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Title details for Birdland by Tracy Mack - Available

Birdland

by Tracy Mack
Dion Graham
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

Swirling riffs of language and a propulsive beat set this gritty, transcendent novel in motion.

Amid the sparkle and hum of a New York City winter, Jed and his best friend, Flyer, are filming a documentary of their neighborhood. All around them are images that Jed's older brother Zeke wrote about: drummers, drunks, dog walkers, and the beautiful water towers that dot the city's skyline. But what Jed is really in search of is Zeke, a poet who loved jazzman Charlie "Bird" Parker and who left behind his CDs, a notebook, and a lot of unanswered questions.

When Jed encounters a mysterious homeless girl he thinks holds the key to connecting him to Zeke, it could be his only way to unlock his deepest sorrow and discover how to be—who to be—on his own.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    June 27, 2005

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781481542104
      • File size: 83427 KB
      • Duration: 02:53:48

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • ATOS Level: 4.4
    • Lexile® Measure: 670
    • Interest Level: 9-12(UG)
    • Text Difficulty: 3

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      It's winter break, and Jed's family continues to grieve the death of his older brother, Zeke, from complications of diabetes. Zeke was a poet, a lover of jazz (especially Charlie "Bird" Parker), and of life on the edge. Thanks to a found and treasured journal of his brother's poetry, Jed is now seeing the world through Zeke's eyes. This production is an example of how an audiobook can surpass its print parent. Dion Graham's first-person narration captures the grief, confusion, and search for meaning that Jed wrestles with. Along with the jazz licks that introduce and conclude the story, he brings to life a novel that doesn't fully breathe on the page. N.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 17, 2003
      Eighth-grader Joseph Eli Diamond (or Jed) feels responsible for not being home when his older brother, a diabetic, went into insulin shock after drinking half a bottle of vodka, and he wonders if Zeke's death was accidental. Now Jed's having trouble speaking, and his uncommunicative family is falling apart. While making a movie about his New York City neighborhood for a school project, Jed sees many of the images his poet brother wrote about in his notebook, including a homeless girl whose "hard-soft eyes haunt my dreams." Though his growing friendship with the girl strains credibility somewhat, it does provide Jed a chance to save her in a way he couldn't save Zeke and to begin talking again. Through Jed's eyes—and camera—Mack (Drawing Lessons
      ) paints a vivid picture of Jed's East Village neighborhood, full of characters who struggle on, despite both personal tragedies and the aftereffects of September 11. The author offers a realistic portrayal of a grieving family as well as other characters grappling with hardships, such as Jed's best friend, whose mother recently moved out. Some touches, such as Jed's younger brother's obsession with ambulances, seem scripted, and both Jed's speaking problem and Kiki's self-injuring never feel fully developed (conversely, readers may well appreciate the information on diabetes). Overall, despite a few rough edges, readers will find it easy to relate to Jed and many of the other brave characters in his corner of the world. Ages 14-up.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:4.4
  • Lexile® Measure:670
  • Interest Level:9-12(UG)
  • Text Difficulty:3

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