From the Bookshelf of Mock Newbery 2026…

Nightingale's Nest

Nikki Loftin

Start date: April 1, 2014

Finish date: April 30, 2014

Discussion: Book of the Month - 2015

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 10 topics — 283 comments total

Book of the Month - 2015

December Read - El Deafo
By Kristen · 20 posts · 134 views

last updated Jan 14, 2015 11:41AM

October Read - Greenglass House
By Kristen · 21 posts · 194 views

last updated Jan 13, 2015 03:07PM

What Members Thought

Mar 18, 2014 Dest rated it it was ok

Shelves: magical-realism, families, middle-grade, death

This is going to be one of those times when I read a book that everyone else seems to love and I just don't get it. Riddled with sadness and ambiguity, I didn't truly enjoy the story at all. The closest I could come to liking this book was appreciating that author Nikki Loftin created something unusual and touching. There's a lot of good stuff here, but it didn't come together in a meaningful way for this reader. The writing was only so-so and the symbolism heavy-handed. Still, here we go:

Little This is going to be one of those times when I read a book that everyone else seems to love and I just don't get it. Riddled with sadness and ambiguity, I didn't truly enjoy the story at all. The closest I could come to liking this book was appreciating that author Nikki Loftin created something unusual and touching. There's a lot of good stuff here, but it didn't come together in a meaningful way for this reader. The writing was only so-so and the symbolism heavy-handed. Still, here we go:

Little John is a boy in a lamentable situation. His little sister recently died in a tragic accident. He's estranged from his best friend because he's too proud to admit that his family is nearing poverty and falling apart. Little John's teachers make him feel stupid, his mother makes him feel invisible, and his father treats him like a hired hand.

Enter a mysterious new girl who's taken in as a foster child by the awful Cutlin family in the same small town where Little John lives. She calls herself Gayle, though the Cutlins insist her name is Suzie. She reminds Little John of his sister because she's small and feisty, but her most marked characteristic is her beyond-beautiful singing voice and belief in her own magical abilities.

Little John and Gayle become friends. He tries to protect her and at the same time can't resist extorting her for money that his family desperately needs. The villain here is Mr. King, the richest man in town. Known by town folk as "The Emperor," Mr. King is obsessed with recording Gayle's voice to add to his collection. His villainous qualities are ambiguous, though. Gayle fears him and is traumatized by his presence, but why? We don't exactly know. She says he's like a crow. Little John has a built-in reason to loathe King: his father is employed by Mr. King and resents him for being haughty and rich.

The plot is driven by something you know is going to happen, even though it seems so unlikely. Gayle makes Little John promise to protect her tree and her nest because she believes her parents will use these as beacons to find her--but it's somehow inevitable that Little John will break his promise. It also seemed inevitable to me that Little John would redeem himself.

Just a few other details to mention:

1. Little John lives five miles from Mr. King and the Cutlins. In the heat of summer, he runs those five miles (ten round trip) so many times! At first, it's portrayed as a difficult journey for Little John, but then it becomes something he just does without comment. I thought this was convenient for the plot and not very believable.

2. It also bothered me that Raelynn's death was set up as a something the family still needed to deal with, but in the end they went around the issue instead of through it.

3. I'm not a fan of stories that end with poor people conveniently coming into a lot of money and voila! Everything's better! (Also (view spoiler))

4. This story bears only a slight resemblance to Hans Christian Andersen's "The Nightingale". I wouldn't call it a re-telling or say it was based on it. I believe the book jacket says "inspired by" and that's fair. I encourage you to go read "The Nightingale" online. It's short and tells a very different kind of story--one about valuing an imitation above the real deal. Also, in Andersen's story the main relationship is between the nightingale and the Emperor. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 28, 2014 Kristine rated it really liked it

Shelves: firstreads-netgalley, e-book, childrens-chapter, mock-newbery

Another coming of age middle grade tale filled to the brim of sadness and brokenness. Of a sense of hopelessness. Of finding out that people aren't the heroes you thought they were and the world is pretty messed up sometimes, and that you can make what you think is a right choice, and it still messes things up royally. But if you don't give up, usually you can set things straight. it's filled with connecting and friendship and love and magic and healing. And it ended with hope. Usually happy end ...more

Like · see review

Feb 04, 2014 Susan Dunn rated it liked it

Shelves: j-fiction, ala-midwinter-2014

This one was so dark! I had a hard time getting thru it b/c so many terrible things kept happening to the main character. It all ended well - but it took a long time to get there! This one is a fictionalized version of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Nightingale". Little John's whole family is grieving the loss of his younger sister the year before. John is only 12, but this summer he has a full time job helping his dad cut trees for the wealthiest man in town, who everyone calls The Emperor. Whi ...more

Like · see review

Feb 14, 2014 Alison rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014, diverse-books, middle-grade, friendship

I wanted to love this book but ultimately felt that it kept hitting the same note and striking the same tone with such even an even pace and so much consistency that I grew a bit bored. The tension and discomfort were drawn out too long for me, and I ultimately put the book down without finishing it. I can see recommending it to kids who are patient readers and like dramatic tension, but for me personally it missed its mark.

Like · see review

Apr 06, 2014 Robynn rated it really liked it

This was the 2014 April read for goodread's Mock Newbery group. A coming of age book for a boy who is fast becoming a man and his family's struggles after the death of his younger sister. ...more

Like · see review

Jan 28, 2014 Erin rated it really liked it

Shelves: junior-fiction

3.5 Skellig-esque. Deals with poverty, foster homes, death of a sister. Magical fairy tale elements. Might be a little less kid-friendly than I would like.

Like · see review