Book excerpt: Winner of the 2018 Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award * Two starred reviews * A New York Public Library Best Kids Book of 2017 * A Bank Street Best Children's Book of 2017 * Wisconsin Library Association CBA Outstanding Books of the Year selection * 2018-19 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award list selection * 2018-19 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award nominee * Young Hoosier Book Award nominee * The Someday Birds is the debut middle grade novel by Schneider Award–winning author Sally J. Pla, perfect for fans of Counting by 7s and Fish in a Tree, filled with humor, heart, and chicken nuggets. Charlie’s perfectly ordinary life has been unraveling ever since his war journalist father was injured in Afghanistan. When his father heads from California to Virginia for medical treatment, Charlie reluctantly travels cross-country with his boy-crazy sister, unruly brothers, and a mysterious new family friend. He decides that if he can spot all the birds that he and his father were hoping to see someday along the way, then everything might just turn out okay. Debut author Sally J. Pla has written a tale that is equal parts madcap road trip, coming-of-age story for an autistic boy who feels he doesn’t understand the world, and an uplifting portrait of a family overcoming a crisis. “Offering a mixture of suspense, mystery, tragedy, and humor, Pla’s story captures both the literal and figurative meanings of journey.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Pla gives us a memorable hero in this lyrical and funny book.” —Shelf Awareness (starred review)