Chasing Redbird

To Zinny Taylor, life is like trying to untangle spaghetti—she needs to escape the chaos of her family. So when she finds a long-forgotten trail in the wild woods near her home, she resolves to follow it. It's a journey that leads her to unravel the dark secrets of her aunt's life—and her own. And while Zinny chases ghosts in the woods, gorgeous Jake Boone is determined to chase her...

Another utterly unique and wonderful book by this author.

Zinnie Taylor is a girl who wonders if her life will ever be simple. Her beloved and spirited aunt, nicknamed Redbird, has passed away, leaving her family subdued. She lives among her five other siblings, always lumped together as “one of those Taylors”. She wants more than anything to be unique, to find something she can call her own. She never expected that something to be in her own backyard.

One day, Zinnie unearths a single stepping stone by the creek in her yard, and it doesn’t take her long to realize that this is just the beginning of a trail; a trail covered by the undergrowth of years. And so Zinnie begins to clear the path with a zealous determination, and in show more doing so, begins to answer the questions of her own life.

What really happened to the baby cousin who was like a sister to her and died when she was small? How can she prove her uniqueness to her parents and siblings? What is she going to do about Jake, who brings her presents and confuses her more than anyone? And will she ever finish the immense task she has set herself, to clear the trail and untangle the mysteries of growing up?

Another quirky tale from Sharon Creech about the pains, triumphs, and realizations of love, loss, youth, and family. show less

I read "Walk Two Moons" by Creech a couple of years ago but wasn't aware she had written others, or that some of her characters and locations crossed novels, an interesting concept in itself. I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one and would argue that while this book is targeted to young adults it has much to say to less than young adults as well. Zinny is on a journey to repair an old pioneer trail that runs from her town to the next one, a journey of several miles physically. But she is really on a much longer journey and it is both a journey of self-discovery and of life. Repairing the trail and re-opening it helps her deal with loss, with love, with family, and with her own doubts and struggles. Through the work itself, show more and a few adventures along the way, she comes to an understanding that "there's a very fine line between people in your head and 'real' people out ther." A very enjoyable and readable book with a lot of food for thought even as you savor the wondrous story of a young woman on a search for life and meaning. show less

"It started out as an ordinary summer. But the minute thirteen-year-old Zinny discovered the old, overgrown trail that ran through the woods behind her family's house, she realized that things were about to change.

Right from the start, Zinny knew that uncovering the trail would be more than just a summer project. It was her chance to finally make people notice her, and to have a place she could call her very own. But more than that, Zinny knew that the trail somehow held the key to all kinds of questions. And that the only way to understand her family, her Aunt Jessie's death, and herself was to find out where it went. "

I remember reading this book when it came out. I gobbled up ever word, every phrase; soaked up every wonderful scene show more of this book. Sharon Creech has a seemingly never-ending well of talent of which we are lucky enough to draw from.

Her characters have so much depth, she does not speak to her young readers as if they are idiots (as some authors do). It's very easy to become absorbed in the worlds and characters of her books and I remember this one being my very favorite. I connected strongly with Zinny, the main character, exploring the world to find herself, to unearth family secrets..

My favorite quote: "“Maybe it was the same with people: if you studied them,you'd see new and different things. But would you like what you saw? Did it depend on who was doing the looking?” show less

This book always kinda scared me when I was younger. The setting is often the protagonist alone in the woods with her memories and guilt and grief, and it freaked me out. But also I think thats one of the reasons I like this book. The story has the reader thinking about death but also family and personal journeys and ghosts (both literal and metaphorical). Its a good book.

I like this book and its important to me, but I want to make a note that the love interest subplot bugged the crap out of me because of the age gap. I dont think I saw it as a big deal when I read this book when I was younger but now Im old and cranky and a 16 year old being interested in a girl 3 years younger than him is NOT COOL and also this book did not promote show more good ideas about boundaries or consent. show less

Lovely coming of age story set in Kentucky. Zinny is just one of the passel of "Taylors" that no one can tell apart. At the beginning of the summer, she comes across an old trail and when she finds out that it was paved with shale at one time, she decides that she will repair all 20 miles of the Bybank-Chocton trail by herself. During all the time that this takes to do, she discovers a lot about her family, and herself. Redbird is the nickname of her aunt, recently deceased and she & her uncle catch glimpses of red in the forest, convinced that redbird is visiting them....or was it a cardinal?

Sharon Creech's "Chasing Red Bird" remains one of my favorite childhood books. The book unfolds the protagonist's, Zinnia "Zinny" Taylor's summer discovery of an overgrown trail in the woods behind her family's backyard. As Zinnia unearths the trail she finds her place in the world, answering the questions of her life and coming to an understanding of her family's hardships. Beautifully written, with a complex, yet relative story, this work is a must read for all. It definitely merits the 1998 award, ALA Best Book For Young Adult.