"When I was three years old, Mum plucked a curly white feather out of my neck. If I get scared or the loneliness comes over me, I run my fingertip over the tiny scar and dream about the day the rest of my feathers will grow in. That's the day I'll fly away from here." For eleven-year-old Finch, there couldn't be a better time to fly away from her life. Her dad died last year and her mum hasn't been the same since, her best friend dropped her, and her brother's awful classmate is too mean for words. But when a girl named Pinky moves in next door, a girl from India who also doesn't seem to fit in, Finch feels a flicker of hope that her life might just be turning around. And when something terrible happens and it seems Finch may be the only one who can help her new friend, she comes to understand that flying is not the answer --- sometimes right where you are is the best place to be. Author Deborah Kerbel has created a central character readers will connect with immediately in this novel. With a keen understanding of the particular difficulties facing girls as they enter adolescence, this powerfully written book is about learning to believe in yourself, finding the courage to do what you think is right and recognising the difference you can make in the lives of others. It is both a compelling page-turner and an excellent reference for classroom discussions on loss, bullying, racism, learning difficulties and mental health. AGES: 9-13 AUTHOR: Deborah loved reading from a very young age. As a child, her favourite authors were Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume and L. Frank Baum. She loved books so much, she decided to major in literature at the University of Western Ontario so she would have a good excuse to never put her book down at the dinner table. A few years later, she decided it was time to try writing a book of her own. It went pretty well. Although she's had jobs selling music, restaurant hostessing and pyjama modelling, writing books for kids is definitely her favourite thing to do. Deborah is the author of four young-adult novels and two middle-grade novels, including Feathered. She's also co-authored five books with her father (who's also a writer).