How to Make a Bird by Martine Murray (Grades 9-12)

Murray, Martine. (2010). How to make a bird. New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine Books.

USBBY Outstanding International Book 2011

The publisher, Arthur A. Levine Books, provides a short yet intriguing synopsis:

It's dawn, on an empty road in the countryside. Empty, except for the girl in the long, red evening gown, standing next to a bicycle, and looking back at the home she's about to leave. Mannie wants to forget the terrible things that have happened here, but there are questions that need to be answered before she can let go. Questions about her elegant but unstable mother; her brother Eddie who's always overshadowed her; and his friend Harry Jacob, who might or might not be Mannie's boyfriend.

Mannie needs to find out what really happened, and her only clue is an unfamiliar address in the city, written on a scrap of paper found in Eddie's room. As Mannie makes her way to town, the mystery of this vulnerable, quirky girl is revealed piece by piece, in a story about growing up and listening to your heart.

Honestly, I first drawn to How to Make a Bird due to its glaringly unique title. I craved to know "how to make a bird" and what "bird" this elusive namesake was referring to. Additionally, I was drawn to a tagline that I found via the publisher after even further investigation. The words simply read, "A journey, a mystery, and a heart ready to heal." In addition to a discombobulated and captivating narrative structure, this phrase concisely and beautifully describes what a young adult reader will find within this book.

However, while reading, several questions arose regarding this novel's status as an USBBY Outstanding International Book. They are as follows:

• When thinking of international texts, should the selection committee for USBBY Outstanding International Books omit titles from English-speaking countries, such as Australia, this book's country of origin? If so, what does the term "international" truly mean to USBBY?
• In regards to landscapes, does a book that is considered "international" have to feature obviously foreign places and scenery? 
• Do books and authors who win various awards in their home country take precedent over new or relatively unknown titles and authors?