prioritizing the flock over any individual bird and opinions about humans…. ★ “Readers will lose themselves in this high-flying story of friendship and home.” - Bookpage (Starred Review) With this troop of quirky pigeons whose rooftop world is both strange and familiar, Noel has written a debut replete with hope, humor, and heart.” - Publishers Weekly Sweetest of all is endearing Coo’s steadfast affection and loyalty for those she loves-pigeons and humans alike. “The story conveys powerful messages about love and friendship, compassion and belonging. Newbery Medal–winning author of Hello, Universe An unforgettable story of friendship, love, and finding your flock.” It really deserves all the awards, and definitely should be in every school and community library.“Coo made my spirit soar. It really deserves all the awards, and definitely should be in every school and community library.more I can’t think of many other recent middle grade books that even include these holidays, which are so important. The way that Nolie, the main character, navigates these is so well-written and believable, without ever being heavy handed. These themes dovetail with the timing of the book, which is set around the Jewish High Holy Days, Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). I also want to mention the astonishingly skilled way that Gertler weaves in some huge themes-betrayal, sin, redemption-while never making the book boring or patronizing. Oh, and it’s funny! I laughed out loud several times.

She does all this while evoking the uptown New York City setting with complete accuracy.

Besides the fact that Gertler is a fantastic prose stylist (I swear she could pivot to writing New Yorker short stories if she wanted to), she has managed to craft a pitch-perfect, deeply realistic, nuanced story about adolescence, friendship, guilt, forgiveness, and the complexities of family loyalty (and family feuds). Besides the fact that Gertler is a fantastic prose stylist (I swear she could pivot to writing New Yorker short stories if she wanted to), she has managed to craft a pitch-perfect, deeply realistic, One of the best middle grade books I’ve ever read. One of the best middle grade books I’ve ever read. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Coo by Kaela Noel