Wing Nut - Hardcover

Auch, MJ

3.73

362 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805075313 ISBN 13: 9780805075311

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2005

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"Grady, can you pick up that wing nut for me?"
"The what?"
"The wing nut I just dropped. It has two little projections on it that look like wings. It fell into that patch of grass."
Grady dropped to his knees and felt through the grass until he found it. He couldn't help smiling about the name--wing nut. That was the perfect description of Charlie Fernwald and his crazy attraction to birds.

Sometimes "home" is found where you least expect it

Grady Flood and his mom, Lila, have been on the road ever since Grady's dad died seven years ago. When their old car breaks down, they find themselves stranded in rural Pennsylvania where Lila gets work as a cook and caretaker. There's nothing out of the ordinary in that, unless you factor in her new employer. Eighty-five-year-old Charlie Fernwald, a skilled mechanic and bird enthusiast, is definitely out of the ordinary. In fact, if Grady's not mistaken, Charlie is a certifiable "wing nut." Grady and Lila plan to leave as soon as they have enough money to repair their car. For the time being, Grady figures, he can help Charlie with his birds and maybe even learn how to fix a car engine. But before he can do either, something goes terribly wrong.

In her warm and engaging style, MJ Auch crafts a compelling novel about family, forgiveness, and the true meaning of home.

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About the Author:

M.J. Auch is the award-winning author of One-Handed Catch, Guitar Boy and numerous other books for young readers. Books were a part of M.J.’s life from an early age; her mother was a second grade teacher who always made sure there were plenty of books in the house. M.J. now lives on a small farm in upstate NY with her husband and co-illustrator, Herm, and their two dogs, Sophie and Zeke.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-8–Since his father's death seven years ago, Grady, now 12, has followed his footloose, attractive mom, Lila, from one shaky living situation to another, staying put only until her optimism turns to anger over some affront. Feeling her work at the Sunward Path commune is underappreciated, she and Grady are heading for New York when their junker car breaks down in rural Pennsylvania. As usual, Mom lands on her feet, accepting a position cooking for cranky widower Charlie Fernwald, a retired farmer who is, in Grady's opinion, nutty about purple martins–not martians as Grady at first believes. The elderly man is willing to take them on temporarily to fool his son into believing that he's being properly looked after. Lila is willing to play this charade, while slipping healthful veggies into Charlie's diet in hopes of winning him over to obtain a more permanent position. Grady appreciates his host's willingness to teach him about cars, but steadfastly refuses to go to school, secretly releases invasive house sparrows from Charlie's trap, and worries about keeping his mom from becoming romantically involved with the local mechanic. While there is nothing terribly original in a lonely boy and a cranky elderly man overcoming differences to find common ground, Grady, Charlie, and Lila have sharp edges that reveal their individual personalities. Their emotions are heartfelt, and readers will be encouraged by the hopeful, upbeat ending. Nicely integrated plugs for both Katherine Paterson's The Great Gilly Hopkins (HarperCollins, 1978) and the Web site of the National Purple Martin Association are woven into this simple, satisfying story.–Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Junior High School, Iowa City, IA
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