About This Book

Swirling riffs of language and a propulsive beat set this gritty, transcendent novel in motion. Amidst the sparkle and hum of a New York City winter, Jed and his best friend Flyer are filming a documentary of their neighborhood. All around them are images that Jed's older brother Zeke wrote about: drummers, drunks, dog walkers, and the beautiful water towers that dot the city's skyline.

But what Jed is really in search of is Zeke, a poet who loved jazzman Charlie "Bird" Parker and who left behind his CDs, a notebook, and a lot of unanswered questions. Jed encounters a mysterious homeless girl who may hold the key to why Zeke died, if Jed can somehow unlock her secrets.

About the Authors or Illustrators

Tracy Mack

Tracy Mack's first novel, Drawing Lessons, was named a Booklist Top Ten First Novel for Young Adults, a New York Public Llibrary Book for the Teen Age, a Bank Street College Best Book and a Teen People Next Award Finalist. Birdland, her second novel, has garnered praise from Walter Dean Myers, Mary Pope Osborne and Julia Alvarez.

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