Birdie for Now

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is the
author of several books, including The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese
Women’s Lives, Kurlek and Margaret Laurence: T

Dickon Fielding is an immature 11-year-old who has attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder. His mother calls him “Birdie” and his
classmates mockingly call him “Twitchy” because of his ADHD
behavior. His mother, disturbed after her husband has deserted both of
them, finds a job in a bank, and the two move into a tiny house that,
providentially, backs onto a field that belongs to the Humane Society.
Dickon loves dogs, and watches the children as they train their pets in
obedience class.

One day, a badly abused little Papillon bitch, whose name is also
Birdie, is left at the Society. Dickon’s mother hates dogs, having
been bitten by one when she was younger. But the boy is able to convince
her to give the dog a trial. As the boy and the dog bond, they both
heal. Dickon is able to stay focused on a single task and is making new
friends. As his mother comes to realize how much stronger Dickon has
become, and how much he’s matured through the relationship, she lets
the dog stay.

Jean Little’s writing is honest and strong, ethical to the core but
never sentimental. Birdie for Now is a beautiful book for children from
seven to eighty. Highly recommended.