World's Worst Parrot

October 15, 2019
After Ava inherits a parrot from a barely remembered great-uncle, her efforts to maintain an idealized image seem to crumble. Ava has successfully used social media to depict herself as leading a perfect life, hiding that her father has recently abandoned their family, that her older brother, Gregg, is an aggravating tease, and that her mother is both depressed and angry. Still, by posting attractive selfies and a running monologue of her supposed beautiful life, Ava has managed to acquire several hundred followers. The parrot, Mervin, is a challenge--noisy, destructive, and demanding lots of attention. As soon as Gregg posts a photo of the parrot at his worst, Ava's two BFFs, Kim and Kim, promptly (and seemingly inexplicably) dump her, apparently put off by Mervin's messiness. Only later, as Ava begins to bond with another classmate, does it become clear that the Kims have become more interested in hunky Gregg than in Ava (making their rejection of her even less understandable). Characters (default white) are predictable and only superficially depicted, and the ups and downs of Ava's social media and school images are equally lacking in nuance. Only the lively parrot and Ava's growing understanding of and affection for him rise above average. Best for those interested in pet birds. (Fiction. 9-12)

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January 1, 2020
Grades 5-7 Ava is determined to keep up a social media facade of a #perfect life, despite her parents' recent split, a deteriorating social life, and a terribly irritating older brother. It becomes exponentially harder to keep up the pretense when a raucous African Grey parrot appears at her doorstep. Her great-uncle Bernie left her the bird, Mervin, in his will, remembering how she loved him on a visit many years before, but Ava arranges for the local zoo to take the bird away. In the intervening time, however, Mervin works his squawky brand of magic on Ava and her world, leading her to wonder if she's making the right choice in letting him go. As a high-interest novel for middle readers, this book is a breezy read but still touches on many of the struggles of middle-grade students in the digital age. Quick pacing comes at the cost of character depth, and the plot is somewhat predictable, but it's a pleasure to follow the avian antics and watch as Mervin squawks his way into everyone's hearts.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)